Following a 17-year head coaching career with the Windham High School boys’ basketball program, Bill Strand returned to the Eastern program in 2013 for his second stint as an assistant basketball coach.
“We are fortunate to have someone with so much knowledge and experience,” said head coach Bill Geitner at the time of Strand's appointment. “He gives us a different perspective than what we’ve had in the past. I’ve been excited to have him back on the staff.”
A Willimantic native, Strand heads into his 13th season as an Eastern basketball assistant. He has been on the bench for six 20-win seasons in 12 years, six Little East Conference regular-season and three LEC tournament titles -- including the first one in 1992 and the most recent two -- and seven post-season tournaments. With Strand, Eastern has finished under .500 only twice.
In his first coaching stint at Eastern, Strand served as an assistant coach for five seasons during the final seasons of Alumni Hall of Fame coach Dan Switchenko’s tenure between 1989 and 1994, helping squads to NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight berths. In that time, Strand helped the Warriors to three post-season tournament berths – including their first two in the NCAA – and to their first Little East Conference post-season championship.
A 1975 Windham High graduate, Strand won over 200 games and captured five divisional titles with the as head coach of the Whippets. Strand served two seasons as assistant coach at Windham under Neal Curland before taking over at his alma mater.
Strand is a 1979 graduate of Plymouth State University, where he played basketball and earned a B.S. Degree in Physical Education. Strand taught Physical Education in the Windham Public Schools system for 30 years prior to his recent retirement.
Strand and wife Jen reside in Norwich.
