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Slept On Highlights: An Interview with Justin LeBlanc
It’s been 20 years since Justin LeBlanc missed a college basketball season. But this fall, for the first time in two decades, he won’t be pacing the sidelines.
“It’s a little bittersweet,” he admits in his interview with Inferno’s Slept On podcast hosts. “I’m excited about the future, but I’m gonna miss being on the sidelines.”
After serving as both athletic director and women’s basketball coach at Millsaps College last year, LeBlanc officially stepped into the AD role full-time this spring—a major shift in a career that started just two months after his graduation. He spent several years coaching in Louisiana before arriving back at Millsaps, where he’s been for the past decade.
He’s passionate about the role of College athletics. “It’s one of the most pure ways of athletics that we have left,” he said. There’s a unique blend of athletic and academic drive at the collegiate level of athletics: “Our students are studying to be nurses, doctors, studying abroad, working jobs — and still playing sports.”
The academic commitment is clear: Millsaps’ 18 varsity sports had a collective GPA of 3.4 last year. LeBlanc credits the coaches, who build in flexibility for academics and stress open communication between students and faculty.
One of his favorite things about Millsaps? When new recruits and families come to campus and say, “‘This is not what I expected,’” LeBlanc said. “It shocks them.” LeBlanc stresses that Millsaps is not a “fake family atmosphere.” At Millsaps, LeBlanc underlines, “people care here.”
For LeBlanc, Millsaps is personal. “I’m a Millsaps person at heart,” he said. After a decade of working for the school he himself attended, he sees the transition from coach to AD as a chance to give back. Part of that effort includes boosting alumni engagement through the M-Club, a support network of former players, families, and friends.
Even as the school brings in students from Texas and Louisiana, LeBlanc sees many staying in Mississippi after graduation — something he’s proud of. “You’re not just getting one of the best educations in the region,” he said. “You’re also [in] a place and a city and a state that needs people like you.” In Jackson and the surrounding communities, “you can actually make an impact.”
And even if he’s not on the sidelines this season, one thing is clear: Justin LeBlanc still has his heart in the game. Listen to his full interview with the Inferno team here.
