After a heartbreaking loss in Dayton, Ohio, Sammy Schulman thought his time working with the men’s basketball team had come to an end. Then student-manager Schulman, like many graduating from college last spring, began the search for his next opportunity.
He didn’t expect it to come from his recent alma mater.
“I was applying for jobs and doing some traveling, and then I got a call from [assistant coach] Isaiah Tate, and he asked if I would have any interest in joining the coaching staff,” Schulman said. “I didn’t even know that was an option, or I would’ve been all over that.”
Now, Schulman is in his first year as the team’s video, scouting and analytics coordinator. On most days, he puts his Kogod degree to use, using data analytics to study the team and find areas for improvement.
Tate described Schulman as a willing sponge, praising his ability to adapt and learn things quickly.
“He’s got a great inquisitive and intelligent outlook on everything, so I think that’s what’s allowed him to grow tremendously with us,” Tate said.
Schulman didn’t come into college with coaching experience, but his love for basketball has been there since he was around eight years old. He remembers doing his first March Madness bracket in 2010 and falling in love with the sport after correctly picking the Duke Blue Devils to win the tournament.
Schulman’s first year as a student manager coincided with head coach Duane Simpkins’ first year on the team. Schulman said he found out about the job through social media.
“People don’t really understand how much student managers are asked to do,” Schulman said. “You really have to have the proper motivation.”
Motivation is something Schulman had plenty of, as in his last year as a student manager, he began to carve out his own path as an analytics coordinator.
“He put together an in-depth PowerPoint based on some of our game goals and our numbers from a team standpoint,” Tate said. “And he essentially said that if we hit this number in all of these categories, we’ll get X amount of wins.”
The PowerPoint included stats ranging from turnover rates, offensive and defensive rebounds, and amount of locks (three or more stops in a row) per game. Tate credited Schulman for the team’s adjustments that eventually led the Eagles to a Patriot League championship.
Now, Schulman uses his knowledge to propel the team and students forward in the new analytical age of sports.
“This coaching staff has given me an opportunity to show how numbers can be used to tell stories and show what needs to be changed,” Schulman said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with students in Kogod on basketball analytics projects, and being able to give them that platform and use it on basketball has been a lot of fun.”
This article was edited by Matthias Jaylen Sandoval, Connor Sturniolo and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Avery Grossman, Mattie Lupo and Nicole Kariuki.
