Hargraves named head men’s basketball coach at Olivet College

OLIVET, Mich. – Sam Hargraves has been named head men's basketball coach at Olivet College, according to an announcement by Ryan Shockey, director of athletics.

"This is an exciting time for our men's basketball program," said Shockey. "By hiring Sam, we have brought in a well-respected and well-known coach in the state of Michigan. We are honored for him to join our staff, and confident he can continue to build on the success we have had over the last two seasons. During the interview process it also became clear Sam would be an excellent fit with our athletic department. We look forward to many years of success from him and our men's basketball program."

Hargraves recently completed his eighth season as the head men's basketball coach at Alma College. His tenure is highlighted by a trip to the NCAA Division III Elite 8 in 2015-16, where the Scots finished the season ranked sixth in the nation by D3hoops.com. Alma won a school record 24 games that year, placed second in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association with a 12-2 record, and won the league's postseason tournament for the first time in program history, earning a bid to the NCAA Division III National Championships.

Following the 2015-16 campaign, Hargraves was named the Great Lakes District Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Men's College Coach of the Year by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan, and received the Glenn Van Wieren Coach of the Year award from the Champions of Character organization.

"First, I am grateful for my time at Alma College," said Hargraves. "It's never easy leaving a place you have worked and had success at. But, I want to thank Ryan (Shockey), President (Steven) Corey and the entire search committee for giving me this opportunity. I am looking for a new challenge and the opportunity to be next head men's basketball coach at Olivet was one too good to pass up."

A native of Alanson, Mich., Hargraves played and graduated from Calvin College after a stellar career at Alanson High School.

While at Calvin, Hargraves played three years of varsity basketball, and as a senior, was named to the All-MIAA Second Team in 1998. In his final campaign, he led the league in three-point field goals made with 71. Hargraves ended his career as one of the top three-point shooters at the school, ranking eighth in career three-pointers made with 143 and 12th in three-point field goal percentage at 40.2 percent (143-356). He was also a career 84 percent free throw shooter.

Hargraves and his wife, Annalyse, have an eight-month-old daughter, Sophia.