Michael Strickland was officially announced as an assistant coach with the UMaine men's basketball team on Sept. 7, 2021.
Strickland arrived in Orono with over 10 years of basketball recruiting and coaching experience.
Prior to joining the staff at UMaine, Strickland served as an assistant coach at the Military Magnet Academy / TMP Basketball (AAU) program in Charleston, South Carolina. Before his stint in Charleston, Strike served as an assistant coach and director of resident life at Bishop Walsh School, a NIKE Elite National Boarding School. At Bishop, Strickland played a key role in the recruitment and retainment of student-athletes from across the globe. Strickland, who also boasts over 15 years experience in public speaking and sales experience at higher education institutions, was the main point of contact for incoming students and their families, including the international student-athletes. Strickland oversaw the entire training curriculum for both the National Team and High School team at the institution.
Strickland arrived at Bishop after spending 2017-19 as the director of operations at James Madison. With the Dukes, Strikland was tasked with directing all team logistics and administrative tasks including, but not limited to, team travel, practice schedules, facilities management, official visits, recruiting, video services and game management.
Strickland accumulated key experience prior to his time at James Madison with stints at Tuskegee University, where he served as an assistant coach for a pair of seasons, after working at The Citadel as their director of basketball operations for a season. His coaching career has also led him to stops at Roanoke College, Gonzaga High School, and Benedictine College Prep where he got his start as a coach in 2010.
Strickland graduated from Randolph-Macon College with a Bachelor of Arts in Business/Economics in 2010.
Asked about Strickland, Barron said “ Michael comes from a basketball family and has experience coaching at multiple levels of basketball having worked with elite prep schools, small colleges and Division I Universities. Michael has great energy and will work primarily with our point and combo guards.”
