Banister was born in San Diego, California, and attended Southwestern College. He began his coaching career in 1988 as the bullpen coach for the Charleston Wheelers of the South Atlantic League. He later worked as a coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Kansas City Royals before joining the Rangers in 2012.
As manager of the Rangers, Banister led the team to the playoffs in 2015 and 2016. He was named American League Manager of the Year in 2015 after leading the Rangers to the American League West division title.
In addition to his managerial duties, Banister also worked as a commentator for Fox Sports Southwest and wrote two books:
* "Leading from Where You Are: A Leader's Guide to Achieving Excellence in an Imperfect World" (2019)
* "The Blueprint: A Leader's Guide to Building and Sustaining Success in Business" (2020)