Tony Bland has joined the Kansas men's basketball staff as an assistant coach, KU head coach Bill Self announced.
An experienced coach with an impressive resume, Bland comes to Kansas from Washington where he spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach under Danny Sprinkle. Prior to UW, Bland was the head coach at St. Bernard High School in his hometown of Los Angeles and has also spent time as an assistant coach at USC and San Diego State.
"Tony is a very, very talented young coach, who is a proven winner," Self 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 was the associate head coach at USC from 2013-17, where the Trojans made the NCAA Tournament twice. While at USC, he coached NBA Draft selections De'Anthony Melton, who is currently with the Brooklyn Nets, and Chimezie Metu. Melton also coached former Trojan and current San Antonio Spur Jordan McLaughlin who was a two-time All-Pac 12 selection. All-in-all, there were six players who earned all-conference honors while Bland was at USC.
Bland spent the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, San Diego State, under head coach Steve Fisher, helping lead the Aztecs to the NCAA Tournament both seasons and the 2012 Big West Conference regular-season title. Former Aztec Jamaal Franklin was a two-time All-America Honorable Mention selection in 2012 and 2013 and was the 2012 Mountain West Player of the Year when Bland was at SDSU. Bland also coached NBA Draft pick Xavier Thames with the Aztecs. Six players earned all-conference selections when Bland was at San Diego State.
"I'm beyond blessed to join the Kansas Jayhawks and work alongside coach Self," Bland said. "He is one of the greatest to ever do it, and his belief in me means everything. I'm excited to learn from him and work with the entire coaching staff.
"Kansas has the best fans in college basketball, and I can't wait to pour my heart into this program and the Lawrence community, while working hard to keep Kansas Basketball at the top of the sport."
Bland played for two national championship coaches in Jim Boeheim at Syracuse in 1999 and 2000, and Fisher at San Diego State in 2002 and 2003. Bland was part of teams that won 84 games and advanced to three NCAA Tournaments and the NIT in his four seasons of collegiate basketball.
A two-time Mountain West all-conference selection while at San Diego State, in 127 career games played, Bland started 95 contests and scored 1,368 points, grabbed 331 rebounds and dished out 319 assists.
Following college, Bland was invited to the Indiana Pacers' training camp and then went on to play in the United States Basketball League where he earned the league's Rookie of the Year award. He signed a contract with the Sacramento Kings for the 2004 preseason. He later went on to play in Russia, the NBA Development League and in Europe.
Bland returned to San Diego State prior to the 2008-09 season to serve as the team's head manager and completed his degree in social science. Additionally, Bland was a high school All-American at Westchester High in Los Angeles.
Bland is replacing Chase Buford who spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach for KU and recently accepted an assistant coaching position with the Denver Nuggets.
