MEN'S BASKETBALL

As one of the most underrated coaches in Division II, Sam Walker is entering his 10th season as the head coach at Texas A&M University-Commerce. In addition, it is his 18th season of being associated with the Lions’ men’s basketball program.

Walker has been an integral part of the rise of a program that went 3-26 in his first season as an assistant in 1992-93 to its 14th Lone Star Conference Tournament appearance in 2008-09. He is only the fifth coach in school history with over 100 career wins and his .541 winning percentage is among the best in school history.

Walker is a familiar face on the recruiting trails, where he has been recognized as one of the top recruiters in the state of Texas and in the southwest. He has developed an extensive network of locating talent, both on the high school and on the junior college levels.

In 2008-09, Walker and the Lions knocked off four nationally-ranked teams and for the second-straight year had a player recognized as the Lone Star Conference North Division Newcomer of the Year. In 2007-08, the Lions entered the Lone Star Conference Tournament as the No. 4 seed from the LSC North and went on to advance to the championship game before losing to Elite Eight participant Central Oklahoma. In 2006-07, the Lions continued its dominance on its home court, winning nine of 11 games and four players earned all-LSC recognition.

In 2004-05, Walker and Texas A&M-Commerce finished the season with a 28-5 overall mark and became the first team to win both the Lone Star Conference regular season and tournament titles in school history. Plus, the five losses were the fewest by an A&M-Commerce team matching the school record set by the 1954-55 National Championship team. Walker and the Lions advanced to the finals of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament before losing to Tarleton State, 75-70. His efforts did not go unnoticed as he was named the Lone Star Conference, NCAA South Central Region and Texas Small College Coach of the Year honors; plus, he was chosen as the NCAA Division II Coach of the Month for January 2005.

In 2002-03, Walker guided the Lions to their second tournament appearance and a third place finish in the Lone Star Conference North Division. Texas A&M-Commerce started that season with an 8-1 mark. In his initial season as the head coach in 2000-01, the rookie head coach won the third most games by a first-year coach at Texas A&M-Commerce and his .630 winning percentage ranks fourth all-time among first-year coaches in school history.

After working under head coach Paul Peak, he was elevated to head coach on May 5, 2000. He was named the associate head coach in August 1999 before being promoted the next season. Walker came to A&M-Commerce during the second season of Peak’s tenure. His tireless work ethic have led him and the Lions to success. As an assistant to Peak, the Lions won the 1996 Lone Star Conference Championship, the 1998 Lone Star Conference South Division Championship and three-straight NCAA Division II Tournament appearances in 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98. In 1996-97, the Lions won the NCAA South Central Regional Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight.

Before coming to Texas A&M-Commerce, he was an assistant coach at Brookhaven Community College in 1991-92, he also spent time as a student assistant at Sam Houston State from 1989-91 and at Navarro Junior College from 1987-89. Walker is a 1991 graduate of Sam Houston State with a bachelor’s in kinesiology and health. He earned a master’s degree in health and physical education from Texas A&M-Commerce in 1993.

He is married to the former Alison Minah and the proud parents of three sons, Teddy (11), Charlie (7) and Jack (1) and a daughter Sally (3).

Jason Burton is in his third season as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Burton is involved in the recruiting as well as the scouting, breaking down of game film and compiling scouting reports of Lions’ opponents.

His efforts helped bring in the last two Lone Star Conference North Division Newcomers of the Year (DeUndrae Spraggins - 2008-09; Scooby Johnson - 2007-08). Both Spraggins and Johnson have gone on to continue their careers overseas in Germany and Portugal, respectively. Burton also recruited 2008-09 LSC North Division Freshman of the Year Brad Hambrick to A&M-Commerce. 

The Lions advanced to the championship game of the Lone Star Conference Tournament in 2007-08 and defeated four nationally ranked teams in 2008-09.

He also serves as an adjunct instructor in the university’s College of Business & Technology.

Prior to A&M-Commerce, Burton coached with the Dallas Mustangs, a non-profit youth basketball program and spent the 2005-06 season as the top assistant for Chris Oestreich at Austin College.

Burton also helped start and was the co-founder of the Dallas Hoop Dreams along with his brother, Brian. While with the Mustangs, he was involved with the player skill development and management. At Austin College, he was responsible for many duties, including recruiting, scouting, breaking down of game film and compiling scouting reports.

Coaching runs in the Burton family as his brother, Brian, is an assistant at the University of Utah. The Plano, Texas native played collegiately at Austin College, where he was a three-year letterwinner, named team MVP as a senior and represented the college at the 2005 NCAA Leadership Conference.

He has served as a camp coach for A&M-Commerce as well as the University of Texas, Kansas University, Texas Christian University and Grayson College. 

Burton graduated from Austin College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and sports psychology and recently completed his master’s degree in business administration at A&M-Commerce.