Men's Basketball Coaching Staff

HOWARD DILLARD

Coach Howard Dillard is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach and a recruiter for Dyersburg State Community College. He graduated from Murray State University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a Minor in History. Dillard is currently working on a master’s degree Post-Secondary Education enthusiast in Administration Role.

Dillard was the former head women’s coach of Shawnee Community College in Ullin, IL, and the former head assistant men’s coach of Mid-Continent University Varsity and head coach of the junior varsity men’s team in Mayfield, KY. In addition, he was the former head women’s coach at West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

He is married to Crystal Palmisano-Dillard and has two sons: Anthony and Samuel. 

Anthony Jones (AJ) comes to Dyersburg State from Fairley High School in Memphis, TN, where he served as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach since 2022. AJ has over twenty years of coaching experience. He was recognized as Coach of the Year in 2013, along with two district championships in city championship tournaments during his time at Raleigh Egypt High School in Memphis.

AJ’s basketball career began at Lawton High School in Lawton, OK 1982. AJ went to play at Connors State College in Warner, OK, where he was recognized as a JUCO All-American (1986 - 1988). In 1989, AJ transferred to Union College in Barbourville, KY, to play basketball. In 1990, he went on to play at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK. In 1991, AJ was drafted in the second round of the NBA Draft to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. AJ also played basketball overseas in Dijon, France, from 1992-93; in Manila, Philippines, from 1994-96; in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 1997-2001; and in Iceland from 2001-2004.

Coach AJ and his wife, Paula Jones, reside in Memphis, TN. They have three children: Anthony Jones, who plays basketball for the Reyes Durangos in Mexico; Manaya Jones, who played college basketball at Oral Roberts University in 2021; and Sinetra Jones, who plays basketball at the University of Forth-Smith Arkansas in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Sinetra is an alumnus of Dyersburg State and was the all-time leading shock blocker for the Women’s Basketball team in 2019 with 277 blocks.