Trevecca Nazarene University men’s basketball coach Sam Harris will conclude his service as head coach, closing his 25-year run as the leader of the Trojan program. Harris’ legacy includes leading four teams to the NAIA National Championships and another to the NCCAA National Championships.
“We appreciate Coach Harris’s contributions to Trevecca Athletics and to the men’s basketball program. He has led the program for half of the existence of our men’s basketball program,” Trevecca director of athletics Mark Elliott said. “We wish Coach Harris the best as he pursues other coaching opportunities, but we appreciate the work he has done for a quarter century here on the Hill.”
Harris’ 376 wins are the most in Trevecca men’s basketball history. He garnered 537 wins in 34 years as a collegiate head coach, leading four teams to the NAIA National Championships and one to the NCCAA National Championships. Over the years, Harris’ teams won two regular season conference titles with him at the helm.
Harris’ first national tournament team was the 2000-2001 Trojans who finished 21-12. The team lost to No. 1 Transylvania in the opening round of the 2001 NAIA National Championships.
The next two appearances were back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16. The 2003-2004 team (25-8) advanced to the NAIA Tournament after winning the TranSouth Athletic Conference regular season championship. They defeated Lewis-Clark State in the opening round before falling to No. 1 Mountain State. The 2005-2006 team went 26-7, defeating Lambuth University in the NAIA first round. Azusa Pacific ended their run.
The 2007-2008 Trojans turned in a 25-10 mark and again advanced to the Sweet 16. This time the Trojans defeated the University of Mobile in the opening round. No. 1 Georgetown College knocked off the Trojans 85-83 to advance to the Elite Eight.
Harris led the 2011-2012 team (22-12) to the NCCAA Region Championship, earning a national tournament bid where Trojans finished 2-1.
His best NCAA D2 season came in 2015-2016 when the Trojans finished 8-4 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play, advancing to the title game. Additionally, Trevecca advanced to the first G-MAC Championship game in 2012-2013 season.
During his tenure, Harris coached six All-American players, five at the NAIA level and one NCCAA honoree. Eight of Harris’ Trojans made the NAIA honorable-mention All-American list. Five of his Trojans have been inducted into the Trevecca Athletic Hall of Fame: David Blanford, Michael Blivens, Will Partin, Curtis Lewis, and Eric Price.
Three of his players were selected conference player of the year. Eric Price and Alex Renfroe were selected TranSouth Player of the Year, while Byron Sanford was named the Great Midwest Player of the Year.
A 1978 graduate of Olivet Nazarene University, Harris starred alongside his brother, Steve Harris, while playing for Frank Wilson at Olivet. Wilson later moved to Trevecca and is the coach Harris succeeded when he took over the Trojan program.
