Paul Sanderford
{{Short description|Retired college basketball coach}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
Paul "Buster" Sanderford (born November 8, 1949) is a retired college basketball coach who coached from the 1970s to 2000s.
From 1976 to 1982, Sanderford accumulated 163 wins and 19 losses while coaching the women's basketball team at Louisburg Junior College. At Louisburg, Sanderford won the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship in 1981 and lost the championship in 1982. As part of the Western Kentucky Lady Toppers basketball team from 1982 to 1997, Sanderford won the Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament seven times and reached the final of the 1992 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. With 365 wins and 120 losses, Sanderford has held the record for most women's basketball wins at Western Kentucky for over twenty years.
While coaching the Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball team from 1997 to 2002, Sanderford reached the final of the Women's National Invitation Tournament in 1997 and the second round of the 1998 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. After stepping down from his coaching position in 2002, Sanderford had 88 wins and 69 losses with Nebraska. Apart from coaching, Sanderford has worked as a color analyst from the 2000s to 2010s. Sanderford was selected to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.{{cite web |title=Sanderford Honored as Hall of Fame Inductee|url=https://wkusports.com/news/2022/2/14/womens-basketball-sanderford-honored-as-hall-of-fame-inductee.aspx|website=Western Kentucky University Sports |access-date=August 25, 2022 |date=February 14, 2022}}
Early life and education
On November 8, 1949, Sanderford was born in Zebulon, North Carolina.{{cite book |last1=Blomenberg |first1=Jenn |last2=Senappe |first2=Bonnie |title=Women's Basketball's Finest |date=March 2007 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |location=Indianapolis |page=145 |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/misc/wbbfinest.pdf |access-date=April 4, 2022}} Growing up, Sanderford was on the basketball and baseball teams while attending Corinth Holders High School.{{cite news |title=Corinth-Holders Native Makes Name As Leading Women's College Coach |work=Gold Leaf Farmer |date=March 15, 1990 |page=2B}} After high school, Sanderford was a minor league baseball player for the Chicago White Sox.{{cite news |last1=Pogue |first1=Greg |title=Lady Toppers' future charted by Sanderford |work=Daily News |date=July 4, 1982 |location=Bowling Green, Kentucky |page=2-B}} During the 1970s, Sanderford went to Louisburg College, Methodist College and North Carolina State University for his post secondary education. His programs included sociology and counselling.{{cite news |title=WKU Women’s Basketball: Former coach Sanderford named 2019 finalist for Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame |url=https://www.wnky.com/wku-womens-basketball-former-coach-sanderford-named-2019-finalist-for-womens-basketball-hall-of-fame/ |access-date=April 3, 2022 |work=WNKY |date=January 11, 2019}} While attending college, Sanderford primarily played baseball while also playing basketball.{{cite web |title=Paul Sanderford |url=https://wkusports.com/sports/2017/6/16/paul-sanderford |website=Western Kentucky University Athletics |access-date=April 3, 2022 |date=June 16, 2017}}
Career
=Early 1970s to Late 1990s=
While at Methodist during the early 1970s, Sanderford worked as a school counselor in their admissions department. He continued his work in admissions when he became an assistant director in 1973.{{Cite press release |title=Former Zebulon resident to new post |date=July 11, 1973 |publisher=Methodist College |location=Fayetteville, North Carolina |url=https://www.methodist.edu/archspec/archives/e-docs/News_Releases_Text_1973_07_public.pdf |last1=Hagan |first1=Karl Michele |access-date=April 3, 2022|page=30}} In 1975, Sanderford became a dean for Methodist.{{cite news |title='Canes Sanderford JuCo coach of the year |work=The News and Observer |date=April 1, 1982 |location=Raleigh, North Carolina |page=2B}} During this time period, Sanderford worked with their baseball team for two years before moving to their basketball team for a year in assistant coaching positions. In 1976, Sanderford joined the women's basketball team at Louisburg Junior College as their head coach.{{cite news |title=Women's coach hired |work=The Park City Daily News |date=June 7, 1982 |page=10}}
