Alcorn
State Promotes Samuel West to Head Men's Basketball Coach
April 7, 2003
ALCORN STATE, Miss. The Alcorn State University
athletics department officially announces the
promotion of assistant men’s basketball coach Samuel
West to the rank of head coach pending the board’s
approval. West replaces longtime head coach Davey L.
Whitney who officially announced his retirement at the
conclusion of this season. The Natchez, Mississippi
native spent the previous seven seasons as the Braves’
assistant basketball coach who was instrumental in
helping Alcorn State win their last three regular
season Southwestern Athletic Conference titles along
with the team’s last two trips to the NCAA tournament.
Sam
West
Alcorn State’s athletic director Robert H.J. Raines
felt that this appointment was a positive move for the
basketball program. “We have had the unusual
opportunity to evaluate Coach West over the past seven
years. Coach West has been a very loyal and dedicated
assistant to Coach Davey Whitney. His outstanding
knowledge of the game, strong recruiting background
and great rapport with the student-athletes,
university personnel and supporters demonstrates his
readiness for the assignment. We have in Coach West,
the right man for the job.”
West served as the head boys basketball coach at
Northwest Rankin High School from 1991 until 1995. He
won over 20 games at Northwest Rankin in 1992, 1993
and 1995.
From 1987-91, West was an assistant coach at Delta
State University, were he served as the head recruiter
and academic advisor. At Delta State, the Statesmen
were ranked in the Top-5 in Division II and recorded
two 20-win seasons while he was there.
He also served as the head boys coach at North
Natchez High School in Natchez from 1983 to 87, where
he boasted a 76-15 record as was named the State and
Metro Coach of the Year in 1986. At North Natchez
they were both the Big Eight Champs and State Champs
in 1985 and 1986 respectively.
West along with assistant football coach John
McKenzie are current sponsors of the Fellowship of
Christian Athletes where the Outreach Ministries are
touching lives on campus and the surrounding areas.
He has been involved with this program since his
arrival on campus.
As an athlete, West was a stellar point guard on the
hardwood who had an outstanding playing career. As a
prepster at North Natchez High School, he earned
All-Conference and All-State honors along with being
the team captain. West’s accomplishments on the
hardwood were good enough for him to earn a
scholarship to Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
While at Copiah-Lincoln, West was a standout athlete
who earned letters in both basketball and track. On
the hardwood, he earned All-Conference, All-State and
All-Region VII honors in both his freshman and
sophomore seasons. As a sophomore, West helped to
lead his team to both the State and Regional
Championship in which the team posted a third place
finish in the national junior college tournament. In
addition, he is the current NJCAA national tournament
single game and overall tournament assist record
holder with 17 and 33 assists respectively. While in
junior college, West was listed among the Who’s Who
Among College Students. In 1998, he became the first
African-American to have ever been inducted into the
school’s Hall of Fame.
After a stellar junior college career, West took his
talents to Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas
where he served as the team captain during both his
junior and senior seasons. As a senior, he helped to
lead the Tigers to both a Southwestern Athletic
Conference and national NAIA championship in 1977.
“Coach Sam West brings a wealth of experience and
talent to the Alcorn State University program. I think
that he is a very outstanding young coach,” said Davey
Whitney. “Sam works hard and is dedicated to the game
of basketball. He brings to the university the kind of
dedication that is needed to continue our uphill
climb.”
West received his Bachelor’s Degree in History in
1977 from Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas
and earned his Master’s Degree in Health & Physical
Education in 1980 from Jackson State University. He is
a 1973 graduate of North Natchez High School in
Natchez. West is married to the former Theresa Dunbar
of Natchez and they are the proud parents of Temmetria
(22), Connie (16) and Taylor (14).
