Head coach Lamont Paris announced the hiring of Sam Dekker as assistant coach on Friday morning. Dekker recently completed an 11-year playing career professionally with stops in the NBA and overseas.
The Sheboygan, Wis. native played three seasons for Paris from 2012-15 while Paris was an assistant at Wisconsin. The two were a part of the best run in school history compiling a 91-24 record with back-to-back Final Four trips in 2014 and 2015. They also won the outright Big Ten Championship and Big Ten Tournament in 2015. The Badgers played in the 2015 National Title game after knocking off previously undefeated Kentucky in the National Semifinals. Dekker had 16 points in the historic 71-64 win over the Wildcats.
With the Gamecocks, Dekker will be involved in all facets of coaching, with a focus on on-court player development.
“Development of each player’s individual abilities is as important now as it has ever been in college basketball,” said Paris. “Sam’s unique experiences and skill set will allow him to have a tremendous impact on our players and program immediately. He is a winner through and through, and I am thrilled to add him to our staff as an assistant coach. I know he can’t wait to get to work, and neither can I. Please join me in welcoming Coach Dekker to Gamecock Nation!”
“I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of Gamecock basketball,” said Dekker. “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.”
Dekker forewent his remaining college eligibility after his junior season and entered the 2015 NBA Draft where he was selected 18th overall in the first round by the Houston Rockets. He played in 201 career NBA games for five different teams, averaging 5.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per contest. His international career included stints with PBC Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia), Türk Telekom B.K. (Turkey), Bahçeşehir Koleji S.K. (Turkey), the London Lions and Club Joventut Badalona (Spain). He averaged double-figures in six of his seven seasons overseas. Dekker’s best season overseas came in 2022-23 for the London Lions when he averaged 17.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game in leading the team to the BBL Championship.
In three seasons at Wisconsin playing under Naismith Hall of Famer Bo Ryan, Dekker appeared in 113 games (81 starts) scoring 1,363 career points (top-20 all-time at Wisconsin). He was a two-time All-Big Ten selection with career averages of 12.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 assist per game. Dekker had the best season of his career as a junior in 2014-15, averaging 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 assist per game while shooting 52.6% from the floor. He scored a career-high 27 points, going a perfect 5-of-5 from 3 in the second half, in the team’s Elite Eight victory over Arizona and was named 2015 NCAA West Regional Most Outstanding Player. In 12 career NCAA Tournament games, he averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game with shooting splits of 51.6% from the floor and 36.1% from behind the arc.
In high school, Dekker was the 2012 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year and a Parade All-American. He was First Team All-State and tabbed Wisconsin Mr. Basketball as a senior after averaging 35.2 points per game in helping lead Sheboygan Lutheran to its first-ever state championship. He amassed 2,629 career points in high school playing for his father, Todd.
He and his wife Olivia married in 2018 and have two sons, Harlan and Christian.
https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2026/05/15/paris-names-dekker-assistant-coach
