Bio

Sam Hargraves is in his fifth season as the head men's basketball coach at The University of Olivet in 2023-24.

During his first season as the Comets' head coach, Hargraves had a 6-19 overall record. One of the wins was an 88-73 upset victory over No. 18-ranked Carthage (Wis.) College. In a COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, he led Olivet to a 2-16 overall record. One of the wins was an 85-83 victory over Spring Arbor University, who had beaten Olivet earlier in the season. During the 2021-22 season, Hargraves aided the Comets to a 7-19 verall record. In 2022-23, he led the Comets to a 12-15 overall record and finish fourth in the MIAA with a 7-7 record. Olivet defeated Albion College in the MIAA Tournament first round before falling to top-seed Calvin University in the semifinals.

Prior to joining Olivet's staff, Hargraves completed eight seasons as the head men’s basketball coach at Alma College. His tenure is highlighted by a trip to the NCAA Division III Elite 8 in 2015-16, where the Scots finished the season ranked sixth in the nation by D3hoops.com. Alma won a school record 24 games that year, placed second in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association with a 12-2 record, and won the league's postseason tournament for the first time in program history, earning a bid to the NCAA Division III National Championships.

Following the 2015-16 campaign, Hargraves was named the Great Lakes District Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Men's College Coach of the Year by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan, and received the Glenn Van Wieren Coach of the Year award from the Champions of Character organization.

A native of Alanson, Mich., Hargraves played and graduated from Calvin College after a stellar career at Alanson High School.

While at Calvin, Hargraves played three years of varsity basketball, and as a senior, was named to the All-MIAA Second Team in 1998. In his final campaign, he led the league in three-point field goals made with 71. Hargraves ended his career as one of the top three-point shooters at the school, ranking eighth in career three-pointers made with 143 and 12th in three-point field goal percentage at 40.2 percent (143-356). He was also a career 84 percent free throw shooter.

Hargraves and his wife, Annalyse, and two daughters, Sophia and Sydney, and son, Samuel Tyler, live in DeWitt.