The Maryville University Department of Athletics and Campus Recreation announced Brita Hand as the new head coach of the women’s basketball program. She comes to the Saints after spending two seasons as the head coach at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Hand to Saints Nation,” Maryville Director of Athletics Lonnie Folks said. “Throughout our process, Brita showed all the signs of a head coach capable of enhancing our program, and we are excited about our potential with her calling the plays.”
“I am honored and excited to become the head coach at such a dynamic University and athletic program we have here at Maryville,” Hand said. “Maryville has shown it is committed to success both on the court and in the classroom, something I am very excited about.
“I would like to thank Director of Athletics Lonnie Folks, Associate AD Brittany Fennell, and the entire search committee for the opportunity to become the next Head Coach at Maryville,” Hand said. “I am also grateful and thankful for my team at Briar Cliff, Vice President for Operations and Athletics Nic Scandrett, and President Keck for the opportunity they gave me and all we accomplished the past two years.”
Hand had an immediate impact at Briar Cliff University during the 2020-21 season. Inheriting a team that had posted an 11-19 record the year prior, she guided the Chargers to a 17-10 finish, including a 14-8 mark in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. She led the team to the conference tournament semifinals, and Briar Cliff received votes in the national poll her first season. Hand had five players earn All-GPAC honors, including a first-team All-Conference selection (Konnor Sudmann) and the GPAC’s Defensive Player of the Year (Kennedy Benne).
In 2021-22, Hand led Briar Cliff to a 17-14 record and the program’s first appearance in the NAIA National Tournament in six seasons. The Chargers were ranked as high as No. 20 in the country while playing the 15th toughest schedule in the NAIA. Hand directed BCU to three victories over ranked teams last season. In her time at Briar Cliff, Hand coached two 1,000 point scorers, two first-team, three second-team and four Honorable Mention All-GPAC selections. Under her direction, the Chargers finished No. 5 on the WBCA NAIA Top 25 Academic Honor Roll with a 3.73 team GPA.
Prior to Briar Cliff, Hand was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa, from June 2019 to April 2020. The Statesmen went 25-7 in her one season with the team and 19-5 in conference play. William Penn finished runner-up in the 2020 Heart of America Conference Tournament and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament. Two Statesmen players were named Honorable Mention All-American that season.
Prior to her time at William Penn, Hand served as an assistant coach at Illinois College (2018-2019) and fellow Great Lakes Valley Conference member Truman State (2015-2018). In three seasons at Truman, she helped the Bulldogs to three GLVC tournament appearances and supervised the team’s academic progress, resulting in a 3.6 team GPA in 2017.
Hand played three seasons of basketball at Ashford University before career-ending injuries started her coaching career as a student assistant. She graduated from Ashford in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Ashford. Hand earned a Master of Arts in Leadership from Truman State with an emphasis in coaching.
After the 2019-20 season, Hand was one of two NAIA coaches named to the WBCA Thirty Under 30 list. The award recognized 30 up-and-coming women’s basketball coaches age 30 and under that have exemplified involvement in community service, mentorship and impact on others, professional manner, and attitude and professional association involvement.
Photo Courtesy Maryville Athletics
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