Sam Dekker will be on an SEC sideline next season

One of Kentucky’s biggest villains is coming to the SEC. Sam Dekker has accepted an assistant coaching job on Lamont Paris’ staff at South Carolina.

That news is a lot less random when you recall that Paris was an assistant under Bo Ryan at Wisconsin during Dekker’s career as a Badger, which, of course, included the win over Kentucky in the 2015 Final Four; in fact, South Carolina even mentioned that game in the press release announcing Dekker’s hiring, noting that Dekker had 16 points in the “historic win over the Wildcats.” Three of those came on the bucket to put Wisconsin up for good, which came a minute after officials did not call a shot clock violation on Nigel Hayes. But I’m not bitter about that game at all, not even 11 years later.

Since then, Dekker went pro, spending four years in the NBA before taking his career overseas. He most recently played for Club Joventut Badalona in Spain. This will be his first job in coaching, and according to the press release, he will focus on player development.

“Development of each player’s individual abilities is as important now as it has ever been in college basketball,” Lamont Paris said in the release. “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.”

We got better today… let’s get to work, coach! 💼🤙@dekker #Gamecocks🐔🏀 // #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/oDIJARW2we

— South Carolina Men's Basketball (@GamecockMBB) May 15, 2026

With Dekker on board, there are now THREE former Badgers on South Carolina’s staff if you count Paris. Former Wisconsin student manager and walk-on Tanner Bronson has coached under Paris since he was at Chattanooga. I’ve never felt one way or the other about Paris and/or South Carolina basketball, but now that Dekker has joined the mix, that could change.

The addition comes ahead of a pivotal year for Paris and the Gamecocks. After winning 26 games and reaching the NCAA Tournament in his second season (2023-24), the Gamecocks have won just 25 combined games over the last two seasons, six in SEC play. They finished third-to-last in the SEC last season and dead last the season prior. Still, South Carolina decided to bring him back for a fifth season, likely due in part to his $12 million buyout.

Now, Paris will have another Badger on his staff, one who conjures the worst memories for Kentucky fans.