After winning a national championship at North Carolina as a player and helping VCU to the Final Four last season, J.B. Tanner begins his first season as director of basketball operations at UNCG.

With the Spartans, Tanner is responsible for many administrative duties including team travel, film, administrative recruiting and summer camps.

Tanner comes to UNCG after spending the previous two seasons as a graduate assistant on Shaka Smart’s staff at VCU, helping the Rams to a remarkable run through the 2011 NCAA tournament which culminated with an appearance at the Final Four in Houston. Overall, the Rams won 55 games during Tanner’s two seasons in Richmond.

With VCU, Tanner coordinated all administrative aspects of recruiting, helping sign the Colonial Athletic Association’s top recruiting class and individual recruit in 2010. He also assisted with team scouting and ticket distribution for all games.

Tanner spent two seasons as a walk-on at North Carolina (2007-09), helping the Tar Heels to the 2009 national championship. Tanner appeared in 39 games in two seasons as UNC won a pair of ACC championships under Roy Williams. Tanner spent his first two years at UNC as a member of the UNC junior varsity squad.

Tanner earned a B.S. in business administration from UNC in 2009 and was awarded a master’s degree in sport leadership from VCU in May 2011.

A native of Hendersonville, N.C., Tanner graduated from West Henderson High School in 2005. He married the former Kristi Stricker on June 6, 2009. The couple resides in Greensboro.