The Wisconsin Badgers have built up quite a strong coaching staff under head coach Greg Gard, featuring many former players on the staff.
Lead assistant Joe Krabbenhoft was a four-year player for the Badgers from 2005-09 before a short professional career. Sharif Chambliss spent the final year of his collegiate career at Wisconsin in 2004-05 after three years at Penn State. New special assistant Brad Davison was a star for the Badgers and joined the staff this past season after a strong professional career overseas.
And Greg Stiemsma was a four-year player for the Badgers as well.
Well, another former Badgers player is now heading to the college ranks as a coach, only it won’t be at Wisconsin. Former Badgers star Sam Dekker is heading to the SEC, joining the South Carolina Gamecocks as an assistant under head coach Lamont Paris.
Paris was previously a longtime assistant at Wisconsin, coaching there from 2010-17, where he coached Dekker for four years. He then moved on to be the head coach at Chattanooga before earning the South Carolina job in 2022.
Following his storied career at Wisconsin, Dekker was a first-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and he’s been in the pros since. He spent three years with the Rockets before stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, and the G-League. He’s now spent the last few years playing overseas, but is returning to college basketball and starting his coaching career.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of Gamecock basketball,” Dekker said in a statement. “I’m so grateful to Coach Paris for trusting me with this role, and I take it very seriously. 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.
“I am thrilled to return to the college game and compete at such a high level in the SEC. My 11 years as a pro have provided so many experiences with amazing players, coaches and styles. Some of my best memories as a player were competing in two Final Fours with Coach Paris, and I look forward to doing that with him again. My goal is to win in March and give our players the best opportunity for success on and off the court.”