With Louisburg, Sanderford won the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship in 1981.{{cite news |title=Louisburg coach honored |work=The Charlotte News |date=April 1, 1982 |page=16C}} The following year, Sanderford and Louisburg lost the NJCAA championship final to Moberty.{{cite news |last1=Boren |first1=Cindy |title=Louisburg, Moberly repeat as finalists |work=The Kansas City Times |date=March 23, 2022 |page=F-2}}{{cite news |title=Louisburg loses by 1 in JC women's final |work=The News and Observer |agency=Staff and Wire Reports |date=March 22, 1982 |location=Raleigh, North Carolina |page=4B}} At Louisburg, Sanderford had 163 wins and 19 losses. In May 1982, it was announced that Sanderford would take a break from Louisburg in August 1982 and resume his tenure the following year.{{cite news |title=Sanderford takes leave |work=The News and Observer |date=May 3, 1982 |location=Raleigh, North Carolina |page=5B}}
Sanderford was hired as the coach of the Western Kentucky Lady Toppers basketball team in June 1982.{{cite news |title=Western chooses juco whiz as women's cage coach |work=The Messenger |date=June 12, 1982 |location=Madisonville, Kentucky |page=11}} While coaching for Western Kentucky, he helped create an invitational basketball tournament sponsored by Bowling Green Bank during the early 1980s.{{cite news |last1=Mathis |first1=Mark C. |title=Sanderford has worked fast at WKU |work=Park City Daily News |date=March 26, 1985 |page=1-B}} Sanderford won the Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament seven times and finished in second five times between 1983 and 1997.{{cite news |author1=The Daily News |title=Sanderford highlights 2015 honorees |work=The Park City Daily News |date=May 7, 2015 |page=1C}}{{cite web |title=Past Women's Basketball Tournament Champions |url=https://sunbeltsports.org/sports/2014/2/12/PastWBBTournyChamps.aspx?path=wbball |website=Sun Belt Conference |access-date=March 23, 2022}} His team reached the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament twelve times, which included back-to-back competitions from 1985 to 1995.{{cite web |last1=Nixon |first1=Rick |last2=Watsky |first2=Michelle |title=2020 Women's Final Four Records Book |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_final_four_records_book/2020/Book.pdf |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=March 23, 2022 |page=148 |date=December 2019}}
At individual NCAA competitions, Sanderford reached the Final Four with Western Kentucky during the 1985 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament and 1986 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.{{cite news |last1=Clemons |first1=J. C. |title=Final Four has Western meeting old foe Georgia |work=Courier-Journal |date=March 28, 1995 |page=C 2}}{{cite news |last1=Lowenkron |first1=Hank |title=Lady Horns rip Lady Toppers |work=Wichita Falls Record News |date=March 29, 1986 |page=1B}} During the 1992 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, Sanderford and Western Kentucky were defeated by Stanford in the championship game.{{cite news |title=Stanford blasts Western Kentucky for its second crown in three years |work=The Daily News |agency=Associated Press |date=April 6, 1992 |location=Longview, Washington |page=B3}}{{cite web |title=DI Women's Basketball Championship History |url=https://www.ncaa.com/history/basketball-women/d1 |website=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=March 23, 2022}} At the National Women's Invitational Tournament with Western Kentucky, Sanderford's team was fourth in 1984 and sixth in 1996.{{cite news |title=Lady Toppers fourth at NWIT |work=The News-Democrat |date=March 29, 1984 |location=Russellville, Kentucky |page=A-10}}{{cite news |last1=Frakes |first1=Jason |title=Lady Tops' effort in NWIT loss bums coach |work=Park City Daily News |date=March 24, 1996 |page=3-B}} After leaving the team in 1997, Sanderford had 365 wins and 120 losses with Western Kentucky. He has held the Western Kentucky record for most women's basketball wins for over twenty years leading up to the 2021–22 season.{{cite web |editor-last=Mulligan |editor-first=Lille-Anne |title=Lady Topper Basketball 2021-22 Media Guide |url=https://wkusports.com/documents/2021/12/9/2021_22_WKU_WBB_Media_Guide.pdf |website=Western Kentucky University |publisher=WKU Athletic Media Relations Office |access-date=March 23, 2022 |pages=94–96 |date=December 9, 2021}}
=Late 1990s to 2010s=
