Paul Sather Explained

Paul Sather
Current Title:Head coach
Current Team:North Dakota
Current Conference:Summit League
Birth Date:28 August 1971
Birth Place:Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Player Years1:1990–1994
Player Team1:Northern State
Coach Years1:1996–1997
Coach Team1:Sidney HS (assistant)
Coach Years2:1997–1998
Coach Team2:Wayne State (NE) (GA)
Coach Years3:1998–2004
Coach Team3:Northern State (assistant)
Coach Years4:2004–2005
Coach Team4:Colorado (assistant)
Coach Years5:2005–2010
Coach Team5:Black Hills State
Coach Years6:2010–2019
Coach Team6:Northern State
Coach Years7:2019–present
Coach Team7:North Dakota
Tournament Record:3–2 (NAIA)
5–3 (NCAA Division II)
Championships:2 NSIC North Division (2018, 2019)
2 NSIC regular season (2018, 2019)
2 NSIC tournament (2018, 2019)
2 DAC (2009, 2010)
Awards:NSIC Coach of the Year (2018, 2019)
NABC Central Region Coach of the Year (2018)
DAC Coach of the Year (2009)

Paul Sather (born August 28, 1971) is an American college basketball coach, currently head men's basketball coach at the University of North Dakota.

Sather, from Princeton, Minnesota, played college basketball for Northern State in Aberdeen, South Dakota from 1990 to 1994. Following his college career, he entered coaching, first as an assistant coach at Sidney High School in Nebraska, then as a graduate assistant at Wayne State College under Greg McDermott, where he also obtained a master's degree in sports administration. In 1998, Sather returned to Northern State as an assistant coach, where he served for six years. For the 2004–05 season, Sather joined Ricardo Patton’s staff at Colorado.[1]

In 2005, Sather was named head coach of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota.[2] In his five seasons at Black Hills State, he led the Yellow Jackets to a 94–62 record. His 2008–09 team went 30–5, setting a school season record for wins.[3] In the 2008–09 season, he also won the DAC Coach of the Year.[4]

Sather was then hired to lead the program at his alma mater, Northern State, replacing Don Meyer. His teams went 188–89 in nine seasons. During this time, Sather won back to back Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) coach of the year awards and the Wolves played in the championship game of the 2018 NCAA Division II tournament, narrowly losing to Ferris State.[5] That team finished 36-4 and set a school record for single season wins and consecutive wins with 18.[6]

On May 30, 2019, Sather was announced as the new head coach for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks of the Summit League.[7] He picked Jamie Stevens and Zach Horstman, who were assistants under him at Northern State, as assistant coaches.[8] During his first season, Sather led the Fighting Hawks to the Summit League tournament championship game for the first time in school history, subsequently losing to North Dakota State.[9] On March 14, 2023, it was announced that Sather was hired to a two year extension through the 2025-26 season.[10]

He has two children, Sam and Becca, and a wife named Kelsie.

Career stats

College

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 1990–91| style="text-align:left;"| Northern State| 14 || 0 || || .86 || || 1.00 || 0.60 || 0.07 || 0.14 || 0.14 || 0.90|-| style="text-align:left;"| 1991–92| style="text-align:left;"| Northern State| 6 || 0 || || .33 || || .40 || 0.66 || 0.00 || 0.16 || 0.33 || 1.33|-| style="text-align:left;"| 1992–93| style="text-align:left;"| Northern State| 36 || 18 || || .58 || 1.00 || .57 || 3.88 || 0.94 || 0.97 || 0.61 || 7.16|-| style="text-align:left;"| 1993–94| style="text-align:left;"| Northern State| 34 || 34 || || .59 || || .61 || 5.58 || 1.44 || 0.97 || 0.55 || 9.97|}[11]

All-Conference players

NSIC

Summit League

First Team All-Summit League

Second Team All-Summit League

Freshman of the Year

Sixth Man of the Year

All-Defensive Team

All-Newcomer Team

NBA Draft Picks

G League

1 2021
[12]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Sather named head men's basketball coach . November 23, 2019 . . May 30, 2019.
  2. News: Centineo . Peter . Paul Sather named head coach at Black Hills State University . November 23, 2019 . . March 30, 2005.
  3. News: Holland . Jim . Sather to resign as BHSU men's basketball coach, replace Meyer at Northern State . November 23, 2019 . . March 18, 2010.
  4. News: Nordbye . Jake . Men's basketball: Jackets remember their best season . January 27, 2020 . . March 24, 2009.
  5. News: Borg . Zach . Paul Sather Leaves Northern State To Take Over At North Dakota . November 23, 2019 . kild.com. May 30, 2019.
  6. News: Miller . Tom . Sather says becoming UND men's basketball coach an 'incredible honor' . January 21, 2020 . Jamestown Sun . May 30, 2019.
  7. News: Miller . Tom . UND names Northern State's Paul Sather as next head men's basketball coach . November 23, 2019 . . May 30, 2019.
  8. Web site: Paul Sather rounds out coaching staff with pair of hires . . January 21, 2020 . July 2, 2019.
  9. News: Zimmer . Matt . 9 March 2020 . Summit League tournament: It'll be North Dakota vs. North Dakota State for men's title . Argus Leader . 23 December 2020.
  10. News: Miller . Tom . 14 March 2023 . UND coach Paul Sather signs extension through 2025-26 season . Grand Forks Herald . 22 March 2023.
  11. Web site: Men's Basketball Statistics . . Northern State University Athletics . July 6, 2021.
  12. News: Wells . Adam . October 23, 2021 . NBA G League Draft 2021 Results: Complete List of Selections for All Teams . Bleacher Report . February 22, 2024.