“Swish.”

The crowd erupts as the ball goes through the basket, the loudest of the cheers being KHS boys’ basketball coach, Sam Briscoe. But for Briscoe, it is about more than basketball, he said he wants to prepare his players to be a better person outside of the court.

“It’s good to be a good person outside of basketball, more than it is to be a good player,” said Briscoe. “I want the [basketball team] to be [a group of] well-rounded young men.” 

Briscoe said he wants to be a “player’s coach” and to be a role model for the Kirkwood basketball program. He wants each basketball player to be able to take something out of what he has taught them as a person or player. 

Briscoe has a long backstory in basketball, ranging from Duchesne High School to Rockhurst University. He was also an assistant coach at Drury University and De Smet High School, and even trained athletes such as Candace Parker and Trae Young. 

“He rose to the top and he’s got a history of being a very successful player and very successful coach,” said Dr. Michael Havener. “He came from an academic institution that was able to balance education as well as basketball. He understands the importance of the classroom as well as the basketball court.”

Briscoe pushes his players on the court, whether it be 6 a.m. workouts before school or lifting in the weight room after-school. He is preparing his players for what he hopes is a successful season. He said he wants his practices to be filled with hard work and for the energy to be high. 

“He takes pride in hard work, and he can see who works hard and who doesn’t,” said William Potter, sophomore and JV basketball player. “He loves the want to grind and to be good at what you do.” 

Briscoe said he is looking to take a talented Kirkwood basketball team deep into the playoffs. In his first season as the head coach at KHS, he will have a hard task turning around a team that did not have the season they hoped for last year. Briscoe’s strive for hard work and for a good future is his main coaching point.

“If you work hard at anything, good things will happen to you,” said Briscoe. “If I can teach [the basketball team] how to work hard it will carry on onto anything you do in your life.”