In 1997, Sanderford became the coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball team.{{cite news |title=Nebraska coach hired amid sexism charges |work=The Knoxville News-Sentinel |date=June 21, 1997 |page=C2}} Following the announcement, members of the Nebraska Legislature disagreed with Sanderford's hiring as it went against their requirement to have more women work at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Chris Beutler thought the university's actions were "a direct affront to the Legislature".{{cite news |last1=Knapp |first1=Fred |title=Selection of UNL coach stirs dispute |work=Lincoln Journal Star |date=June 13, 1997}} For Ernie Chambers, he believed that paying Sanderford more than the previous coach, Angela Beck, was a form of sexism.{{cite news |title=Legislators criticize hiring |work=The Salina Journal |agency=The Associated Press |date=June 21, 1997 |page=C1}}
With Nebraska, Sanderford was defeated in the final of the 1997 Women's National Invitation Tournament during the preseason.{{cite news |title=Husker Coach Vows New Intensity Level |work=The Daily Oklahoman |agency=Associated Press |date=November 22, 1997 |at=sec. Sports p. 26}}{{cite web |title=1997 Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament |url=https://womensnit.com/documents/2019/3/4/1997_pre_bracket.pdf?id=71 |website=Women's National Invitation Tournament |access-date=March 22, 2022}} From 1998 to 2000, Sanderford appeared at consecutive tournaments in the NCAA with Nebraska. During these years, Sanderford and Nebraska reached the second round of the 1998 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Jennifer L. |title=ODU fights forward |work=Daily Press |date=March 16, 1998 |location=Newport News, Virginia |pages=D1, D4}}{{cite news |title=Tournament Scores, Summaries |work=Daily Press |date=March 16, 1998 |location=Newport News, Virginia |page=D4}} Sanderford remained with Nebraska until 2002 when he stepped down from his coaching position due to his personal health.{{cite news |title=Sanderford resigns as NU women's coach |url=https://fremonttribune.com/sanderford-resigns-as-nu-womens-coach/article_ee5166bd-cf7f-5d29-b3e7-9ed9ab5cba67.html |access-date=March 23, 2022 |work=Fremont Tribune |agency=Associated Press |date=June 14, 2002}} After leaving Nebraska, Sanderford had 88 wins and 69 losses.{{cite web |editor-last=Griesch |editor-first=Jeff |title=2021-22 Nebraska Women's Basketball |url=https://huskers.com/documents/2021/10/30/2021_22_NEB_WBB_Guide_Final.pdf |website=University of Nebraska Athletics |access-date=March 22, 2022 |page=162 |date=October 20, 2021}}
He resumed his experience with Western Kentucky when he became a volunteer for their men's basketball team in 2002.{{cite news |title=Sanderford is a legend at Western |work=Park City Daily News |date=June 7, 2007 |page=4A}} While at Western Kentucky, Sanderford worked in sportswear and had expanded his career to real estate.{{cite news |title=Former Nebraska women's coach says he pities Cornhusker players |work=Sioux City Journal |agency=Associated Press |date=February 27, 2003 |page=B5}}
The following year, Sanderford was chosen to work for the athletic director at Western Kentucky as an assistant. For his role, Sanderford was given tasks in broadcasting advertising and financial donations.{{cite news |title=Sanderford back on The Hill as assistant athletic director |work=News Democrat & Leader |date=August 12, 2003 |page=B-2}}
In 2004, Sanderford became an assistant coach for the men's basketball team at Western Kentucky.{{cite news |title=Sanderford hired as full-time men's assistant coach at Western Kentucky |work=Lincoln Journal Star |date=May 19, 2004 |page=2C}} Sanderford remained in his assistant position until he ended his basketball coaching career in 2007.{{cite news |title=Sanderford calls it a career |work=The Courier-Journal |date=June 10, 2007 |page=C7}} That year, it was announced that Sanderford would work with the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network as a color analyst for their men's basketball games.{{cite news |last1=Herbst |first1=Rob |title=WKU expands TV coverage |work=The Park City Daily News |date=November 7, 2007 |pages=1C, 3C}} Sanderford continued his color analysis in the 2010s with ESPN and Fox College Sports.{{cite news |title=Sanderford picked as 2019 Women's Basketball Hall finalist |work=The Park City Daily News |date=January 11, 2019 |page=1C}} He also co-hosted a ESPN Radio program alongside Wes Strader.{{cite news |title=Talk of the Town: Q&A with Wes Strader |work=The Park City Daily News |date=June 29, 2015 |page=1A}}
NCAA head coaching record
{{CBB Yearly Record Start|
|type=coach
|conference=
|postseason=
