UTPB Athletics

Twitter: @CoachAHolland
Instagram: @coachajholland

A.J. Holland enters his third season as assistant coach at the UT Permian Basin.

The Falcon offense has been a scoring machine in Holland's two years at UTPB.  Over the last two seasons the Falcons have averaged 84.5 points per game and reached the Lone Star Conference playoffs both seasons to extend their streak to four consecutive seasons.  Under Holland's watch the Falcons have featured Pat Dembley and Jacob Ledoux, two of the most prolific scorers in program history.  Ledoux was the 2018-19 LSC Newcomer of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Conference First Team.  Dembley scored the second most points in a single season in program history with 702.  He also set records for assists and steals and was named to the All-Conference Second Team.

Prior to UTPB, Holland served as an assistant under current Head Coach Josh Newman at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith. During the 2017-18 season with Holland on staff, the Lions appeared in the NCAA Tournament, were the Heartland Conference regular season champions, and posted the best record in Division II school history at 24-6.  

Before joining the staff at UAFS, Holland was a well-known skills trainer in Atlanta, GA. In his four years in Atlanta, Holland trained and developed many high-level players including two first round NBA Draft Picks, one First Team NJCAA All American, along with 40+ players in Metro Atlanta that earned college scholarships. He was also responsible for training multiple state championship and Final Four teams in Georgia and Alabama.

As a player, Holland began his career at Rice University in Conference USA before transferring to the College of Central Florida where the Patriots were the conference champions and set a school record in wins at 28-6. Holland finished his career starting at point guard for the University of Sioux Falls helping his team to a 20-win season in 2011-12 while scoring 10.6 ppg and led his team in assist his senior year.

Holland is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama where he attended Paul W. Bryant High School. He is the son of longtime coach James and Rhonda Holland and is the older brother of former University of Southern Mississippi player Kevin.