Join Sam Puryear Jr., Director of Golf at Howard University, for an inside look at his coaching philosophies and his unique bond with four-time NBA champion and Golden State Warriors point guard, Stephen Curry. Appointed as Howard University’s Director of Athletics and head coach for the men’s and women’s golf teams on April 9, 2020, Puryear leads a program that garnered national attention in 2019. This recognition came when six-time NBA All-Star and Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation co-founder, Stephen Curry, generously pledged to fund the university’s first NCAA Division I golf program for six years.

A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Puryear graduated with honors from Tennessee State University, where he played collegiate golf and served as team captain under the guidance of Coach Dr. Catana Starks, the first woman to coach a men’s Division I golf team. His impressive coaching career includes stints at Stanford University, Michigan State University, and Queens University of Charlotte. Notably, Puryear made history as the first African American head coach at a Power Five conference school. His leadership has led to numerous accolades, including a national championship, a Big Ten Championship, two Coach of the Year honors, and multiple conference titles.

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Puryear’s influence on the golf world extends beyond the college circuit, as more than 10 of his former players have participated in PGA Tour events, including one at the prestigious Masters. He is widely regarded as a leading voice on the advancement of minorities in golf and has been featured in various media outlets such as ESPN and the Big 10 Network. Puryear is also the author of “Diamonds in the Rough” and contributed as a consultant for the movie From the Rough, which starred Academy Award nominees Taraji P. Henson, Tom Felton, and Michael Clarke Duncan.