University of Houston Athletics
Photo by: Stephen Pinchback
Will Finch Joins Men’s Basketball Program
9/12/2024 8:31:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Will work with Head Coach Kelvin Sampson for second time in their careers
HOUSTON – Will Finch has joined the University of Houston Men's Basketball program as associate director of operations, Head Coach Kelvin Sampson announced Monday.In that role, he will work closely with Sampson and assist Director of Operations and Basketball Strategy Bobby Champagne in team travel, student-athlete recruiting visiting and day-to-day operations.
This will be the second time Finch has worked with Sampson during their careers. He served as a student manager at Indiana from 2004 to 2007 and assumed head manager duties under Sampson as a senior for the 2006-07 season.
After receiving his undergraduate degree in 2007, Finch assisted in event management/administration roles at Indiana as he completed his master's degree.
"When these positions open, you want to bring in someone who is part of our culture," Sampson said. "He is hungry, he is a hard worker and he has a sense of humor. Will fits the mold of our staff well."
Finch came to Houston following a pair of stints at Detroit-Mercy. He returned to the Motor City in 2018 as video coordinator for his second stint with the program after working as the Titans' director of operations in 2009-10.
From 2012-13, he was an assistant athletic facilities coordinator at his alma mater, Indiana after serving as a graduate assistant for men's basketball at Marshall from 2011-12. He was also an assistant men's basketball coach at Saint Catharine College from 2010-11. At both stops, he handled day-to-day operations including practice, scouting, game prep, and coaching as well as monitoring academic performance of student athletes.
Finch worked with Impact Basketball in Las Vegas in 2009, where he organized the renowned basketball training center's management and aided in the on-court training of NBA-caliber players before joining the Detroit Mercy staff for the first time in 2009.
Finch earned his undergraduate degree in sport communication-broadcasting from Indiana in 2007 and received his master's degree in sport administration-marketing and management from Indiana in 2008.
Finch replaced Daniel Hixon, who recently accepted a position with the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.
THE WILL FINCH FILE
PERSONAL
| Hometown | Greenville, S.C. |
EDUCATION
| Indiana | Master's degree in sport administration-marketing and management | 2008 |
| Indiana | Bachelor's degree in sport communication-broadcasting | 2007 |
| Westminster Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) |
2003 |
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
| 2024 – | Houston | Associate Director of Operations |
| 2018-24 | Detroit Mercy | Video Coordinator |
| 2012-13 | Indiana | Assistant Athletics Facilities Coordinator |
| 2011-12 | Marshall | Men's Basketball Graduate Assistant |
| 2010-11 | Saint Catharine College | Men's Basketball Assistant Coach |
| 2009-10 | Detroit Mercy | Director of Men's Basketball Operations |
| 2009 | Impact Basketball | Head Operations Intern |
| 2007-08 | Indiana | Event Management Assistant |
| 2006-07 | Indiana | Head Student Manager |
| 2004-06 | Indiana | Student Manager |
UP NEXT
Houston opens the 2024-25 campaign when it meets Jackson State on Monday, Nov. 4. It will be the first of seven non-conference games inside the friendly confines of Fertitta Center.
Game times, broadcasting networks, the Big 12 Conference schedule and the Cougars' exhibition game will be released soon.
While game times, dates and broadcasting networks have not been announced for the Big 12 Conference schedule, Houston knows its 2024-25 league matrix. For the first time in school history, Houston will play a 20-game conference schedule.
The Cougars will face Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and West Virginia in home-and-away series. BYU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, TCU and Utah will visit Fertitta Center while the Cougars hit the road to face Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Kansas State and UCF.
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– UHCougars.com –
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