Paul Sather

Paul Sather
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamNorth Dakota
ConferenceSummit League
Record78–124 (.386)
Biographical details
Born (1971-08-28) August 28, 1971 (age 54)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Playing career
1990–1994Northern State
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1996–1997Sidney HS (assistant)
1997–1998Wayne State (NE) (GA)
1998–2004Northern State (assistant)
2004–2005Colorado (assistant)
2005–2010Black Hills State
2010–2019Northern State
2019–presentNorth Dakota
Head coaching record
Overall360–275 (.567)
Tournaments3–2 (NAIA)
5–3 (NCAA Division II)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As a coach
  • 2 NSIC North Division (2018, 2019)
  • 2 NSIC regular season (2018, 2019)
  • 2 NSIC tournament (2018, 2019)
  • 2 DAC regular season (2009, 2010)
  • DAC tournament (2009)

As a player

  • NSIC regular season (1993)
Awards
  • 2× NSIC Coach of the Year (2018, 2019)
  • NABC Central Region Coach of the Year (2018)
  • DAC Coach of the Year (2009)

Paul Robert Sather (born August 28, 1971) is an American college basketball coach, currently head men's basketball coach at the University of North Dakota.[1]

Early life

Sather, from Princeton, Minnesota, played college basketball for Northern State in Aberdeen, South Dakota from 1990 to 1994.

Coaching career

Early coaching career

Following his college career, he entered coaching, first as an assistant coach at Sidney High School in Nebraska, then as a graduate assistant at Wayne State College under Greg McDermott, where he also obtained a master's degree in sports administration. In 1998, Sather returned to Northern State as an assistant coach, where he served for six years. For the 2004–05 season, Sather joined Ricardo Patton’s staff at Colorado.[2]

Black Hills State

In 2005, Sather was named head coach of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota.[3] In his five seasons at Black Hills State, he led the Yellow Jackets to a 94–62 record. His 2008–09 team went 30–5, setting a school season record for wins as well as winning the DAC regular season and tournament championships.[4] In the 2008–09 season, he also won the DAC Coach of the Year.[5] His 2009–10 team finished 21–10, winning the DAC regular season championship with a 10–3 record. The Yellow Jackets would make their second straight appearance in the NAIA Division II tournament, losing in the first round to the Saint Francis Cougars by a score of 86–83.[6] Following the season, four players were named to the DAC All-Conference team, Luke Enos, Cain Atkinson, Will John Johnson, and Clay Pottorff.[7] Will John Johnson was named as the DAC Defensive Player of the Year and Cain Atkinson was named as an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American.[7] Luke Enos was also named as the DAC Player of the Year and was named as an NAIA First Team All-American.[7]

In 2023, the 2008–09 team was inducted in the Black Hills State Athletics Hall of Fame.[8]

Northern State

Sather was then hired to lead the program at his alma mater, Northern State, replacing Don Meyer. His teams went 188–89 in nine seasons. During this time, Sather won back to back Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) coach of the year awards and the Wolves played in the championship game of the 2018 NCAA Division II tournament, narrowly losing to Ferris State.[9] That team finished 36-4 and set a school record for single season wins and consecutive wins with 18.[10]

North Dakota

On May 30, 2019, Sather was announced as the new head coach for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks of the Summit League.[11] He picked Jamie Stevens and Zach Horstman, who were assistants under him at Northern State, as assistant coaches.[12] During his first season, Sather led the Fighting Hawks to the Summit League tournament championship game for the first time in school history, subsequently losing to North Dakota State.[13] On March 14, 2023, it was announced that Sather was hired to a two year extension through the 2025–26 season.[14]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Black Hills State Yellow Jackets (Dakota Athletic Conference) (2005–2010)
2005–06Black Hills State17–1410–42nd
2006–07Black Hills State10–195–97th
2007–08Black Hills State16–148–74th
2008–09Black Hills State30–513–11stNAIA Division II Final Four
2009–10Black Hills State21–1010–31stNAIA Division II first round
Black Hills State:94–62 (.603)46–24 (.657)
Northern State Wolves (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) (2010–2019)
2010–11Northern State12–147–14T–10th
2011–12Northern State13–139–13T–8th
2012–13Northern State20–1114–8T–5th
2013–14Northern State18–1113–98th
2014–15Northern State23–915–74thNCAA Division II first round
2015–16Northern State18–1213–94th
2016–17Northern State22–817–5T–2nd
2017–18Northern State36–420–21stNCAA Division II Runner-up
2018–19Northern State26–718–41stNCAA Division II first round
Northern State:188–89 (.679)126–71 (.640)
North Dakota Fighting Hawks (Summit League) (2019–present)
2019–20North Dakota15–187–96th
2020–21North Dakota9–178–85th
2021–22North Dakota6–252–1610th
2022–23North Dakota13–206–129th
2023–24North Dakota18–1410–6T–2nd
2024–25North Dakota12–215–11T–6th
2025–26North Dakota5–90–0
North Dakota:78–124 (.386)38–62 (.380)
Total:360–275 (.567)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Career stats

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG% Field goal percentage 3P% 3-point field goal percentage FT% Free throw percentage
 RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game
 BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
1990–91Northern State140.861.000.600.070.140.140.90
1991–92Northern State60.33.400.660.000.160.331.33
1992–93Northern State3618.581.00.573.880.940.970.617.16
1993–94Northern State3434.59.615.581.440.970.559.97

[15]

Coaching tree

Assistant coaches under Sather who became NCAA or NBA head coaches

Personal life

He has two children, Sam and Becca, and a wife named Kelsie.

References

  1. ^ "Paul Sather". fightinghawks.com. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  2. ^ "Sather named head men's basketball coach". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. May 30, 2019. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  3. ^ Centineo, Peter (March 30, 2005). "Paul Sather named head coach at Black Hills State University". Black Hills Pioneer. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  4. ^ Holland, Jim (March 18, 2010). "Sather to resign as BHSU men's basketball coach, replace Meyer at Northern State". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  5. ^ Nordbye, Jake (March 24, 2009). "Men's basketball: Jackets remember their best season". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  6. ^ "Sawyer-Davis Nets Game-Winner With Two Seconds Left". NAIA. Point Lookout, MO. March 10, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c "BLACK HILLS STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL 2022-23 RECORD BOOK" (PDF). bhsuathletics.com. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  8. ^ Bruns, Rylan (June 28, 2024). "2023 Athletic Hall of Fame Induction". Black Hills State University Foundation. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  9. ^ Borg, Zach (May 30, 2019). "Paul Sather Leaves Northern State To Take Over At North Dakota". kild.com. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  10. ^ Miller, Tom (May 30, 2019). "Sather says becoming UND men's basketball coach an 'incredible honor'". Jamestown Sun. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  11. ^ Miller, Tom (May 30, 2019). "UND names Northern State's Paul Sather as next head men's basketball coach". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  12. ^ "Paul Sather rounds out coaching staff with pair of hires". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. July 2, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  13. ^ Zimmer, Matt (March 9, 2020). "Summit League tournament: It'll be North Dakota vs. North Dakota State for men's title". Argus Leader. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  14. ^ Miller, Tom (March 14, 2023). "UND coach Paul Sather signs extension through 2025-26 season". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  15. ^ "Men's Basketball Statistics". Northern State University Athletics. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  • North Dakota profile
  • Northern State profile
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