Sam Dekker Joins South Carolina Basketball Staff

The former NBA forward is in his first season as an assistant coach under Lamont Paris with the Gamecocks.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Basketball

Empty indoor basketball practice court with honey-colored hardwood, a single orange ball near the three-point line, and a bare brick wall in warm late-afternoon light. — South Carolina men's basketball coach Lamont Paris has hired former NBA forward Sam Dekker as an assistant coach for his first season with the Gamecocks. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Sam Dekker is in his first season as an assistant coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team under head coach Lamont Paris. The move was announced in May after Paris discussed the role with him over lunch in South Carolina.

Why it matters

Dekker brings a background as a former Wisconsin Final Four player and an NBA draft pick to Columbia's program. His hiring reflects Paris's connection to him dating back to recruiting him out of high school.

Dekker scored a career-high 27 points in the 2015 West Regional final against Arizona, and he was a first-round pick of the Houston Rockets in the 2015 NBA Draft. He played for four different NBA teams between 2015 and 2019 before going overseas to Turkey, Russia, England and Spain, where a shoulder injury cut his Spain season short.

The players

Sam Dekker

Dekker is a former Wisconsin forward who was a first-round pick of the Houston Rockets and played in the NBA for four teams.

Lamont Paris

Paris is the head men's basketball coach at South Carolina who recruited Dekker out of high school and brought him onto the staff.

The details

Dekker works with players in individual workouts and is part of the scout team in practice, giving him hands-on looks with the roster. Paris called him during his shoulder rehab and later met him for lunch in South Carolina, where the coach discussed him joining the staff.

2014: Dekker was part of Wisconsin's Final Four team.
2015: Dekker was drafted by the Houston Rockets and Wisconsin lost to Duke in the national championship game.
2015-2019: Dekker played for four NBA teams.
March: Dekker returned to the United States after his season in Spain.
May: Dekker's hiring on the Gamecocks staff was announced.

Season Trajectory

Dekker's move from Wisconsin's back-to-back Final Four teams in 2014 and 2015 into a coaching role extends a path many players take after their careers. For South Carolina, adding a former NBA player with Final Four experience to the staff gives Paris a veteran voice in his first seasons with the program.

Fans following the Gamecocks can expect Dekker's experience with individual player development and scout team work to show up in daily practice. His background as a former NBA player may help South Carolina's returning and incoming players with the transition to the professional game.

The takeaway

Dekker's path from Wisconsin's Final Four teams to the NBA and now a South Carolina coaching role shows how players can stay involved in the game after their playing careers end. Readers following college basketball can watch how former pros fit into staff roles.