Coach Land joined the men's basketball program as an assistant coach in August 2018.
In 2020-21, Land helped guide the Cardinals to new heights on the court, in the classroom, and in the community.
The team qualified for the Southland Conference tournament for the first time in school history, earning the 7-seed. UIW increased its overall winning percentage and conference winning percentage for the second straight year. The Cardinals also won half of their conference road games, best since 2015-16. En route, UIW men's hoops finished as the NCAA Division I 30th-best 3-point field goal percentage (37.4%), and the top overall 3-point shooting team among the conference.
Coach Land continued to help develop student-athletes’ performances as well, highlighted by tying a program record 30.5% 3-point field goal defense and Keaston Willis earning All-Conference second team, All-Academic second team and NABC All-District first team accolades.
In 2020-21, UIW men's hoops team continued to deliver eye-popping academic results, turning in a 3.37 Fall 2020 team GPA, among the nation’s finest. The team qualified a conference-best six players for Academic All-Conference consideration. The Cardinals continue to set the national standard for academic performance in Division I men's basketball.
Despite COVID-19 limitations, the program finished the year with over 300 hours of community service, besting the team goal of 275 hours. UIW men’s basketball volunteered at the Headwaters nature preserve sanctuary at Incarnate Word, at the YMCA (virtually), at multiple UIW athletic events, and more.
In the 2019-20 season, Land helped guide the Cardinals to six conference wins, a five-win improvement from the one conference win in 2018-19. The six wins doubled the number of conference wins from the previous two seasons combined. Additionally, UIW tied the number for most true road wins since the 2015-16 season. The Cardinals won more games overall than the previous season for the first time since joining Division I.
Land assisted in guiding Willis through a solid freshman season, which led to a Southland Conference Freshman of the Year accolade. This marked a first in program history for the Cardinals. Fellow freshman Drew Lutz, who led the team in steals and assists while ranking second on the team in scoring, tied the school record for assists by a freshman in the DI era.
In the classroom, Land has helped UIW continue to set the standard. The Cardinals achieved the first perfect (1,000) APR in UIW men's basketball history (for 2018-19), and the 2019-20 Cardinals turned in a record-setting 3.34 fall semester team GPA, likely a top GPA in the nation for DI men's basketball.
In the community, UIW is close to hitting its full-year goal of 275 hours of community service, having given back at places like the San Antonio Children's Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, and the Village at Incarnate Word. During the school closings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, student-athletes also read to elementary students virtually.
Land came to UIW after a two-year term (2016-18) as an assistant men's coach at his alma mater, St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. In addition to his assistant coaching responsibilities, Land also oversaw the basketball strength and conditioning program, as well as player skills development efforts.
Earlier, during the 2012-13 season, Land had served a volunteer basketball assistant coach for the Hilltoppers. He also has basketball coaching experience elsewhere. He was a graduate assistant coach at UT-Pan American during the 2009-10 season and was a full-time assistant at St. Francis University of Illinois in 2013-14.
Land played professional basketball on two continents. He played for two Australian teams, the Rockingham Flames and the Mandurah Magic, and for Jonstrup Basket in Denmark.
A four-year basketball letterman for St. Edwards, Land led SEU to three Heartland Conference championships and three appearances in the NCAA Division II championship tournament. For three seasons, Land was also a pitcher for the Hilltopper baseball team.
Land was a stellar performer in the classroom. He graduated summa cum laude with a degree in finance. In 2009, he was chosen as the St. Edward’s Men’s Senior Student-Athlete of the Year.
Land was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and grew up in Highland Village, Texas.
