J.D. Byers enters his first season as an assistant coach at Penn State in 2023-24. Byers comes to Happy Valley after serving on head coach Mike Rhoades’ staff at VCU (2017-23), Rice (2014-17) and Randolph-Macon (2007-09).
As assistant coach at VCU, Byers helped the Rams go 129-61 over the last six seasons with three NCAA Tournament appearances, four national postseason berths, a pair of Atlantic 10 regular-season titles and one A-10 tournament championship. He played an integral role in signing the Atlantic 10’s top recruiting class in three of the last four years and signing three of the program’s top six highest-ranked recruits in program history. Byers helped mentor a pair of NBA draft picks in Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland (2021 NBA draft pick) and Vince Williams Jr. (2022 NBA draft pick).
Byers was named one of 50 Impactful Mid-Major Assistant Coaches by Silver Waves Media in 2020. Byers was also among a select group of assistants chosen to participate in the 2020 TopConnect Virtual Seminar.
Byers previously helped Rhoades engineer a stunning turnaround at Rice. The Owls improved by 18 wins in three seasons (2014-17) and that success culminated in a 23-12 campaign in 2016-17. It was Rice’s first 20-win season since 2003-04. During his Rice tenure, Byers also aided the development of two-time first-team All-Conference guard Marcus Evans.
Prior to joining the Owls, Byers spent three seasons helping turn around the Radford program. The Highlanders won just six games in Byers’ first season but greatly improved in each of his following seasons on staff, culminating with 22 wins and Radford’s first postseason win in its NCAA Division I era in 2013-14.
Prior to serving at Radford, Byers spent the 2010-11 season as an assistant coach at St. Francis (Pa.) following three seasons at Randolph-Macon College, including two years under Rhoades. The Yellow Jackets won 66 games during his time on the bench and advanced to the NCAA Division III Final Four in 2010.
Upon his stellar collegiate career and 2005 graduation from Lebanon Valley College, Byers spent one season at Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison as a graduate assistant before returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach for one year.
The 2005 NABC All-American and CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year honoree claimed the Jostens Trophy, given annually to the top Division III basketball student-athlete. Along with Rhoades, Byers is one of five men's basketball players to have his jersey (No. 23) retired by Lebanon Valley.
Byers graduated Summa Cum Laude from Lebanon Valley in 2005 with a degree in accounting and business administration and earned his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson in 2008.
Byers and his wife Marci, the head women’s volleyball coach at Virginia Tech, have two daughters, Kamryn and Skyyler.
J.D. Byers - Coaching History
2005-06 - Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison, Graduate Assistant
2006-07 - Lebanon Valley, Assistant Coach
2007-10 - Randolph-Macon, Assistant Coach
2010-11 - St. Francis (Pa.), Assistant Coach
2011-14 - Radford, Assistant Coach
2014-17 - Rice, Assistant Coach
2017-23 – VCU, Assistant Coach
2023-present – Penn State, Assistant Coach
