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Former Texas Tech standout Stan Bonewitz is in his 17th season as the head coach of the Concordia University Texas men’s basketball program. He also is in his seventh year as the department’s associate director of athletics.
In his 17 previous years at the helm, the Tornados have registered the program’s first-ever NCAA postseason victory, captured one league championship and made three conference tournament title game appearances. 45 players have earned all-conference honors and three have been tabbed as the American Southwest Conference (ASC) West Division Player of the Year (Brad Walker, 2010; Dwayne Patterson, 2013; Joe Neal, 2019). Additionally, four players have earned ASC West Division Freshman of the Year (Valentino Maxwell, 2005; Joel McDonald, 2006; Nick Haynes, 2010; Luis Gonzalez, 2020 (Co-winner)), while Keith Darden was named the 2005 ASC West Division Defensive Player of the Year.
Bonewitz’s squads have averaged 90 points per game in six of the last eight seasons, including being ranked fourth in the nation in scoring offense with a 96.9 point per game mark in 2016-17. CTX also has led the ASC in scoring 13 of the last 16 campaigns.
Bonewitz earned his 200th career victory on Jan. 25, 2018, with a 95-94 win over Sul Ross State.
The 2020-21 season saw a delayed start and shortened schedule due to COVID-19 precautions, but Bonewitz and his squad were able to prevail and make their ninth-straight ASC Tournament appearance. The Tornados finished 5-6, 4-6 ASC, winning their final two regular season games down the stretch to secure a fourth-place finish in the ASC West Division and secure a conference tournament berth. Five Tornados represented the program with All-ASC honors, including a first-team selection for Antoine Henderson.
During the 2019-20 season, the Tornados had a wide range of youth on the team, carrying only three upperclassmen on the roster. After a 4-7 start to non-conference play, CTX closed out the decade with a dominating 88-69 win over No. 23 Illinois Wesleyan. The Tornados bounced back in conference play after dropping its first five games, the team pulled off a six-game win streak, ending the year with a 7-9 mark in ASC play and qualified as the two seed out of the west division for the ASC Tournament. Concordia fell short in the ASC Quarterfinals to East Texas Baptist. Philip Meikle, who became the 18th player to reach the 1000-point plateau earlier in the season, was named an ASC West First Team and ASC West All-Defensive Team selection. Meanwhile, Luis Gonzalez was named the ASC West Co-Freshman of the Year and garnered ASC West All-Freshman Team honors along with teammate Trevon Hester. Ronnie Hamilton rounded out the award winners with ASC Honorable Mention.
In 2018-19, CTX had a strong second half of the year, going 10-6 in conference play and finished the season 13-14. The Tornados secured the two seed in the ASC West and made their seventh straight ASC Tournament appearance, where they defeated Louisiana College in the quarterfinals before falling in the semifinals. Joe Neal was named the ASC West Player of the Year after scoring the seventh-most points in a single season in program history, finishing the year with over 600-plus points and averaging 23.1 points and 6.6 rebounds a game. Zaid Harris and Spencer Bone were a part of the ASC All-Freshmen team, while Bone and Ronnie Hamilton garnered ASC West Honorable Mention accolades.
In 2017-18, CTX closed the year with a 15-11 overall record and 9-8 in ASC play. They earned the number three seed in the West Division and advanced to the ASC Tournament for the sixth straight season and the 11th time in the last 12 years. Ephriam Price and Ben Page earned ASC West Division First-Team honors while Joshua Samuels was an honorable mention and Matthew Gregory and Maluw Deng were named to the ASC All-Freshman team.
In 2016-17, the Tornados finished 19-8 overall and 12-4 in conference play and earned the two-seed in the west division Concordia would advance to the tournament semifinals before falling to LeTourneau. The Tornados earned three All-Conference awards, including Joe Neal being named to the ASC All-Conference and ASC West Division First-Team teams. Ephriam Price earned Second-Team honors, while Rashad Coleman earned Honorable Mention.
In the 2015-16 season, Concordia would finish as the three-seed in the west division after finishing 8-6 in ASC play and were 15-11 overall. The Tornados garnered three All-Conference honors, including Donovan Ford being named to the First-Team, while Coleman and Ben Page earned Second-Team and Honorable Mention respectively.
Also three freshmen were named to the ASC All-Freshman Team, including Price, while Payton Brown-Simon, Dervyn Baines and Page were named to the ASC All-Defensive team.
In 2014-15, Concordia would advance all the way to ACS Tournament title game after an 18-10 and 12-8 season. Josh Sanchez and Andre Potts earned ASC Second-Team accolades after each averaged above 17 points per a game.
In 2013-14, the Tornados posted a 16-10 record and advanced to the ASC Tournament for the seventh time in the past eight seasons. Patterson and Sanchez both earned first-team All-ASC accolades, while Patterson also collected D3hoops.com second-team All-West Region honors.
In 2012-13, Bonewitz guided Concordia Texas to its best season since the school joined NCAA Division III. The Tornados won the ASC Tournament Championship for the first time in school history and advanced to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Concordia’s 87-83 victory over Trinity in the opening round of the NCAA postseason tournament allowed the squad to advance to the Round of 32. Bonewitz’s squad posted a 24-6 overall record, the best for the Tornados since the 1981-82 campaign. Concordia, which ranked second in the country with an average of 94 points per game, finished second in the ASC West Division to qualify for its sixth ASC Tournament in seven seasons, where it upset the top two seeds en route to the crown.
Prior to his arrival in the Capital City, Bonewitz was the assistant men's basketball coach at South Plains College in Levelland, from 2003-04. He also served a stint as an assistant men's basketball coach at St. Edward's from 2002-03.
Bonewitz was a decorated collegiate student-athlete at Texas Tech. He garnered All-Southwest Conference Freshmen Team honors in 1995-96 and earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors two years later. As a point guard, Bonewitz led the Red Raiders to a 30-2 ledger, SWC title and a NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1995-96. He graduated as the all-time assist leader for Texas Tech with 435 helpers and held the record until it was broken by John Roberson during the 2009-10 season.
While being coached by his father on the scholastic level, Bonewitz led San Antonio's East Central High School to the 1995 Texas state championship with a perfect 35-0 record. He was also named Mr. Texas Basketball that season and was later inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
A native of San Antonio, Bonewitz graduated from Texas Tech with a bachelor’s degree in English and literature in 2000 and earned a master’s from the same institution in interdisciplinary studies in 2002. He currently resides in Austin.