|poll=no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
|name=Western Kentucky University
|startyear=1982
|conference= Sun Belt Conference
|endyear=1997
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1982–83
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =22–7
| conference =
| confstanding =2nd
| championship =
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1983–84
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =22–11
| conference =
| confstanding =4th
| championship =
| postseason =NWIT
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1984–85
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =28–6
| conference =5-1
| confstanding =2nd
| championship =
| postseason =NCAA Final Four
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1985–86
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =32–4
| conference =6-0
| confstanding =1st
| championship =confboth
| postseason =NCAA Final Four
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1986–87
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =24–9
| conference =4-2
| confstanding =3rd
| championship =
| postseason =NCAA
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1987–88
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =26–8
| conference =4-2
| confstanding =3rd
| championship = conference tournament
| postseason =NCAA
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1988–89
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =22–9
| conference =5-1
| confstanding =t-1st
| championship =confboth
| postseason =NCAA
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1989–90
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =17–12
| conference =4-2
| confstanding =t-1st
| championship =confboth
| postseason =NCAA
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1990–91
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =29–3
| conference =5-1
| confstanding =2nd
| championship = conference tournament
| postseason =NCAA Sweet Sixteen
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1991–92
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =27–8
| conference =13-3
| confstanding =t-1st
| championship =confboth
| postseason =NCAA Runners-up
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1992–93
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =24–7
| conference =13-1
| confstanding =t-1st
| championship =confboth
| postseason =NCAA Sweet Sixteen
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1993–94
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =24–10
| conference =11-3
| confstanding =2nd
| championship =
| postseason =NCAA
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1994–95
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =28–4
| conference =12-2
| confstanding =2nd
| championship = conference tournament
| postseason =NCAA Sweet Sixteen
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1995–96
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =19–13
| conference =11-3
| confstanding =2nd
| championship =
| postseason =NWIT
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1996–97
| name =Western Kentucky
| overall =22–9
| conference =12-2
| confstanding =t-1st
| championship = conference
| postseason =NCAA
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
|name =Western Kentucky
| overall = {{Winning percentage|365|120|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{Winning percentage|105|23|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
|name=University of Nebraska
|startyear=1997
|conference= Big 12 Conference
|endyear=2002
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1997–98
| name =Nebraska
| overall =23–10
| conference =11–5
| confstanding =3rd
| championship =
| postseason =NCAA
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1998–99
| name =Nebraska
| overall =21–12
| conference =8–8
| confstanding =5th
| championship =
| postseason =NCAA
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =1999–2000
| name =Nebraska
| overall =18–13
| conference =10–6
| confstanding =5th
| championship =
| postseason =NCAA
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =2000–2001
| name =Nebraska
| overall =12–18
| conference =4–12
| confstanding =10th
| championship =
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season =2001–2002
| name =Nebraska
| overall =14–16
| conference =4–12
| confstanding =11th
| championship =
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
|name =Nebraska
| overall = {{Winning percentage|88|69|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{Winning percentage|37|43|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall = {{Winning percentage|453|189|record=y}}
