Doc Sadler is BACK!!!!
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Doc Sadler has returned to the Kansas men’s basketball program as an analyst, KU head coach Bill Self announced today.
Sadler comes to Kansas after being on the staff at Oklahoma for the 2022-23 season where he was a special advisor to the head coach. Sadler served as director of basketball operations at Kansas for the 2012-13 season.
A 40-year college coaching veteran and former 18-year head coach, prior to OU, Sadler spent three years on staff at Nebraska (2019-22). He last served as head coach from 2014-19 at Southern Miss after spending six seasons as head coach at Nebraska (2006-12). He was also head coach at UTEP from 2004-06 and Arkansas-Fort Smith from 1998-03.
A Greenwood, Arkansas, product, Sadler compiled 210-plus Division I victories and reached the postseason six times, including the 2005 NCAA Tournament with UTEP and a trio of NIT appearances with the Huskers (2008, 2009 and 2011). Sadler returned to Nebraska as the special assistant to the head coach and was elevated to assistant coach for the 2020-21 season.
In his five-year stint at Southern Miss, the Golden Eagles win total improved each season. Sadler took over a program that had a two-year postseason ban, scholarship reductions and other inherited sanctions and led Southern Miss to back-to-back Conference USA Tournament semifinal appearances in 2018 and 2019. In his final season in Hattiesburg, Miss., USM won 20 games and finished as C-USA runner-up.
Prior to his time at Southern Miss, Sadler served one season as an assistant coach for Fred Hoiberg at Iowa State in 2013-14. The Cyclones finished with a 28-8 record, won the Big 12 Tournament title and advanced to the Sweet 16.
Sadler guided the Huskers for six seasons from 2006-12, earning 101 victories and three postseason appearances. Nebraska led the Big 12 in scoring defense three times during his tenure and posted nine wins over ranked opponents. In 2010-11, the Huskers finished in the top 20 nationally in scoring and field-goal percentage defense.
In his two seasons at UTEP as head coach, Sadler compiled an impressive 48-18 (.727) record. The Miners registered 27 victories in his first season at the helm and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament. At the time, it was the ninth-best win total by a first-year head coach in NCAA history. Sadler recorded 21 wins in his final season in El Paso and led the Miners to the NIT.
Sadler spent six seasons at Arkansas-Fort Smith, serving the last five as head coach. He compiled a 120-39 record and led the Lions to three NJCAA appearances.
Sadler earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Arkansas in 1982 and served as a four-year student manager for the Razorbacks under head coach Eddie Sutton.
Following his graduation, he served as an assistant coach for three seasons (1982-85).
After seven years at Arkansas, Sadler made assistant coaching stops at Lamar (1985-86), Houston (1986), Chicago State (1987-88), Arkansas – Fort Smith (1988-91, 1997-98), Texas Tech (1991-94), Arizona State (1994-97), UTEP (2003-04), Iowa State (2013-14) and Nebraska (2019-22).
