Hand selected as head women’s basketball coach at Briar Cliff University

by Michelle Watson

Brita Hand, formerly of Clear Lake, is making her hometown proud by being named the new Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Briar Cliff University, located in Sioux City, Iowa.

“I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to be the next head women’s basketball coach at Briar Cliff University,” said Hand.  “Briar Cliff is an impressive university that has made a commitment to excellence on and off the court, making it an exciting time to be a part of the university and women’s basketball program.”

Hand, the daughter of Scott and Janese Hand, of Clear Lake, is a 2011 graduate of Clear Lake High School.  While attending CLHS, she was a standout athlete in cross country, soccer and basketball, earning All-Conference honors in soccer and basketball

“I’m excited for Brita and proud of her in this new adventure,” said Kay Wieck, Brita’s former Clear Lake High School basketball coach.  “Brita is an individual who is dedicated to the sport of basketball and will be a head coach who cares about the well being of her players.  Her character stands out in the community and will on the court.  I have no doubt that her players will exemplify the sense of family that Brita will demonstrate.  She will get the most potential out of her players and no one will work harder than Coach Hand.”

Hand came to Briar Cliff from William Penn University, in Oskaloosa, Iowa, where she had served as the head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator since June 2019. The Statesmen went 25-7 in her season with the team and 19-5 in conference play. William Penn finished as runner-up in the 2020 Heart of America Conference Tournament and qualified for the NAIA DI National Tournament. Two Statesmen players were named Honorable Mention All-American.

Prior to her time at William Penn, Hand served in similar roles at Illinois College, from 2018-2019, and Truman State, from 2015-2018. In three seasons at Truman, Hand helped the Bulldogs to three conference tournament appearances and supervised the team’s academic progress, resulting in a 3.6 team GPA in 2017.

  Hand began her coaching career as a student assistant coach at Ashford University, San Diego, Calif., her alma mater. Hand earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ashford and holds a Master of Arts in Leadership from Truman State with an emphasis in coaching.

Hand was one of two NAIA coaches named to the WBCA Thirty Under 30 list for the 2019-20 season. 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.

“We are so excited to welcome Coach Hand, a leader that’s ready and capable to compete in the toughest conference in the country while also maintaining academic excellence,” said Nic Scandrett. “Coach Hand has a great balance of character, charisma, energy and professionalism. She’s the type of coach that I’d want my daughters to play for. I’m really excited for our student-athletes and the future of our program.”

Hand will be the 11th head coach in program history. The Chargers hold a overall 764-652 record.  In the 2019-20 season the Chargers posted a 11-19 overall record and an 8-14 record in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.