Bilal Batley - Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Director of On-Campus Relations
- Email:
- bbatley@central.uh.edu
| ABOUT BILAL BATLEY | |
| Hometown | Houston, Texas |
| College | Oklahoma '07; Memphis '14 |
| Family | Wife – Marlania Son – Joseph |
| PROFESSIONAL CAREER | |
| Year | Team, Position |
| 2026 – | Houston, Executive Director of Basketball Strategy |
| 2021-26 | Houston, Director of Program Strategy & Player Relations |
| 2017-21 | Houston, Director of On-Campus Relations |
| 2016-17 | Dynasty Sports, Director |
| 2015-16 | Paris College, Head Coach |
| 2014-15 | UIW, Assistant Coach |
| 2013-14 | Paris College, Assistant Coach |
| 2010-12 | Navarro College, Assistant Coach |
| 2009-10 | Kentucky, Assistant Director of Operations |
| 2009 | John Lucas Resources, Head of Player Development |
| 2008-09 | Memphis, Assistant Director of Operations |
| 2007-08 | Indiana, Graduate Assistant |
| 2010-13 | Oklahoma, Student Manager |
| 2001-04 | Navarro College, Student Assistant |
| CHAMPIONSHIPS | |
| 2024-25 | • NCAA National Finalist • NCAA Final Four • Big 12 Champions • Big 12 Tournament Champions |
| 2023-24 | Big 12 Champions |
| 2022-23 | American Athletic Tournament Champions |
| 2021-22 | • American Athletic Champions • American Athletic Tournament Champions |
| 2020-21 | • NCAA Final Four • American Athletic Tournament Champions |
| 2019-20 | American Athletic Champions |
| 2018-19 | American Athletic Champions |
| NBA DRAFT SELECTIONS | |
| Year | Experience |
| 2026 | Kingston Flemings Atlanta Hawks First Round | #8 pick Chris Cenac Jr. Boston Celtics First Round | #27 pick Emanuel Sharp Sacramento Kings Second Round | #45 pick |
| 2024 | Jamal Shead (Toronto Raptors) | Second Round | #45 pick |
| 2023 | Jarace Walker (Indiana Pacers) | First Round | #8 pick Marcus Sasser (Detroit Pistons) | First Round | #25 pick |
| 2021 | Quentin Grimes (New York Knicks) | First Round | #25 pick |
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Bilal Batley joined the University of Houston Men’s Basketball program in June 2017 as director of on-campus relations and was elevated to executive director of basketball strategy in September 2026.
Batley has responsibilities in NIL strategy, player personnel, analytics innovation, recruiting and long-term program planning.
During his time at Houston, Batley has helped lead the Cougars to eight consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances – including the 2025 NCAA National Championship Game and the 2021 NCAA Final Four – and nine conference regular-season and tournament championships.
Houston has posted a 273-51 record and sustained national success by being ranked in the Top 25 in the final Associated Press & USA TODAY Sports Coaches polls during Batley’s tenure and has Top 10 showings in each of the last six seasons
Batley previously served under Head Coach Kelvin Sampson at Oklahoma and Indiana.
Batley’s time in Houston includes seven NBA Draft picks with two in the lottery (Jarace Walker and Kingston Flemings), three First-Round picks (Quentin Grimes, Marcus Sasser, Chris Cenac Jr.), and two in the Second Round (Jamal Shead, Emanuel Sharp).
Batley has spearheaded the Houston Men’s Basketball alumni program, reconnecting more than 120 former players since the 1950s through today. The alumni program has created opportunities for networking & visibility, employment and mentorship for degree completion.
Before joining the Cougars, Batley worked in player development with professional basketball players for Dynasty Sports from 2016 to 2017. Prior to that, he served as the head coach at Paris College during the 2015-16 season.
Batley entered the full-time NCAA Division I coaching ranks at Incarnate Word. There, he assisted UIW’s transition into its first season in NCAA Division 1 with an 18-11 overall record and a 10-8 mark in Southland Conference play. As an assistant coach at Paris College in 2013-14, he helped the team to a 26-8 overall record, the regular-season and conference tournament championships and a berth in the Sweet 16 in the National Junior College Athletics Association National Tournament.
As an assistant coach at Navarro College, his 2011-12 team won the Region XIV Tournament championship and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament while the 2010-11 squad enjoyed a 20-win season and received the All-Academic Team Award with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
In 2009, Batley served as head of player development for John Lucas Resources, where he specialized in NBA pre-draft and veteran skill development and led all youth basketball events.
Batley served as assistant director of operations at Kentucky in 2009, where helped building the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. That group later saw five players selected in the First Round of the 2010 NBA Draft.
In the 2008-09 season, he worked as assistant director of operations at Memphis for a team a team that went 33-4 with an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance and included Tyreke Evans, the No. 4 pick in the NBA Draft.
During the 2007-08 season, Batley served as a graduate assistant under Sampson at Indiana. That season, the Hoosiers went 25-8 overall and 14-4 in the Big Ten.
Batley began his working relationship with Sampson at as a student manager from 2004 to 2006. The Sooners won the 2005 Big 12 championship and made two NCAA tournament appearances during those seasons.
He started his career as a student assistant at Navarro College in 2001 and served the program with a variety of responsibilities.
Batley earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology at Oklahoma and 2007 and received a master’s degree in sports and leisure commerce from Memphis in 2014.
He and his wife, Marlania, have a son, Joseph.
