SAM PURCELL
SAM PURCELL
HEAD COACH
1ST YEAR
Hometown: Dalton, Ga. | Alma Mater: Auburn, 2003 Career Record: 0-0 | SEC Record: 0-0 Hired March 12, 2022
One of the most respected recruiters in America and most impactful Division I assistant coaches in the country, Sam Purcell was named the ninth head coach in Mississippi State women’s basketball history on Saturday, March 12, 2022. With 19 years of women’s basketball coaching experience, including the previous nine seasons helping build the University of Louisville program into a perennial title contender, Purcell came to Mississippi State with a reputation for player development and recruiting, as well as precise and detailed preparation. “I’m honored and humbled to be the head women’s basketball coach at Mississippi State University, and I am appreciative to John Cohen and the entire university administration for this opportunity,” Purcell said. “The Purcell family is thrilled to be coming to Starkville, and we can’t wait to meet the team and the entire Bulldog Family. Mississippi State women’s basketball is synonymous with winning, and I fully intend to continue that winning culture. Hail State!” Purcell, a native of Dalton, Georgia, has combined for a 495-193 (.719) record in his 19 years of coaching. He boasts 14 20-win seasons and three 30-win seasons while helping his teams to five regular season conference championships and two tournament championships. Promoted to associate coach at the start of the 2017-18 season after serving as an assistant coach from 2013-17, Purcell helped guide Louisville to a 147-19 record during that time, which
ranked third in the country THE PURCELL FILE behind Connecticut (150) and Baylor (151) for the Born: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct. 5, 1982 most victories during that Family: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wife - Meghan span. During his tenure at Daughters - Reese, Rylee, Reagan Louisville, Purcell helped Hometown: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dalton, Ga. guide the Cardinals to an Education: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Auburn, 2003 impressive 262-47 (.847) Coaching Exp.: . . . . Mississippi State, 2022-pres. (Head Coach) Louisville, 2017-22 (associate coach) overall record, which is Louisville, 2013-17 (assistant coach) the best nine-year stretch Georgia Tech, 2009-13 (assistant coach) in program history with Georgia Tech, 2007-09 (video coordinator) an ACC record of 114-18 Tulsa, 2005-07 (assistant coach) (.863). During his time at Auburn, 2003-05 (video coordinator) Louisville, Purcell made it Auburn, 2000-03 (student coach) to the NCAA Tournament every season that a tournament was held while advancing to a pair of Final Four, five Elite Eights and seven Sweet Sixteens. During the 2017-18 season, Purcell played a critical role in guiding Louisville to a program-best 36-3 overall record that included an ACC Regular Season and Tournament Championship. The Cardinals opened the year perfect at 20-0, marking the best start in program history. They then earned a No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and defeated opponents by an average of 27.5 points per game. During the 2020-21 season, Purcell helped the Cardinals to a 16-0 start and the first-ever No. 1 ranking in the USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll in program history. Purcell helped the Louisville offense consistently rank among the nation’s bests. In all but one season at Louisville, the offense ranked inside the top 40 in points per game while averaging more than 72.2 points per game during that time. The impressive scoring margins that Louisville has won games by – more than a +16.0-scoring margin in each of the last five seasons – was mainly due to a strong emphasis on defense. Under the guidance of Purcell, the Cardinals allowed opponents to average more than 60 points per contest just twice. Currently, Louisville is allowing just 55 points per game. Purcell has learned from some of the best minds in college basketball, including Jeff Walz (current Louisville head coach), Nell Fortner (former Auburn and current Georgia Tech head coach and the head coach of the 1996 Olympic Team) and Joe Ciampi (25-year head coach at Auburn and 2005 Hall of Fame inductee).
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2 NCAA FINAL FOURS
3 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS
