Preston Laird is in his fifth season as an assistant coach for the Trojan men's basketball program, joining the staff in July of 2019.

Coach Laird played a major role in 2 Championships in 5 seasons for the Little Rock Trojans. The first was in 2019-20 after the Trojans were picked 11^th in the Sun Belt preseason poll and finished 1^st for the regular season conference championship. The second was in 2023-2024 when the Trojans were picked 7^th in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll and finished with a regular season championship and the 1 seed in the conference tournament.
 
During the 2024 OVC Championship campaign, Laird helped develop and mentor KK Robinson, Makhel Mitchell, Jamir Chaplin, and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, who received OVC All Conference honors.

Additionally, during the 2020 season Laird helped mentor Ruot Monyyong, Markquis Nowell and Kamani Johnson to All-Sun Belt honors and was recognized in the off season as one of the top 50 most impactful mid-major assistant coaches by Silver Wave Media. Laird also received the same recognition in 2022 by Silver Waves Media.
 
In 2022, Laird was asked to be the head coach for the New Mexico State alumni team playing in the TBT (The Basketball Tournament). The game was televised on national TV (ESPNU) against the University of New Mexico alumni team. The game was the 7^th highest attended TBT game ever.  The following year Laird was asked to coach the UNLV alumni team in the 2023 TBT.

Laird comes to Little Rock after spending the past three seasons at UNLV, joining the Rebels prior to the 2016-17 season as a program’s director of basketball operations. He was promoted to an assistant coach prior to the 2018-19 season after being part of the UNLV staff that won 20 games in 2017-18.
 
Following the 2016-17 season, Laird was named to the 2017 Under Armour 30-Under-30 Team. The team, announced by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), recognizes up-and-coming young coaches in men’s college basketball.
 
Before his time in Las Vegas, Laird spent four seasons at New Mexico State, working with head coach Marvin Menzies before following him to UNLV. Serving in a number of positions, Laird played a key role in helping the Aggies to four-straight postseason appearances and a pair of WAC regular season titles.
 
During his four years in Las Cruces, Laird was a member of the New Mexico State staff that made three-straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2013-15, posting an overall record of 97-43 and going 52-10 in conference play during that span. In his role with the Aggies, Laird assisted with basketball operations while also assisting the program in off-court player development and academics. Notably, Laird was instrumental in the development of NBA All Star and world champion Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors.
 
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Laird played four seasons at the University of Memphis from 2008-12. He walked on to the team and helped the Tigers reach the Sweet 16 in 2009 under head coach John Calipari, eventually earning a full scholarship and serving as team captain while helping Memphis make three NCAA tournament appearances during his career.
 
Laird earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Memphis in 2012 before attaining his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from New Mexico State in 2014.
 
Laird and his wife Anna, have a 1 year old daughter named Presley Kate.