Billy Begley is in his 11th season as Head Men’s Basketball Coach at East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) in Scooba, Mississippi, after previously serving as an assistant coach for the Lions. In his first 10 seasons as head coach, Begley guided the program to a 153-103 overall record and a 75-54 mark in regular-season conference/division play (.598 and .581 respectively). His teams have made eight postseason tournament appearances, including two conference tournament championships. Under his direction, the 2018-19 EMCC squad captured the school’s first men’s basketball conference tournament title since the 1930s, and the 2021-22 team posted a 21-7 record with a No. 7 national ranking and the program’s second tournament title in four years. In the 2022-23 season, the Lions earned a second consecutive 20-win campaign and advanced to the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament semifinals, marking the sixth straight regional appearance for the program.
Begley’s impact extends beyond the court: EMCC’s men’s basketball teams under his leadership have earned NJCAA All-Academic Team honors each of the last three years, with the 2023-24 squad posting a collective team GPA of 3.60 and tying for NJCAA Men’s Basketball Academic Team of the Year honors. Before becoming head coach at EMCC, Begley spent two seasons (2013-15) as an assistant coach at Troy University, where his recruiting and guard-development efforts contributed to the Trojans’ 2017 NCAA Tournament appearance. Begley previously played at Mississippi State University as a guard and three-time captain, earning his bachelor’s in business management and MBA from Mississippi State, and was part of SEC West division titles and NCAA Tournament teams during his collegiate playing career. A native of Henderson, Kentucky, Begley is also a four-time selection to the SEC Academic Honor Roll as a player.
