'It's Been An Unbelievable Journey'
February 15, 2023 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE – Sam Purcell compares his first season as Mississippi State's head coach to getting behind the wheel of a brand-new luxury vehicle.
At first, those leather seats might be a little stiff but eventually they will start to contour to your body and become quite comfortable over time.
"Sometimes you just need some time and go through some stuff," Purcell said. "Obviously, I went through a lot of development while I was an assistant and was inspired and mentored to be a head coach. But until you truly sit in that seat and get a feel, that's kind of what it's been like for me."
Purcell spent over two decades working his way up from a student coach at Auburn onto assistant coaching roles at Tulsa, Georgia Tech and Louisville before getting his first head coaching gig with the Bulldogs.
A couple of people with a unique perspective on Purcell's ascension are the two players he brought with him from Louisville, Ramani Parker and Ahlana Smith.
"Sam has always been a passionate and well-driven coach," Parker said. "He cares about his players and has always been that type of person since he recruited me and Ahlana. The growth he's had from Louisville to here taking that head coaching position, he's been there and knows what he's doing. He's a great coach and I love being coached by him."
Smith seconded her teammates' assessment of Purcell and believes the Bulldogs are on the right track under his guidance.
"He's doing great," Smith said. "He still has that same fire, nothing is changing that part. I'm loving seeing him mold into the great coach that he is and is going to be."
As Purcell eluded to earlier, MSU did hit some speed bumps along the way in his first year. The Bulldogs began SEC play 1-3 and experienced a winless week late last month. However, Purcell has continued to provide positive energy and leadership and his team has responded accordingly.
State has won its last three games and sit at 7-5 in the SEC and 18-7 overall. The Bulldogs also have a No. 35 ranking in the NET and are currently the "last team in" the NCAA Tournament according to ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme.
"It's been a pleasure just knowing that he's learning and growing so much in his first year in the SEC," Smith said. "It's huge because he's trying to get this program back up where it needs to be. They didn't make the tournament last year and we're planning on going in March. He has a lot of weight on his shoulders, but I feel like he's managing it very well. We've all adapted to him."
Purcell is quick to pass along the praise and admiration to his players and staff for allowing him to have such a strong debut season in Starkville.
"I think that starts with my assistant coaches and support staff," Purcell said. "They're the reason I told the administration to give me the resources and money so I could hire good people. When you hire good people, they set you up for success and boy have they set me up for success this year.
"I'm also fortunate to coach a lot of great players, that's my cloth. When we work together as one, it's not about a head coach or a player – it's all about the team. It's been an unbelievable journey."
And the journey is just beginning. Purcell feels he has "a better pulse now" of what it takes to be a successful head coach in the SEC and the Bulldogs will be the beneficiary of all the learning experiences he has had during the past year.
Just like Mississippi State, Purcell has had deep postseason runs in the past. He believes both parties can start back dancing during March Madness sooner rather than later and so do his players.
"He can take this program to the highest highs," Smith said. "Because it's not like this program is new to success. They've been there and know what it takes. So as soon as he starts to settle in, I think nothing but great things are going to happen for him."
