Category: Upcoming Speakers

John Aiken joined the South Alabama men’s basketball staff as an assistant coach in June 2026, reuniting with head coach Richie Riley after previously working together at Nicholls.

Aiken brings nearly 20 years of collegiate coaching experience to the Jaguars, including Division I stops at UT Martin, McNeese, and Nicholls. He joins South Alabama after spending the 2024-25 season at UT Martin, marking his second stint with the Skyhawks program.

Prior to his return to UT Martin, Aiken spent five seasons at McNeese, serving as associate head coach from 2018-21 before being elevated to head coach in 2021. During his tenure, he guided the Cowboys to their first Southland Conference Tournament victory since 2015 and a trip to the conference semifinals in 2023.

Aiken previously worked alongside South Alabama head coach Richie Riley at Nicholls from 2016 18. During that span, the Colonels won 35 games and captured the 2017-18 Southland Conference regular-season championship. Nicholls posted a 21-11 record that season while ranking among the national leaders in steals, turnovers forced, and scoring offense.

Before Nicholls, Aiken spent two seasons at UT Martin from 2014-16, helping engineer one of the largest turnarounds in NCAA Division I basketball. The Skyhawks improved by 13 wins during the 2014-15 season and earned back-to-back postseason appearances while recording the program’s first four Division I postseason victories.

Prior to entering the Division I ranks, Aiken served as head coach at Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss., for two seasons after spending four years as an assistant coach. He guided the Blazers to a NAIA Division I National Tournament appearance in 2013-14 and helped coach multiple all-conference and All-American performers during his tenure.

Aiken began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine.

A native of Portland, Maine, Aiken earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Southern Maine in 2008 and a master’s degree in sports leadership from Belhaven in 2013.

Aiken has two children, Macrae and Gracie.

Justine Herlihy Bixler

Biography

Justine was born and raised in Mobile and has a deep passion for the city of her birth. She attended The University of Alabama and received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Sociology. After graduation, she returned home to work directly with the people and businesses that were impacted by the 2010 BP Oil Spill at Cunningham Bounds, LLC. In 2015, she followed her desire to improve the quality of life where we live and became the Development Director at Mobile Baykeeper.

In 2019, Justine joined the United Way of Southwest Alabama as the Vice President of Resource Development, was promoted to Interim President/CEO in June 2023 and President/CEO in September 2023. Her goal is to build communities that are more resilient by focusing on improving healthy communities, youth opportunities, financial security and communities that are more resilient across United Way’s footprint.

She utilizes her background in Psychology and Sociology to build strategic partnerships to strengthen the communities in Mobile, Clarke, Choctaw, and Washington Counties. Her proficiency in revenue generation, strategic planning and civic engagement enables her to mobilize resources that are the foundation for a better life. From an early age, she learned that by serving others first she singlehandedly has the ability to improve the quality of life of the people and communities around her. She is responsible for a $3.5 million dollar annual budget that benefits over 242,000 residents of Southwest Alabama annually.

Justine is very active in the community and proudly serves as a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters and as the Vice President for the University of Alabama Alumni Chapter in Mobile. She has also served on several local boards and committees for organizations including: St. Paul’s Episcopal School, Mobile United, and James T. Strickland Youth Center. She is a graduate of Leadership Mobile’s Class of 2018.

In 2023, she was selected as Mobile Bay Magazine’s 40 Under 40. In her free time, she remains active in the community, loves cooking with family and friends, and enjoys kayaking, hunting, and fishing.