North Lamar ISD is pleased to announce the hiring of Mark Laird as the district’s new Head Basketball Coach.
Laird brings more than 20 years of coaching, leadership, and athletic administration experience at both the high school and collegiate levels. Most recently, he served as Head Boys Basketball Coach and Assistant Varsity Football Coach at Borger High School. Prior to Borger, he spent four years as Head Men’s Basketball Coach and Athletics Compliance Coordinator at Oklahoma Panhandle State University.
His coaching career also includes leadership positions at Southwestern Christian University, University of Valley Forge, Texas A&M International University, Bethany University, Sacramento State University, Hawai’i Pacific University, Shepherd University, and Horizon High School. Throughout his career, Laird has developed student-athletes both on and off the field while building programs centered on character, accountability, and excellence.
In addition to his coaching experience, Laird has held numerous athletic administration and leadership roles, including Assistant Director of Athletics, Associate Director of Athletics, Compliance Coordinator, and Campus Director of Student Life. He holds a Master of Arts in Communication from Hawai’i Pacific University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Valley Forge.
“My family and I are thrilled to be joining the North Lamar ISD family! We have a 13-year-old and a soon-to-be 3-year-old who will be Panthers very soon. The families, staff and board members I’ve met so far have been incredibly welcoming. I can’t wait to get to know the young men and women in the basketball and golf programs. I also hope to be a resource to this community for families of young men and women who want to pursue athletics beyond high school. Go Panthers!”
As he begins his tenure at North Lamar, Laird looks forward to building relationships with students, families, staff, and the community while continuing the tradition of excellence that defines Panther athletics.
