Sam Swinford Has Come Full Circle at Southeastern Illinois College

Sam Swinford a former player for the Falcons was hired in 2021 to take over the team. Swinford stated that "Southeastern Illinois College is a special place to him and thankful that they have taken a chance on him twice”. Last season Swinford led the Falcons to a record of 5- 14 while playing a very tough schedule. After bringing in a very talented recruiting class Swinford and the Falcons were excited to get the new season started.

Swinford’ s leader on the court this year is Sophomore Jadyn McHugh, who is currently averaging 18 points per game while also dishing out 4 apg as well. Prior to being hired at SIC Swinford gained some coaching experience in the AAU scene; where he led SI Select to back-to-back National Titles in 2018 and 2019. In his tenure with SI Select he also helped over 30 players receive athletic scholarships to play at the next level . In his summers Swinford can be seen coaching with SAWUSA, an organization that provides players the opportunity to travel to different countries while playing the game they love.

Sam has coached two tours: in Costa Rica in 2022 and most recently in Argentina in 2023, where he said, “it is a great opportunity for me to stay sharp and become a better coach in the off season”. Along with coaching Swinford is the Founder and Director of AthElite Sports Management. A brand that has quickly built a reputation as one of the best hosts for basketball tournaments in all of the Midwest.