2015 JOE B. HALL AWARD FINALIST
1,252 CAREER POINTS AT KENTUCKY
1999 NBA FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICK
1999 ALL-SEC ACADEMIC TEAM
1998 NCAA CHAMPION
1998 NCAA FINAL FOUR TEAM
1998 NCAA FINAL FOUR
1998 NCAA ALL-EAST REGIONAL TEAM
1998 ALL-SEC
1998 ALL-SEC ACADEMIC TEAM
1997 NCAA FINAL FOUR TEAM
1997 NCAA FINAL FOUR
Scott Padgett, the former collegiate standout at the University of Kentucky, NCAA champion and first-round NBA draft pick, is in the midst of his fifth season as head coach of the Samford Bulldogs and his sixth as a member of the program. On June 6, 2014, he was officially named the 28
th head basketball coach at Samford University.
As one of the top up-and-coming young coaches in the nation, Padgett has quickly transformed the Bulldogs’ basketball team into a Southern Conference championship competitor and rapidly revamped Samford’s recruiting efforts; turning the beautiful, head-turning Southern university to a destination campus.
On July 3, 2017, Padgett signed a five-year contract extension that protracted his deal to now last throughout the 2021-22 campaign.
“I'm thrilled to announce a five-year extension for Coach Padgett,” said Samford Director of Athletics Martin Newton. “Scott has brought a tremendous work ethic, passion and winning culture to our basketball program. He is a proven winner and has done so at every stage of his college and NBA playing career, and now in his coaching career. Scott is a tremendous asset to our university and community. He exemplifies the mission of this great university. He is a players-first coach and an outstanding role model for our student-athletes.”
Samford concluded the 2016-17 campaign with its most victories in 11 years (20), as well as the Bulldogs’ first winning season since 2005-06. Samford also set a number of school records last year, including points, field-goal attempts, free throws and assists.
The Bulldogs accumulated a school-record 2,834 points and shattered the previous record of 2,335, which was set during the 1970-71 campaign.
Additionally, Samford totaled 2,038 field-goal attempts; a mark that is 54 attempts more than the previous all-time record of 1,984 that was set 47 years ago in 1969-70.
The Bulldogs also set single-season team records in free throws (645) and assist (581). Samford’s totals this year well surpassed the school’s previous records of 564 and 543, respectively.
Under Padgett’s direction, Samford won its first postseason game in school history last season against Canisius in the 2017 College Insider.com Postseason Tournament, 78-74, and will return a predominant portion of last year’s roster in 2017-18, including all five starters. Terry Brutus, the Bulldogs’ lone senior on the squad last season, finished the 2016-17 campaign with an average of 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 28 games.
With its postseason victory over Canisius, Samford reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2005-06 and notched its fifth 20-win posting in 44 years as a Division I athletic department.
In 2015-16, just Padgett’s second season at the helm, Samford vastly improved under his leadership and registered its best win total in six years, dating back to 2009.
With talented sophomore point guard Christen Cunningham and All-SoCon performers Darius Jones-Gibson, Matt Rose and Wyatt Walker leading the way, the Bulldogs opened the season with a brilliant 5-1 record and knocked off Nebraska on the road, 69-58, in Lincoln, Neb. Samford’s double-digit victory on the road at Nebraska proved to be the school’s first triumph against a Big 10 opponent.
Additionally, the Bulldogs finished the 2015-16 season with a solid 10-5 record against non-conference opponents.
Following his inaugural campaign as the Bulldogs’ head coach, Padgett was named a finalist for the 2015 Joe B. Hall award, which is presented annually to the top first-year coach in college basketball. Padgett, during his first season as head coach at Samford University, compiled 13 wins and six SoCon victories with the Bulldogs.
Boasting a roster comprised of just three seniors and a trio of juniors, Padgett guided his young Bulldogs to early success in his initial season heading the program.
In 2015, Samford’s Jones-Gibson was named a Third-Team All-SoCon performer, while Cunningham and Evan Taylor both earned SoCon All-Freshman Team honors. With a roster featuring five sophomores and four true freshmen in 2014-15, the future proved to be bright for the Bulldogs’ basketball team.
The Samford University basketball team completed Padgett’s first season as head coach with a 13-19 overall record. The Bulldogs steadily improved throughout the campaign and rattled off a five-game winning streak midway through the SoCon season.
Padgett, a Louisville, Ky., native was a first-round draft pick selected 28th overall by the Utah Jazz in 1999 and spent eight years in the NBA. The 6-foot-9 forward recorded 1,142 points in four years with the Jazz before spending the next two seasons with the Houston Rockets. He played the 2005-06 campaign with the New Jersey Nets. Padgett began the 2006-07 season with the Rockets before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he finished out his career.
During his time at Kentucky from 1995-99, Padgett played for legendary head coaches Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith. Padgett helped lead the Wildcats to the 1998 NCAA Championship, where he was named to the NCAA All-Final Four team, as well as the NCAA All-East Regional team and All-Southeastern Conference during the regular season.
In 1997, Padgett helped Kentucky to the NCAA championship game and was also named to the All-Final Four team. A true student-athlete, Padgett received All-SEC honors twice for his work on the hardwood, and he was also honored with Academic All-SEC honors in 1998 and 1999 for his success in the classroom. Padgett scored 1,252 points over his career, which ranks 32nd on Kentucky's all-time list.
Padgett spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Samford. He joined the Bulldogs’ staff in April of 2012 after spending the previous two seasons at Manhattan College. During his valuable stint at Manhattan, Padgett assisted in the development of the Jaspers’ post and front court players.
During the 2011-12 campaign, he played a key role in Manhattan’s 15-game win improvement as the Jaspers’ finished 21-13 and played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, the program’s first postseason appearance since 2006. The 15-game win improvement (all against D1 opponents) tied Manhattan with Toledo, Indiana and Nevada for the most in the country.
Prior to joining the Manhattan basketball program, Padgett spent the 2009-10 season at his alma mater on Head Coach John Calipari's staff. Kentucky advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, finished with a 35-3 overall record and was ranked in the top-five of both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls, including a No. 1 ranking on Jan. 25.
Padgett and his wife, Cynthia, who reside in Hoover, have two sons, Logan (17) and Lucas (15), as well as a daughter, Layla (12).
THE PADGETT FILE
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2014-present Head Coach
Samford University
2012-14 Assistant Coach
Samford University
2010-12 Assistant Coach
Manhattan College
2009-10 Assistant Coach
University of Kentucky
PLAYING CAREER
NBA
1999-2003 Utah Jazz (28
th pick in 1999)
2003-05 Houston Rockets
2005-06 New Jersey Nets
2006-07 Houston Rockets
2007 Memphis Grizzlies
NCAA
1995-99 University of Kentucky (National Champions in 1998)
EDUCATION
1999 B.A., social work
University of Kentucky (Two-time Academic All-SEC)
PERSONAL
Born April 19, 1976
Hometown Louisville, Ky.
Wife Cynthia
Kids Logan (17)
Lucas (15)
Layla (12)
