Rick Samuels

Rick Samuels (born December 13, 1948)

Teams coached: Iowa State Cyclones, Eastern Illinois Panthers
Iowa State record: 3-6 (.333)
Eastern Illinois record: 360-360 (.500)
Overall record: 363-366 (.498)

Career Accomplishments:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1980-2005 Eastern Illinois
1980 Iowa State (interim HC)
1976-1980 Iowa State (asst)
1975-1976 Eastern Washington (asst)

Rick Samuels Facts

  • Rick Samuels
  • Born December 13, 1948
  • Hometown: Laramie, Wyoming
  • Alma Mater: Chadron State College (BS, 1971) / Eastern Washington University (MS, 1975)
  • Played at Chadron State College (NE), then started his coaching career at nearby Chadron HS
    • Inducted into the Chadron State Athletic Hall of Fame (c/o 2005)
  • Got his master’s at Eastern Washington and spent one season assisting Eagles’ head coach Jerry Krause
  • Hired by Lynn Nance in 1977 to be an assistant at Iowa State, serving in that role for three and half seasons
    • Was interim head coach for the final nine games of 1979-80 (went 3-6) after Nance’s firing
  • Became the head coach at Eastern Illinois in 1980, a position he would hold for the next 25 years
    • Went an even 360-360 during his tenure, by far the winningest coach in program history
    • Led the Panthers to their first ever NCAA Tournament in 1992 and returned in 2001
    • Also responsible for the (as of 2020) only three conference tournament titles in EIU history
    • Coached several NBA players and had a number of future head coaches as assistants through the years
    • Let go in 2005 (at the time the second longest tenure in D-I) following three losing seasons
    • Inducted into the EIU Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2014
  • Remained in Illinois, taking a role as a development officer at nearby Lincoln College
    • Later worked as VP of Enrollment Management and now as a senior development officer

Rick Samuels Coaching Tree