On April 7th, Marquette men’s basketball announced that Jeremy Ballard would be joining the team as an assistant coach. At the time, I noted that part of the announcement of adding Ballard was not just the departure of Nevada Smith for the Siena head coaching position, but also the departure of assistant coach DeAndre Haynes. Again, from the Ballard press release, emphasis mine:
Ballard joins the Marquette staff after the departures of assistant coaches Nevada Smith, who was named the head coach at
Siena on April 1st, and DeAndre Haynes, who left the program at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season after five years with the Golden Eagles.
This was an update to the coaching staff that was not public information up until the Ballard press release. The group chat I am in with the Paint Touches and Cracked Sidewalks guys immediately lit up with variations on “wait, did I miss something in the last month?” Nope. Didn’t miss anything. Marquette just didn’t announce Haynes’ departure until April 7th.
Marquette men’s basketball played their final game of the 2025-26 season on Wednesday, March 11, 2025, losing to Xavier, 89-87, in the first round of the Big East conference tournament. The most literal definition of “at the conclusion of the season” is that March 11th was Haynes’ last day with the program. The most likely definition of the explanation handed out by the Ballard press release is that March 12th was Haynes’ last day. Season ends, next day, come in, pack up the office, turn in your keys, etc. The second most likely definition is Haynes’ last day was March 31, because perhaps he’s on a monthly paycheck system where he’s still officially employed up until the first of the month, which is the next payday. The third most likely definition is any day between the 12th and the 31st because Reasons. Pick one, imagine one, whatever. There’s a bunch that you could come up with that are all perfectly logical and plausible, we don’t have to go through all of them.
The point is this: There’s no reason to think that DeAndre Haynes was still employed by Marquette as of April 1st, much less April 6th, the day before the Ballard press release came out. Makes sense, right?
Okay, well, if that’s the case, why did DeAndre Haynes post a farewell to Marquette on Instagram on April 9th?
For perpetuity’s sake:
Marquette University is a place that we’ll never forget.
So much life happened in this chapter. So much growth, challenges, relationships, and memories that will stay with us forever.
Thank you to the players for the heart you brought every day, the parents for trusting us with your incredible sons, and to the fans who supported this program so deeply. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been part of it.
I don’t know what this next chapter holds, but I’m letting my faith carry me until I see what God has planned
Jeremiah 29:11
For the sake of making everything obvious and on the table, the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11 reads as follows:
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
And not only did Haynes wait until two days after the Ballard press release to post this, he also includes a “I don’t know what this next chapter holds” line which kiiiiiiiinda hints that he left Marquette without a clear and obvious plan for his future. According to the most literal definition of Marquette’s timeline and Haynes’ own words, he has not been with the program for just a shade over four weeks by the time he posted that he doesn’t know what the next chapter holds.
I have questions.
If he left the program in mid-March, why did it take until the 9th day of April to say farewell?
If it was a paperwork processing thing and he wasn’t officially off the payroll until April 1st, why did he wait until eight days later to say farewell?
If he doesn’t know what he’s doing next, why did Haynes leave the program in the first place, and then why wait so long to make a public statement about his departure? Wouldn’t it make a lot of sense to make it more obvious that you were open to new employment opportunities on a much faster timeline?
And to provide even more context for why all of this seems just a little bit sideways, here’s what Haynes posted on March 30th for his birthday…. seemingly without a mention of his employment status in either direction:
Again, for perpetuity:
Today I’m celebrating another year of life, and more than anything, I’m filled with gratitude.
Thank you to everyone who called, texted, and took time out of your day to show love—it truly means a lot. This past year hasn’t been easy for me. I’ve faced some real challenges with my health, and there have been moments that tested me in ways I didn’t expect.
But through it all, your support, encouragement, and prayers have helped carry me. I don’t take that for granted.
I’m still standing. Still fighting. Still keeping my faith strong.
This next chapter is about growth, strength, and purpose. I appreciate everyone who’s been part of my journey—on the good days and the tough ones.
Much love to you all.
Maybe this is just me looking at a Rorschach inkblot test and saying it looks like a bear. Maybe you look at it and see a car or a house or a boat. Maybe this is just nothing and we’re just missing some obvious key pieces that aren’t really worth talking about in public and are actually very minor and not a big deal at all.
But it feels weird, right? Especially after the men’s basketball team just had their worst season in at least 35 years, after a season that was a massive dropoff from the previous four seasons with Haynes on the bench, after a season that saw a player get benched and and then leave the team mid-year, after a season that saw the team’s social media completely mishandle said departure, after a season that saw the coaching staff clearly misunderstand how their roster fit together.
Maybe it’s nothing. But it feels like it was one more Thing to happen to the Golden Eagles in 2025-26, right?
Follow Anonymous Eagle on social media
Facebook: AnonymousEagle
Instagram: AnonymousEagleSBN
Bluesky: AnonymousEagle
