Doc Sadler steps down as Southern Miss head coach

Southern Miss announced Thursday the resignation of head basketball coach Doc Sadler. Though just 56-94 in five seasons, Sadler is coming off of his most successful season with the Golden Eagles, winning 20 games and earning a spot in the CBI.

“I want to thank Doc Sadler for his time, effort and commitment to the University of Southern Mississippi and our men’s basketball program,” AD Jeremy McClain said in a release. “He inherited a very difficult situation five years ago but has done an outstanding job putting our program in a positive position going forward. We wish him and his family the very best on the next step in their journey.”

Reports surfaced on Wednesday that Sadler was considering joining Fred Hoiberg‘s staff at Nebraska, where Sadler himself was the head coach from 2016-2012. In between his head coaching gigs at Nebraska and USM, Sadler spent one year at Iowa State as one of Hoiberg’s assistants.

“As a coach, one of the things that I always try to do is prepare my players for life and hopefully I have lived by that example,” Sadler said Thursday. “With the support of my family, I’ve decided it’s time for me to take a step back from being a head coach. I feel very comfortable doing that as I know that I am leaving this program in a good position. After 16 years as a college head coach, it’s time to evaluate what’s next for me.”

So what comes next for Southern Miss? Alum Jay Ladner has had some success at Southeastern Louisiana. Former head coaches Mike Anderson and Andy Kennedy are looking for work. Assistants Charlton Young and Greg Haier are certainly poised to move up. Or perhaps they stay in house with assistant Steve Shields (former Little Rock head coach) or Clarence Weatherspoon (USM’s most famous basketball alum).

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credit to Bobby McDuffie/Biloxi Sun Herald for the photo