}}
[https://wkusports.com/documents/2020/12/1/2020_21_WKU_WBB_Media_Guide.pdf 2020–2021 WKU Women’s Basketball Media Guide retrieved 23 June 2022][https://huskers.com/documents/2020/11/25/Guide_142_151_Year_by_Year_Results.pdf 2020–2021 Nebraska Women’s Basketball Media Guide retrieved 23 June 2022]
Awards and honors
In 1981, Sanderford was named Coach of the Tournament after Louisburg won their 1981 NJCAA women's basketball title.{{cite web |title=All-Time NJCAA DI Women's Basketball Championship |url=https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/d/m/54od18f1alqkeu/DI_WBKB_All-Time_Results_Complete.pdf |website=National Junior College Athletic Association |access-date=March 23, 2022 |page=21}} For junior and community colleges, Sanderford was the women's basketball coach of the year recipient with Sanderford at the 1982 Wade Trophy Awards. As part of the Sun Belt Conference with Western Kentucky, Sanderford was named the conference's Coach of the Year in 1983, 1986 and 1991.{{cite web |editor=Sun Belt Conference |title=2015-16 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Media Guide |url=https://issuu.com/knunez/docs/2015-16_sbc_wbb_media_guide |location=New Orleans |via=Issuu |page=81}} For individual schools, Sanderford was inducted into a hall of fame by Methodist in 1998 and Western Kentucky in 2008.{{cite web |title=Paul Sanderford (1998) - Hall of Fame |url=https://mumonarchs.com/honors/hall-of-fame/paul-sanderford/31 |website=Methodist University Athletics |access-date=March 22, 2022}}{{cite web |title=WKU Athletic Hall of Fame |url=http://alumni.wku.edu/s/808/index.aspx?pgid=1118 |website=WKU Alumni Association |access-date=April 7, 2022}} He was also inducted in 2010 into a hall of fame for Louisburg.{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame |url=https://www.lchurricanes.com/athletics/hof/criteria |website=Louisburg College Athletics |access-date=March 22, 2022 |date=October 29, 2012}}
Sanderford was inducted into the NJCAA Women's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2000.{{cite web |title=Women's Basketball Record Book 2021 |url=https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/p/f/2fc4p2w2yjypkx/NJCAA_Women-s_Basketball_Record_Book_-Updated_June_2021-.pdf |website=National Junior College Athletic Association |access-date=March 23, 2022 |page=7 |date=June 2021}} In 2010, Western Kentucky retired a jersey for Sanderson at E. A. Diddle Arena.{{cite news |last1=Compton |first1=Michael |title=Sanderford humbled by ceremony |work=Park City Daily News |date=February 7, 2010 |page=3B}} He was chosen to become part of the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.{{cite news |last1=Cowgill |first1=Fred |title=Former WKU coach to be inducted in Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame |url=https://www.wlky.com/article/former-wku-coach-to-be-inducted-in-kentucky-athletic-hall-of-fame/3758684 |access-date=March 22, 2022 |work=WLKY |date=June 10, 2015}} After becoming a finalist for the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019, Sanderson was selected for the WBHOF in 2022.{{cite news |author1=WBKO Staff |title=Sanderford Denied Hall Of Fame Bid |url=https://www.wbko.com/content/news/Sanderford-Denied-Hall-Of-Fame-Bifd-505346311.html |access-date=March 22, 2022 |work=WBKO |date=February 5, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Hannah |title=Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 announced |url=https://www.wate.com/sports/womens-basketball-hall-of-fame-class-of-2022-announced/ |access-date=April 4, 2022 |work=WATE |date=February 15, 2022}}
Personal life
Sanderford was nicknamed "Buster" while at Louisburg.{{cite news |title=Louisburg to Play In Benefit Game |work=The Gold Leaf Farmer |date=September 28, 1978 |page=10}} After leaving Nebraska in 2002, Sanderford had his artery fixed with angioplasty that year.{{cite web |title=Sanderford recovering from successful surgery |url=https://www.espn.com/ncw/news/2002/0710/1404360.html |website=ESPN |access-date=March 22, 2022 |date=July 10, 2002}} He had one child during his marriage.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Western Kentucky Lady Toppers basketball coach navbox}}
{{Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball coach navbox}}{{Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Coach of the Year navbox}}{{Women's Basketball Hall of Fame}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanderford, Paul}}
Category:Western Kentucky Lady Toppers basketball coaches