 Sendek in 2016 | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Santa Clara |
| Conference | WCC |
| Record | 160–120 (.571) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1963-02-22)February 22, 1963 (age 62) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1981–1984 | Carnegie Mellon |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1984–1985 | Central Catholic HS (PA) (assistant) |
| 1985–1986 | Providence (GA) |
| 1986–1989 | Providence (assistant) |
| 1989–1993 | Kentucky (assistant) |
| 1993–1996 | Miami (OH) |
| 1996–2006 | NC State |
| 2006–2015 | Arizona State |
| 2016–present | Santa Clara |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 573–415 (.580) |
| Tournaments | 7–8 (NCAA Division I) 11–14 (NIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| MAC regular season (1995) | |
| Awards | |
| Pac-10 Coach of the Year (2010) ACC Coach of the Year (2004) MAC Coach of the Year (1995) | |
Herbert Joseph Sendek Jr. (born February 22, 1963) is an Americancollege basketball coach who is the current men's basketball head coach atSanta Clara.
Herbert Joseph Sendek Jr. grew up inPittsburgh and attendedPenn Hills High School. He starred as apoint guard in basketball, lettering two years, serving as team captain, and earning All-East Suburban honors. He graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and wasvaledictorian of the Class of 1981. Sendek's father, Herb Sr., was a teacher and basketball coach at both the high school and junior college levels.[1] Sendek is ofSlovak descent.[2]
He played college basketball atCarnegie Mellon University, where he was a three-yearletterman. He graduatedsumma cum laude in 1985 with abachelor's degree inindustrial management and earned the Carnegie Merit Scholarship.[1]
In 1984–85, Sendek served as an assistant coach atCentral Catholic High School in Pittsburgh.
Sendek served as a graduate assistant coach atProvidence in 1985, then as an assistant coach at Providence from 1987 to 1989. He then served as an assistant coach atKentucky underRick Pitino from 1989 to 1993.
In 1993, Sendek accepted his first college head coaching job, atMiami University inOxford, Ohio, succeedingJoby Wright, who left to become head coach atWyoming. In his first season, 1993–94, the Redskins (nowRedHawks) posted a 19–11 record and finished second in theMid-American Conference (MAC).[3]
In 1994–95, Miami improved to 23–7 overall, winning the MAC championship with a 16–2 record and earning a spot in theNCAA tournament. In the Midwest Regional, #12 seeded Miami shocked #5 seededArizona 71–62, before losing to #4 seededVirginia in overtime in the second round.[3]
In Sendek's third season at Miami, 1995–96, the team went 21–8 and finished third in the MAC. Miami earned a berth in theNIT, losing a first-round game toFresno State, 58–57.[3] Sendek was named the 1995 MAC Coach of the Year.[3]
After three seasons at Miami, Sendek was hired atNorth Carolina State in 1996, becoming the youngest head coach in theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC).[4] He immediately improved upon theLes Robinson era, winning 17 games for the program's first winning record in six years. The Wolfpack ended the season winning eight of 11 games, advanced to the finals of the ACCtournament, and earned a trip to the postseason in theNIT.
Sendek coached NC State to theNCAA tournament five consecutive years from 2002 until 2006 (tying the school record). He won his 100th game at NC State in 2002. In 2004, Sendek won ACC Coach of the Year andJulius Hodge, one of Sendek's most prized recruits during his NC State tenure, was namedACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year. In 2005, NC State upset defending championConnecticut in the Second Round of theNCAA tournament to advance to the Sweet 16, NC State's deepest run into the tournament during Sendek's years.
Due in part to an 8–38 record againstDuke andNorth Carolina combined with failing to win anACC championship, fan and booster support was in steep decline. This ultimately played a factor in Sendek deciding to leave NC State for the head coaching vacancy atArizona State.[5]
On April 3, 2006, Sendek accepted the head coaching job atArizona State.[6] While his first year record in thePac-10 was a paltry 2–16, recruiting went well: ASU signed Jerren Shipp, a highly regarded high school guard, point guard Derek Glasser from the LA area, andEric Boateng, a McDonald's All-American who transferred from Duke. His second recruiting class included highly touted McDonald's All-AmericanJames Harden and point guard Jamelle McMillan (a four-star recruit and the son of former NC State basketball starNate McMillan).
The2007–08 season was a great improvement over the previous season. Sendek and freshman guardJames Harden led the Sun Devils to fifth place in the Pac-10 Conference, including a sweep of rival Arizona. Arizona State was rewarded with a number 1 seed in the 2008 NIT. The2008–09 team led byPac-10 Player of the Year Harden improved to a 25–10 record and advanced to the second round of theNCAA tournament.
After the departure of Harden for theNBA, the Sun Devils program finished second in the Pac-10 during the2009–10 season in what was a weak Pac-10 Conference. That year, the conference RPI was so weak, it was the first time the second-place Pac-10 team did not get an at-large invitation to theNCAA tournament. The Sun Devils instead were given a #1 Seed in theNIT and lost 67–66 to Jacksonville inTempe. With three returning seniors, there were high expectations for the2010–11 season with an expected run at the Pac-10 title again. However, the Sun Devils finished in last place with a record of 12–19 (4–14).
The2011–12 season was anticipated to be better with the addition of newcomer and 2010–11 Arizona High School Player of the YearJahii Carson. However, Carson failed to gain NCAA clearance to play.[7] The season became even more troublesome as Sendek dismissed his leading scorer, Keala King, from the team on January 7, 2012, for undisclosed reasons.[8] The season resulted in a tenth-place finish in the newPac-12. A sixth-place finish followed in2012–13 with a trip to theNIT. In2013–14, ASU finished with a 21–12 record and a loss in the second round of theNCAA tournament.
On March 24, 2015, Sendek was fired by Arizona State after an18–16 record, losing toUSC in thePac-12 tournament, and a trip to theNIT.[9]
On March 28, 2016, Sendek accepted the head coaching job atSanta Clara, replacing recently fired coachKerry Keating, who was fired after nine years.[10]On January 12, 2022, Sendek got his 500th career win against Pacific.
Sendek is married to Melanie (Scheuer); they have three daughters.[1]
Sendek was inducted into the Penn Hills Hall of Fame and into the East Boros Chapter of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame.
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