Southwestern Christian University added Mark Laird to its men’s basketball coaching staff.
Laird, a native of Pittsburgh, will serve as associate head coach under new SCU head man Jon Mack.
“I am extremely excited to add Mark to our coaching staff,” Mack said. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and broad experience from the NCAA and NAIA levels that will contribute to building and sustaining a championship culture at SCU. Mark is not only a great coach, but a greater friend, and I look forward to sharing this new journey together.”
Prior to joining the SCU coaching staff, Laird spent two seasons working in various capacities at Valley Forge (Pa.). Laird served as a director in UVF’s Student Life Office in 2015. In 2016 he became associate director of athletics for compliance. In both years he served as assistant men’s basketball coach under Mack.
Laird’s collegiate coaching background includes time spent as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II’s Shepard (W.V.) (2004-05), Hawai’i Pacific (2005-07) and Texas A&M-International (2011-15). During the 2007-08 basketball season, Laird served as Director of Basketball Operations at NCAA Division I’s Sacramento State.
At the NAIA level, Laird served as head coach at Bethany (Calif.) from 2008 until its closing in 2011.
As a student-athlete, Laird played four seasons of basketball and one of baseball at Valley Forge.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in bible/theology from UVF in 2000 and a Master of Arts degree in communications from Hawai’i Pacific in 2008.
