Peter Bond has been selected as the Azusa Pacific men’s basketball head coach on Wednesday, becoming the sixth head coach in program history. The former Cougar player and 11-year assistant coach takes over a program which needed just five years of NCAA Division II active membership to surpass 100 victories as a Division II program.
“This opportunity is surreal for me, having come through the program as a player and then an assistant coach,” Bond said. “Among the variety of emotions I’ve experienced, the biggest one for me is the excitement for the opportunity. It’s exciting to work with high-quality people and high-quality players, and I feel blessed and fortunate for the opportunity to go to work in that type of environment.”
During Bond’s 11 years as an assistant to former head coach Justin Leslie, he helped lead Azusa Pacific to a 242-110 record (.688) with eight 20-win seasons and six national tournament appearances (three NCAA, three NAIA). In his second year on the coaching staff, the Cougars finished as 2010 NAIA national runner-up, and Azusa Pacific advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in the program’s first year after completing the NCAA Division II membership transition.
“Peter was coached by Bill Odell and mentored by Justin Leslie, and he is best positioned to continue manning the wonderful house that is Azusa Pacific basketball while continuing the Cougar Athletics mission of transforming young men for the sake of Christ,” said Azusa Pacific Director of Athletics Gary Pine. “I am grateful to Dr. David Bixby and Dr. Mark Stanton who helped expedite the process over the past week that brought Peter into this leadership position.”
Since joining Division II, Azusa Pacific is 106-52 (.671), including a 5-3 mark in three separate NCAA Division II Tournament appearances.
Bond has contributed to every aspect of the program, including recruiting, player development, academics, travel, fundraising, scouting, game-planning, and individual workouts, and he also directs five high school team camps and two youth camps hosted by Azusa Pacific during the summer. In addition to his coaching role, Bond also served the past seven years as Azusa Pacific’s director of athletic development, helping lead the department’s fundraising and marketing efforts.
“One of Peter’s greatest leadership skills is his ability to relate and connect to a variety of people no matter their points of view or background. His calm, steady, and humorous demeanor, make him a warm and approachable person. Perhaps his greatest strength though is his heart and a compassion for others that flows from it. Our players, both current and future, are in good hands with Peter. They will become better basketball players, teammates, and students, and more importantly, better men who will understand who Jesus Christ is,” said Pine.
Bond’s strengths include game preparation and strategy, and he has demonstrated his ability to recruit throughout the West Region as he led the program’s recruiting to build a program with significant contributors from five different states as well as internationally. He has helped coach and develop 16 players who have earned all-conference recognition, including two-time NAIA All-American Dominique Johnson, 2015 PacWest Player of the Year and NCAA Division II All-American Troy Leaf. Most recently, he helped land three players on the 2019 All-PacWest team, including PacWest Defender of the Year Selom Mawugbe, who returns for his senior season next year.
“This is a fantastic group of guys who have a high ceiling as a team. We have a number of upperclassmen who understand the rigors of a college basketball season, and they’ve learned what type of work it takes to be excellent. Getting to work with high-quality people and high-quality players is exciting, and I feel fortunate to have that opportunity to go to work in that type of environment,” said Bond.
“I’ve learned a variety of lessons through Azusa Pacific basketball, but one of the things I most deeply value and plan to carry on is an understanding that this program is about much more than just basketball. Being able to teach and develop both the player and the person is something I experienced and valued about this program, and the first thing that excites me is being able to implement my vision of personal development from a spiritual standpoint to grow and maturing as young men to be great husbands and fathers.”
Peter and his wife Erin (Halma), a former Cougar softball standout, are proud parents of two boys, and the Bond family resides in Glendora.
Bond will be introduced to the Azusa Pacific community at a 10:30 a.m. press conference on Thursday, May 2, at the Felix Event Center.
https://athletics.apu.edu/news/2019/5/1/bond-selected-to-lead-mens-basketball.aspx
