Sam Dekker Joins South Carolina as Assistant Coach
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The University of South Carolina has hired former NBA first-round selection Sam Dekker as an assistant men’s basketball coach, the program announced in a press release. Dekker, 32, will work under head coach Lamont Paris, who was an assistant at Wisconsin during Dekker’s collegiate career with the Badgers.
According to the school, Dekker’s duties will span all areas of the program, with a primary emphasis on on-court player development.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of Gamecock basketball,” Dekker said in the release. “The decision to transition from player to coach is not one I took lightly, but joining Coach Paris and this program was a dream opportunity.”
Dekker entered the NBA as the 18th overall pick in the 2015 draft. He completed his four-year rookie contract while making stops with multiple teams, then spent two seasons in Russia and Turkey before signing with the Toronto Raptors ahead of the 2021–22 season. Toronto waived the 6’9” forward after one appearance, and he has since played professionally in Turkey, England and, most recently, Spain.
The former Wisconsin standout averaged 5.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 15.4 minutes over 201 NBA games. While he remained productive overseas through the 2024–25 campaign, his numbers declined last season with Spanish club Joventut.
Dekker said his goal at South Carolina is to “win in March and give our players the best opportunity for success on and off the court.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
