Delorian Heard joins Head Coach Cleo Hill's University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball program as an assistant coach for the 2024-25 season.
Heard grew up in Detroit, Michigan and fell in love with the game of basketball at a young age. Delorian's passion for the game was handed down to him from his father, NBA Scout/Executive Rodney Heard. Heard is a true student of the game, earning himself a spot on the 2009 Team Detroit AAU National Championship team. After high school, Heard went on to play one season for NJCAA Gillette College in Wyoming before transferring to Redlands Community College in Oklahoma, where he earned an Associates of Art degree.
Upon leaving Redlands Community College, Heard utilized his skills to help train high school and junior high athletes. His keen ability to assess athletic skills and develop basketball players at the grade school level caught the attention of Doc Sadler. The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Head Men's Basketball Coach asked Heard to join the staff as both a student assistant and team manager for the Golden Eagles from 2014-2016. During his tenure in Hattiesburg, Delorian learned key coaching skills, enhanced his ability to build trust, connected with athletes, and further understood the complexities of being a student athlete. In addition, education continued to remain at the forefront for Delorian at USM, earning his Bachelor of Arts.
Heard would go on to do a three-year stint as an assistant at Camden County Community College. In his first year with the program, he helped lead the Cougars to an impressive 24-10 record. Camden County went on to win the NJCAA Region XIX Championship.
After his stint at Camden County, Heard made his way to the Lone Star State to work under Coach Billy Gillispie at Tarleton State. Working as both a grad assistant and the Special Assistant to the Head Coach, not only did Heard earn his Masters in Kinesiology but he also gained more valuable experience at the Division I level.
Heard would later goon to further his coaching career at Florida Memorial University and Wilmington University (DE) before coming to UMES.
Outside of basketball, Heard is a loving husband to his beautiful wife Shaundyll and an active father to his son Xavier.
