Following up on something that HoopDirt.com mentioned back on 11/3 (Daily Dirt). Angelo State’s hiring of A.J. Holland has now been made official. Here is the release from ASU:
The Angelo State men’s basketball team will have some added leadership this season as head coach Cinco Boone announced the hiring of A.J. Holland as an assistant coach.
Holland, a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, comes to ASU with some familiarity with the Lone Star Conference, spending the last three seasons as an assistant coach at UT Permian Basin. While at UTPB, Holland helped the Falcons reach the conference playoffs the last two seasons while improving the offense which scored 84.5 points per game. He coached two All-Conference selections including Jacob Ledoux who was named Newcomer of the Year in the 2018-19 season.
“Joining the program here at Angelo State University was an opportunity that I could not pass up,” said Holland. “Coach Boone is one of the premier head coaches in the country. The national level of success that he has been able to maintain and the culture that he has created in the men’s basketball program is extremely impressive. I’m excited to learn and grow under his leadership and look forward to continuing my career here as a Ram.”
Prior to UTPB, Holland spent time at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith in the Heartland Conference before the Lions joined the LSC. Under his watch, UAFS posted the best record in Division II school history at 24-6 on their way to a Heartland Conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Before beginning his collegiate coaching career, Holland served as a skills trainer in Atlanta, developing many high-level players including two first-round NBA draft picks. During his four years, Holland trained over 40 players in the Metro Atlanta area they earned collegiate scholarships and trained multiple state championship and Final Four teams in Georgia and Alabama.
“We are happy about hiring a coach of AJ’s caliber here at ASU. I think he is an up and coming rock star in the business and we, players and coaches, are excited to get to work alongside him each and every day,” said Boone. “His coaching philosophy fits perfectly into what we’ve already established here which is a players-first mentality. AJ has a great feel on not only the court but for networking and recruiting. Combine all these attributes, along with his ability to excel in player development on the court, we feel like we hit a home run with this hire.”
As a player, Holland began his career at Rice University before transferring to College of Central Florida where he won a conference championship and set a school record for wins at 28-6. He finished his playing career at the University of Sioux Falls, helping his team to a 20-win season while leading in assists and averaging 10.6 points per game.
Holland graduated with a degree in Sports Management from the University of Sioux Falls with a concentration in coaching.
https://angelosports.com/news/2020/11/5/mens-basketball-adds-holland-to-coaching-staff.aspx
