Estevan Sandoval is entering his sixth season with the University of North Dakota men’s basketball program in 2026-27 and his fourth season as an assistant coach. After originally joining the Fighting Hawks as Director of Basketball Operations, Sandoval has steadily taken on an expanded role in nearly every area of the program, including recruiting, player development, defensive strategy, opponent scouting and game preparation.
During his time at North Dakota, Sandoval has played an integral role in the program’s player development and recruiting efforts while helping the Fighting Hawks establish an aggressive, disruptive defensive identity. His responsibilities have continued to grow throughout his tenure, including an increased role in UND’s defensive system, developing game plans, and overseeing the preparation and implementation of scouting reports.
The 2024-25 Fighting Hawks averaged 77.3 points per game, the highest scoring average by a UND team since Sandoval joined the program. Treysen Eaglestaff earned Second Team All-Summit League honors, Mier Panoam received Honorable Mention recognition, and Eli King was selected to the Summit League All-Defensive Team. Eaglestaff was also the only player in NCAA Division I basketball that season to record multiple 40-point games.
Sandoval has worked extensively in individual player development throughout his tenure at UND. During his first season as an assistant coach, his primary position of responsibility was the Fighting Hawk guards. Eaglestaff earned Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honors three times and established a UND program record by making at least one three-pointer in 21 consecutive games. King finished second in the Summit League with 1.8 steals per game and earned All-Defensive Team recognition, while Tyree Ihenacho was named Second Team All-Summit League after averaging more than 14 points and four assists per game in conference play.
In addition to his on-court responsibilities, Sandoval has been heavily involved in constructing the UND roster through high school, junior college, international and transfer portal recruiting. His experience in roster evaluation, relationship building and player development has allowed him to recruit across multiple levels of college basketball while helping players advance both within and beyond the program.
Sandoval came to North Dakota after spending the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach at Western Texas College. He helped the Westerners finish 15-8 and advance to the NJCAA Region V Championship.
Prior to Western Texas, Sandoval served as an assistant coach at Gillette College, helping the Pronghorns compile a 26-6 record during the 2019-20 season. Three players from that team, Bradley Akhile, Tarig Eisa and Mason Archambault, advanced to the NCAA Division I level. Archambault and Akhile also earned All-Region IX Second Team honors. Sandoval’s responsibilities at Gillette included recruiting, player development, scouting, and game preparation.
Sandoval began his collegiate coaching career at the University of New Mexico, where he spent six seasons with the Lobos from 2013-19 as a student manager and graduate assistant. During his time at New Mexico, Sandoval gained experience throughout nearly every area of a Division I program, including player development, scouting, film breakdown, recruiting organization, team operations, camps and program administration. He also supervised the Lobos’ student manager staff.
Sandoval earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from New Mexico in 2017 before completing a master’s degree in physical education with a concentration in sports administration from UNM in 2019.
A native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sandoval and his wife, Kayla, reside in Grand Forks.
