Report: Doc Sadler joins Kansas men's basketball staff as analyst

Doc Sadler has rejoined the Kansas basketball staff as an analyst, according to a report from the Kansas City Star. He was spotted with the team in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they are set to play three exhibition games this week.

“The whole team made it here and this old guy made it, too,” coach Bill Self said according to The Star.

It will mark the second stint in Lawrence for Sadler, who also served as the Jayhawks’ director of basketball operations during the 2012-13 season. At 63, he brings experience as a Division I head coach at UTEP (2004-06), Nebraska (2006-12) and Southern Miss (2014-19).

Most recently, Sadler served as a special adviser to Oklahoma coach Porter Moser this past season. He’s also made stops as an assistant at Iowa State, Texas Tech, Houston and Arizona State at various points throughout his career.

Sadler compiled a 205-201 record during his time as a head coach. He has just one NCAA Tournament appearance in 13 seasons at the Division I level, leading UTEP to a Conference USA title and No. 11 seed in 2005.

A native of Greenwood, Arkansas, Sadler attended the University of Arkansas, where he served as a student manager under legendary Razorbacks coach Eddie Sutton. He later became an assistant on Sutton’s staff from 1982-85. Sadler got his first college head coaching job at Division II Arkansas-Fort Smith in 1998, where he was also the athletic director until leaving for UTEP in 2003.

Sadler joins a Kansas team that has high expectations for the 2023-24 season after earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. The Jayhawks added Michigan center Hunter Dickinson, the No. 1 player according to On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings.

They also bring back starters Kevin McCullar, Dajuan Harris and KJ Adams and signed another pair of talented transfers in guards Nick Timberlake and Arterio Morris, a five-star prospect in the 2022 class.

Kansas is set to play the first of its three exhibition games at 11 a.m. CT on Thursday against the Puerto Rico Select Team. After that, they will face the Bahamian National Team twice, first at 4 p.m. Saturday and then again at 11 a.m. Monday.

It’s possible that NBA players Eric Gordon, Klay Thompson, Kai Jones, Buddy Hield, Deandre Ayton and former Kansas guard Remy Martin will play for the Bahamian team. Either way, it’s set to be a valuable experience for the Jayhawks with Sadler freshly added to the staff.