Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Head Coach
2015 Southland Conference Coach of the Year
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In just four years Brandon Schneider has returned the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks to the top of the Southland Conference. SFA won its first conference title under Schneider during the 2013-14 season with a 13-5 record in league play and reached the championship game of the Women's Basketball Invitational. As head coach of the Ladyjacks, Schneider is 72-58 overall in four years and 41-27 in Southland Conference play.
The Ladyjacks finished the 2013-14 campaign with a 23-13 record and saw the team become the first in school history to win three games in a postseason tournament. SFA defeated Texas State and Boise State at home during the WBI and bested College of Charleston on the road to advance to the title game where SFA fell to Illinois-Chicago 73-64.
Schneider's team overcame adversity en route to its first conference title since 2010 and its 16th in the Southland overall.
The Ladyjacks had one returning starter go down with an injury during preseason workouts and lost another starter five games into conference play. After losing the first two games following the second injury, Schneider and his staff made adjustments to see the team go 9-2 to close the regular season, including winning the last six straight. SFA overcame a five-game deficit in the Southland standings to tie for the regular season crown. Schneider guided the team to the championship game of the Southland Conference Tournament as well for the second time in his tenure.
Awards came in for SFA in the 2013-14 season for Porsha Roberts.
Schneider saw his team's top player win Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year and become the all-time blocks leader in SFA history. Roberts averaged 17.0 points per game and shot an impressive 56.3 percent from the field. Her shooting percentage improved during league play where she hit 58.7 percent of her shots. Roberts was named first team All-Southland Conference and receive all-tournament honors during the WBI. Roberts averaged 22.5 points during the run to the championship game of the tournament.
The turnaround at SFA happened quickly for Schneider. In just his second season at SFA, he guided the Ladyjacks to the Southland Conference Tournament Championship and a 23-win season. It was the most wins by a Ladyjack team since the 2005-06 season when SFA also won 23 games and just the fifth 20-win season this decade.
The increase in 11 wins from the 2010-11 season (12) to 2011-12 (23) was tied for the sixth-biggest turnaround in the nation.
Schneider also oversaw the development of the 2011-12 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year, Porsha Roberts, and SLC Newcomer of the Year, Ashlee Mells.
In his first full season as head coach of the Ladyjack basketball program, Schneider led SFA to a 12-18 overall record and a 9-7 mark in conference play. The Ladyjacks clinched a trip to the Southland Conference Championship Tournament and nearly pulled off an upset of No. 3 Central Arkansas in the first round before falling 64-58.
Schneider also oversaw the development of senior guard Tammara Marion, who was named to the All-Southland Conference second team and led the Ladyjacks and was fourth in the league averaging 16 points per game for the season along with 3.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists. She also set the single-season record with 72 made three-point shots.
The Ladyjacks also led the conference in offensive rebounding with 16.8 per game.
The now four-year head coach entered his second year with high expectations after assembling a signing class that's ranked 35th in the nation according to Premier Basketball Report, of which includes four McDonald's All-American Nominees.
Schneider was named head coach of the Ladyjacks on April 20, 2010. Recognized as one of the top names at the NCAA Division II level, Schneider came to Nacogdoches after a highly successful 12-year stint at Emporia State.
The Canyon, Texas native is the second all-time winningest head coach at the NCAA Division II level. Schneider came to Nacogdoches from Emporia State where he guided the Lady Hornets to a 306-72 (.810) record, and the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championship. The school's all-time leader in wins and winning percentage, Schneider ranks among the all-time top 10 in fastest coaches to 100 victories, and third fastest among women's basketball coaches.
Schneider spent the previous 12 seasons at ESU guiding the Lady Hornets to 11 NCAA tournament appearances. During that stretch Schneider's teams recorded two 30-win seasons, and nine 20-win campaigns. Along with the 2010 national championship, Schneider coached ESU to four NCAA Division II South Central Regional titles, two Final Four appearances, six regular-season conference crowns and three league tournament titles.
Schneider made it tough on conference opponents during his time with the Lady Hornets winning 80 percent of those games. ESU posted a 173-43 (.801) record versus MIAA foes. The Lady Hornets were nearly unbeatable at home sporting a 143-14 (.917) record under Schneider. Schneider posted a 39-26 (.600) record against nationally ranked opponents, which included four wins over No. 1 ranked teams, and was 21-10 (.677) in the NCAA tournament.
Schneider was the first MIAA rookie head coach to win both the MIAA regular-season and tournament titles. In 2006, the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association of four-year colleges voted Schneider as its coach of the year. He was also a three-time MIAA Coach of the Year.
The 2010 Bulletin Women's Basketball National Coach of the Year and the WBCA South Central Region Coach of the Year, Schneider's players have reaped the rewards of his guidance. He has coached seven All-Americans, including two NCAA Division II Player of the Year selections, 13 first-team All-MIAA honorees, eight conference MVPs and seven players have gone on to play professionally, including one in the WNBA.
Schneider is well respected for being able to attract some of the nation's top talent on the recruiting trail. During his time at Emporia State Schneider signed six NJCAA All-Americans and four high school All-Americans to play for the Lady Hornets.
Schneider was a 1995 honors graduate of Wayland Baptist. During his time at Wayland, Schneider was a four-year letterman in men's basketball and was the school's first-ever academic All-American, capturing the honor three times.
Schneider's father, Bob, was on of the most successful women's coaches at the NCAA Division II level, having served as the head coach at West Texas A&M from 1981-2006. They became the first father/son combination to take teams to the Elite Eight.
Schneider and his wife Ali, have two sons, Cash and Cole.
