Langston University Taps Proven Winner Sam Kohnke to Lead Lions Basketball

Langston University has found its next men's basketball leader, announcing Friday the hiring of Sam Kohnke, a rising star in NAIA coaching circles who brings an impressive track record of building winning programs.

Kohnke replaces Chris Wright, who departed in April for Division I Alabama State, and inherits a program that just competed in the NAIA national championship game.

The new Lions coach arrives in Langston following a remarkable turnaround season at Oklahoma City University, where he posted an 18-7 mark in SAC play and captured the conference tournament title.

Donnita Rogers, Langston's athletic director, praised the hire in a statement, highlighting Kohnke's ability to build winning cultures.

Coach Sam Kohnke has had significant success creating a winning culture at his previous two universities and knows the preparation needed to play deep into March. We are excited to have him join our university and are eager to see him lead Langston Lion basketball for years to come.

A Proven Track Record of Success

Before his stint at OCU, Kohnke spent four seasons at Central Baptist College, where he established himself as one of the NAIA's premier coaches.

• A 91-38 overall record, making him the school's all-time wins leader
• Three consecutive 21-win seasons
• Back-to-back NAIA National Tournament appearances
• An Elite Eight run in 2024
• American Midwest Conference regular-season and tournament championships in 2024
• AMC Coach of the Year honors and the Raymond Bright Award as Conway's top college coach

Kohnke expressed his enthusiasm about joining the Lions, acknowledging both the program's rich history and the foundation built by his predecessor.

Langston University is a program with tremendous pride, tradition and purpose. My goal is to honor that foundation and continue building something everyone associated with Langston can be proud of.

President Ruth Ray Jackson emphasized that Kohnke's proven winning record made him the ideal candidate to maintain Langston's competitive excellence.

Coach Sam Kohnke is a proven winner with a demonstrated record of success. He brings the vision, discipline and competitive excellence needed to lead an elite men's basketball program and to build upon the strong foundation already in place.

With a program coming off a national championship game appearance and a coach who has won at every stop, the future looks bright for Langston Lion basketball.

Originally reported by HBCU Sports.