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blank Darren Sorenson![]()
03/14/2012 Men's Basketball vs BGSUOU men's basketball took on BGSU in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament on March 14. Darren Sorenson enters his fifth season with the men's basketball team and works with the back and frontcourts, along with handling all scout team responsiblities. OU has reached new heights since Sorenson's arrival in 2007. The Golden Grizzlies have won back-to-back Summit League regular season and tournament championships, along with consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament. Sorenson has brought in top recruits from across the country and Oakland has won 91 games during his tenure, the most for any four-year period in program history. He owns a wide variety of experience in the coaching ranks, having worked under Stan Heath, Steve Lavin, Lefty Driesell and Mike LaPlante. Including OU coach Greg Kampe, the last five head coaches Sorenson has worked for have accumulated an amazing 1,668 wins, an average of 333. During his time as an assistant coach, Sorenson has coached two conference players of the year, 13 1,000-point scorers and 15 all-conference players. He has guided three All-Americans, one Mid-Major Player of the Year and an NCAA assists champion. Sorenson has seen four players drafted in to the NBA during his coaching days in the last six NBA drafts. In the last five seasons on the sidelines, Sorenson's teams have made four championship game appearances and been to the postseason in five of seven years. Over that span of five years, his teams have won an average of 21 games per season. Keith Benson and Derick Nelson were eached named Summit League Tournament MVP during his tenure at Oakland and both are currently playing professional basketball. Among his many accomplishments, two players have been named Sixth Man of the Year in The Summit League and SEC. OU has reached 20 or more wins in three consecutive seasons, the first time the Golden Grizzlies have accomplished that feat. Sorenson comes to OU after spending the previous five seasons at the University of Arkansas as the Director of Basketball Operations and served as assistant coach. With the Razorbacks, his responsibilities included scouting, budgeting and equipment, video coordination, direction of the program's summer camp schedule, along with individual instruction and recruiting. Prior to Oakland and Arkansas, Sorenson spent one season (2001-02) at Jacksonville State as the Director of Basketball Operations while also completing his master's work in general studies. In 2001 he was presented with the opportunity to work as the head coach of the Qatar Junior National Team while also serving as an assistant on the national squad. The national team went undefeated and won the country's fist championship in the Gulf Coast Countries Tournament. The squad also won the under-21 Asian Championship and was one of 12 countries to qualify for the world championships in Japan. Before Jacksonville State, Sorenson spent one season at Georgia State (1999-00) and UCLA (1998-99). He began his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater Mount Senario College (1996-97 - 1997-98). While serving as the top assistant coach, Sorenson earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in 1995 at Mount Senario. |










