Season Tip-Off Rewind: Lane Lordl Returns to Saddle Up

This week we revisit our in-person interview with Lane Lord, the head coach of UTRGV Women’s Basketball and one of the most respected program-builders in the game. Before taking over in the Valley in 2018, Lord turned Pittsburg State into a perennial contender—seven 20-win seasons in 11 years, multiple NCAA tournament runs, and a 2017 MIAA regular-season title—earning five MIAA Coach of the Year honors and three NCAA Regional Coach of the Year awards along the way. At UTRGV, Lord has continued laying a foundation—developing all-conference talent and leading the Vaqueros through annual battles in the Southland, most recently guiding the 2024–25 squad with his trademark defense-and-details approach.In this conversation, Coach Lord unpacks:How to establish culture and standards that travelThe recruiting blueprint that fueled his rise from high school and JUCO to Division I head coach.Lessons from building winners at Pitt State—and applying them in Edinburg.What’s next for Vaqueros Women’s Basketball?