Eastern Illinois University announced on Apr. 14 that Desmond Balentine has joined the Panthers men’s basketball staff as an assistant coach, according to head coach Marty Simmons.
The appointment is notable as Balentine brings experience from his recent role at Tiffin University in Ohio, where he served as head coach for two seasons and spent four years overall with the program. During his tenure as an assistant at Tiffin, the team achieved its highest win total in two decades before he assumed the head coaching position in 2024.
Before working at Tiffin, Balentine was a graduate assistant coach at Incarnate Word and also coached SATX Basketball in San Antonio. His background includes playing collegiate basketball at Tyler Junior College and later finishing his playing career at Incarnate Word.
Balentine is originally from Kokomo, Indiana. He holds both a bachelor’s degree (2020) and a master’s degree (2021) from the University of the Incarnate Word.
The addition of Balentine is expected to strengthen Eastern Illinois’ coaching staff ahead of upcoming seasons.
