How to Choose a Pool Instructor Using BU’s Three Designations
BU’s designation shows an instructor’s role in the system, but the best coach still depends on your goals, location and learning style.
Billiard University’s current instructor directory gives players a structured way to find coaching, but the three designations—Professor, Senior Instructor and Affiliate Instructor—describe a person’s role and participation within BU, not a simple ranking of who will teach you best.
The directory reviewed on November 4, 2026 lists 70 instructors: 9 Professors, 16 Senior Instructors and 45 Affiliate Instructors. Every listed BU instructor can provide training and administer examinations used for diploma applications.
What do the three BU instructor designations mean?
BU’s Professor designation has the highest visibility. Its founding professors form the organization’s governing group, while later additions must be PBIA Master Instructors and meet BU participation requirements.
Senior Instructors include respected, experienced instructors originally invited by BU as well as Affiliate Instructors who advanced through participation. Affiliate Instructor is the entry designation for qualified instructors joining the BU system.
| BU designation | Current directory count | What the designation indicates |
|---|---|---|
| Professor | 9 | Featured instructors; founding or promoted members with the highest BU visibility |
| Senior Instructor | 16 | Experienced or promoted instructors with greater participation in BU |
| Affiliate Instructor | 45 | Qualified instructors who entered the BU system through certification and diploma activity |
The directory includes instructors across the United States as well as Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
Is a Professor automatically the best instructor for every player?
No. A higher designation reflects BU status, seniority and participation, but coaching quality also depends on the student’s objective and the instructor’s specialty.
A beginner rebuilding stance and stroke may benefit most from a nearby instructor who provides frequent feedback. A tournament player may need someone experienced in pattern play, safety strategy or mental performance. A player pursuing a BU diploma needs an instructor comfortable with exam administration and measurable preparation.
An Affiliate Instructor with the right specialty, availability and communication style can therefore be a better match than a Professor located far away or focused on a different part of the game.
What should you decide before contacting an instructor?
Define one primary goal before comparing names. Useful starting goals include:
- Rebuilding fundamentals such as stance, alignment, bridge and stroke.
- Improving cue-ball control through stop, follow, draw and stun drills.
- Preparing for league or tournament competition.
- Diagnosing recurring misses or unwanted sidespin.
- Establishing a measured practice plan.
- Preparing for a BU playing-ability examination or diploma application.
“I want to play better” is too broad to guide a lesson. “I want a repeatable straight stroke and a four-week practice plan” gives the instructor a testable target.
Which questions should you ask before booking?
Ask five practical questions:
- What type of player do you teach most often? Experience with beginners is different from coaching advanced competitors.
- How will you evaluate my current game? Look for a baseline test, video analysis or structured observation rather than general advice alone.
- What will I receive after the lesson? A drill list, score sheet or written practice plan makes the session easier to apply.
- How will progress be measured? Good instruction should create a result that can be retested.
- Do you teach in person, remotely or both? Camera position and video quality matter for remote stroke analysis.
Price and travel distance matter, but they should be compared only after the teaching plan is clear.
How can BU exams improve a coaching plan?
BU’s mission centers on assessment tools, ratings and learning resources. Its exams can identify weak areas, establish a starting score and show whether practice produces measurable improvement.
This makes an exam useful even for a player who does not immediately pursue a diploma. The instructor can use individual drills as diagnostic tools, then retest the same skills after a training block.
A simple coaching cycle is:
Assess → identify the weakest skill → assign focused drills → retest → update the plan.
That cycle is more useful than collecting unrelated tips because every lesson connects to an observed result.
How does someone become a BU Affiliate Instructor?
BU’s published process normally requires an instructor credential from a recognized organization, a diploma application for the instructor or a student, and a request to be added to the official list. BU notes that requirements can be waived in special cases.
Affiliate Instructors can advance to Senior Instructor through BU participation. Senior Instructors can be invited to Professor status after meeting additional participation requirements; added Professors must also be PBIA Master Instructors and part of the BU Boot Camp teaching team.
For students, the important point is that the designations measure an instructor’s relationship with BU as well as experience. They should be used as context, not as the only hiring criterion.
What does the 2026 directory show?
The current Affiliate section includes six instructors marked as BU certified in 2026: Robert Stanley, Calen Johnson, Kristie Carpenter, Jon Harvey, Shawn Magurno and Guy Beadie. Their locations range from Indiana, North Carolina, Maryland and Nevada to Virginia and the United Kingdom.
The geographic spread gives players more options, but a directory entry is only the beginning of the selection process. Availability, lesson format and current contact details should be confirmed directly before booking.
What is the best way to choose from the directory?
Use a three-step shortlist:
- Filter by location or remote availability.
- Compare biographies and specialties against one specific goal.
- Contact two or three instructors with the same questions about assessment, lesson structure and follow-up.
Choose the instructor who can explain how the first lesson will diagnose the problem and how later sessions will measure improvement. The best match is the one who turns your goal into a repeatable training process.
Can every BU instructor administer diploma examinations?
BU states that all current BU instructors can provide training and administer examinations for diploma applications.
Is Affiliate Instructor an unqualified designation?
No. BU normally requires an external instructor credential and diploma activity before adding an Affiliate Instructor. It is the entry designation within BU, not a label for an unqualified coach.
Should I choose only a Professor?
Not necessarily. Teaching specialty, location, availability, lesson structure and communication style can matter more for your specific goal.
Are BU instructor designations permanent?
BU publishes activity expectations and promotion requirements. Players should use the current official directory rather than relying on an old list.