Lamar University Athletics

Justin Besley enters his second season as assistant coach to Lamar University's soccer team. He was hired to join Nathan Kogut’s staff before the start of the 2025 season. Before joining the Cardinals, he was an assistant coach at Xavier University-Louisiana. 

In 2024, the Gold Nuggets went 14-6-2 overall and 10-2-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference. They won the conference tournament and would again reach the second round of the NAIA nationals. Luci Schroeder became the first women’s soccer player in the conference to receive two All-American honors.

The program's 2023 inaugural season was one for the ages as the Gold Nuggets won the RRAC regular-season championship with a 13-6 overall and 11-2 conference record. They were ranked in the nation’s top 20 in shot percentage (2^nd; .220), goals per game (T15th; 3.26), goals (20^th; 62^nd) and points (20^th; 175). They also were the first non-NCAA DI team to earn three of the four major All-Louisiana awards for one season, including Schroeder, who was named both Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year while Besley helped head coach Ashley Cordeiro earn Coach of the Year honors.

Before joining XULA, Besley coached two seasons as a men’s soccer graduate at Friends University (Wichita, Kan.). During his tenure the Falcons went 23-9-2 and reached the semifinals of Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament in the spring of 2021.

He also spent three seasons as the boy’s soccer assistant at NSU University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and led the Sharks to three district championships and one state title. In addition, he coached goalkeepers in the youth development Elite Clubs National League and in the men’s professional league.

Besley played collegiate soccer as a goalkeeper for Florida Gulf Coast University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2017. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Friends in 2022.