Southeast Arkansas College looked from within to find its first women’s basketball coach.
Sam Waniewski, who came to the Pine Bluff campus last summer to assist with Chad Kline’s men’s basketball program, is tapped to lead the women’s basketball Sharks. Waniewski, 37, said he is actively recruiting men’s and women’s players in person and on social media as both teams will begin competing next fall.
“I’m just dividing up my time between both,” he said. “It works out great here at the high schools; the women’s game will go first and the men will play right after that. So, I’m able to double dip the women’s and men’s at the same time on the same trip.”
Waniewski worked with Kline as an assistant at Dyersburg (Tenn.) State Community College before Kline accepted the dual role of head coach and athletic director at SEARK last March.
“He and I worked together over there for the last three years and we had a great time,” Waniewski said. “I learned a lot from him, and I was excited when he called me about the opportunity to come over here. That’s what drew me over here. The more I got into Pine Bluff and immersed myself in the school — I loved my time over here at Southeast Arkansas — when I heard about the women’s basketball job, I talked to Coach Kline about it, and I thought it was a great opportunity. I always wanted to be a head coach. This seems like a great spot to be.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Kline called Waniewski a tireless worker who would bring in a type of student-athlete supporters could be proud of.
SEARK President Steven Bloomberg acknowledged that trying to identify a candidate from outside the campus would have been difficult in the middle of the season, with the regular signing period for college programs approaching.
“Sam has great academic credentials, and he has a symbiotic working relationship with Chad,” Bloomberg said. Waniewski said he is hoping to bring in an assistant coach by the summer, adding he’s waiting on hiring details.
Waniewski grew up in Woodland, Calif., near Sacramento, and earned his bachelor’s degree at California State University, Chico, and master’s at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he also worked as a graduate assistant. He’s also coached at Seward County (Kansas), Midland (Texas), Tallahassee (Fla.) and Vincennes (Ind.) colleges, as well as the University of Louisiana Monroe.
All four sports at SEARK now have head coaches in place as the campus is scheduled to officially begin athletic competition this week with Belinda Hendrix’s softball team visiting Mississippi Delta Community College for doubleheaders Friday and Saturday. The first home softball outing is a doubleheader against Mena’s University of Arkansas Rich Mountain scheduled for Feb. 6.
Toby Cornejo’s baseball team will open its inaugural season at home Monday against El Dorado’s South Arkansas College. The Relyance Bank Athletic Center, formerly the Seabrook Activity Center, is the home venue for all SEARK sports.
“It’s a proud AD moment,” Kline said. “I didn’t know if it was going to be possible. A lot of people had a hand in getting this off the ground. Uniforms are in and we’re ready to go.”