WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Mark Sanford has been named head coach of the Northwood University women's basketball team. After coaching two seasons as an assistant to the legendary college coach Rollie Massimino, Sanford will now take the lead of the Lady Seahawks. While working under Massimino, Coach Sanford helped guide the Seahawks men's basketball program to an amazing 60-10 record (.857%). The run included an NAIA Sweet 16 appearance in the 2009-2010 season, and an NAIA Final Four appearance this past year.
"I'm very excited for Mark," says Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach David Joerger, who has coached championship teams in the NBA D-League, the International Basketball Association, and the Continental Basketball Association. "He has worked hard and studied hard. I always knew that he was going to be successful."
Sanford, who was a three-year University of Washington Letterman during his undergraduate years, scored 1319 points in 82 games, ranking him 13th on the Huskies all- time scoring list. During his sophomore and junior seasons, Sanford led his team in both scoring and rebounding. Throughout his college career, Coach Sanford was a two-time First Team All-Pac -10 selection, a First Team All- Freshman selection, received All-American accolades his sophomore and junior years, and was a John Wooden Award finalist.
"Mark in my running (offense) system was the fastest player that I have ever coached," says University of Oregon women's head coach Paul Westhead, who is the only coach to win a championship in the WNBA and the NBA (Los Angelas Lakers in 1980 and Pheonix Mercury in 2005). "I think he is in a terrific spot because I know Mark loves the game and is a very diligent person. I am sure that his experience with Rollie Massimino has given him a great insight into the game. He has seen a lot of quick offense with me, and a lot of tough defense being around Coach Mass. I think it's a terrific combination to help him start his coaching career."
After college, the Miami Heat selected Coach Sanford with the second pick in the second round (31st overall) of the 1997 NBA draft. After spending seasons with the Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, and the New Jersey Nets, Sanford played for several clubs outside of the United States, including France, Spain, Japan, Belgium, Australia, and the Philippines. His career scoring and rebounding averages overseas amounted to 24.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Sanford played an essential role in leading his teams to seven international championship appearances, capturing four of them.
"I am very excited for Mark for this opportunity. He is very passionate about the game and has taken his career of being a player to now as being a coach, and has done it the right way," says Mark's former college coach Bob Bender, who also is the only player to appear in an NCAA division I championship game on two different teams (Indiana in 1976 and Duke in 1978). "He has become the right person to lead a program. I am sure that all of his players will be inspired by his passion, which will help them be great people on and off the court."
"Winning is not a matter of life and death… It's much more important than that." says new Coach Mark Sanford.
The Lady Seahawks program finished last season with a 3-12 Florida Sun Conference record and an overall record of 4-25.