Longwood University Athletics

Taylor Land joined the Longwood men's basketball staff in the summer of 2023.

In his first season, he helped guide Longwood to its second Big South title in the past three seasons, and the year culminated with a trip to the NCAA Tournament. In addition, the team went 21-14, its third season with at least 20 wins, the longest streak in program history.

In the Big South Tournament, Longwood knocked off Winthrop, top-seeded High Point, and second-seeded UNC Asheville en route to claiming the Big South Championship. The run garnered the team a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they took on No. 1 seed Houston. Point guard Walyn Napper was named the Big South Tournament MVP, with Michael Christmas and Szymon Zapala also earning All-Tournament Team nods.

During the season, Longwood boasted one of the top rebounding outfits in the nation. The Lancers ranked sixth nationally in rebounding margin (+8.6) and 12th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (13.4). In addition, the team's defense ranked first in the Big South in points per game allowed (68.5).

The Lancers closed strong, with seven wins in their final 10 games. In addition, the team boasted a 15-game winning streak that was the second-longest winning streak in team history and the longest active winning streak in the nation at the time it was snapped.

Land came to Longwood with a wealth of experience on the sidelines as both a player and a coach. He has worked as an assistant for more than a decade across multiple levels, and he played professionally following his collegiate playing career.
 
Most recently, Land served as an assistant coach at the University of Incarnate in San Antonio, Texas. During that time, he helped lead the team to its first berth in the Southland Conference Tournament in program history in 2021 with a team that was one of the top three-point shooting outfits in the country.
 
Last season, the UIW program set a record with 259 steals while also matching a program record for the longest win streak against Division I opponents. The team also had a trio of players earn Southland All-Academic honors. He also helped coach the Southland Freshman of the Year in 2020, another program first.

Last season, UIW set a record with 259 steals while also matching a program record for the longest win streak against Division I opponents. The team also had a trio of players earn Southland All-Academic honors. In 2021, the team was one of the top three-point shooting outfits in the country on the way to their Southland Conference Tournament berth. He also helped coach the Southland Freshman of the Year in 2020, another program first, and this season’s edition had a freshman lead the Southland Conference in blocks.
 
Prior to his time at Incarnate Word, he worked at his alma mater, Division II St. Edward’s University, as an assistant coach. During his two seasons on the bench there, he helped put together a top 10 recruiting class while helping guide the program to its first Sweet 16 berth in program history. He had a trio of players write their names in the St. Edward’s record books. His success at St. Edward’s came on the heels of a strong stint as an assistant at St. Francis at the NAIA level, where he helped recruit a top 10 recruiting class while helping the program make its first national tournament appearance in 20 years. The team also earned a No. 1 ranking during the 2014 season, a program first.
 
He got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and he was an assistant at the University of St. Francis at the NAIA level from 2013-14. During his stint at St. Francis, he helped recruit a top 10 recruiting class while helping the program make its first national tournament appearance in 20 years. The team also earned a No. 1 ranking during the 2014 season, a program first.
 
Land himself is in the St. Edward’s record book from his days as a player. He was the 2009 Heartland Conference Student-Athlete of the Year, and he was one of the top passers in program history. He is third all-time in career assists and steals, and he graduated as the winningest player in school history (85 wins).
 
After graduation, he went on to play for both the Mandurah Magic and Rockingham Flames in Australia in the National Basketball League, and he also played professionally in Denmark for Jonstrup Basket.

He holds a degree in finance from St. Edward’s, where he graduated cumma sum laude in 2009.