Kansas men's basketball hires new assistant coach

LAWRENCE (KSNT) - Bill Self and KU Athletics announced today that they have hired Tony Bland as an assistant coach for the 'Hawks men's basketball team.

Bland spent the 2024-25 season with the Washington Huskies as an assistant coach under Danny Sprinkle.

He was an associate head coach for the USC Trojans from 2013-17, where the team made the NCAA Tournament two times.

Bland was also an assistant at his alma mater, San Diego State, from 2011-13. The Aztecs made the tournament both seasons and were the Big West Conference regular-season champs in 2012.

"Tony is a very, very talented young coach, who is a proven winner," Bill Self, the Kansas men's basketball head coach, said. "He was a very good player at Syracuse and at San Diego State and he played a big role in the success at San Diego State and USC as an assistant coach. I believe in him wholeheartedly, and our basketball program just got better with his addition."

Bland is replacing Chase Buford, who was an assistant with the Jayhawks for the 2024-25 season. He recently took a job as an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets.