Sam Kearns joined the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball staff as a Graduate Assistant ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Kearns comes to the Island after most recently serving as the assistant basketball coach/skills development coach at The Covenant School from 2021-2023. There, he directly assisted the head coach in practice planning, player evaluation, and game strategy development as well as having a hand in conducting individual and group skill development sessions that featured tailored training programs to specific needs and positions. 

At that level, he contributed to the team's success by coaching them to their first playoff appearance in six years. 

Kearns also has experience as a Skills Developments and Personal Skills Trainer, providing personalized training sessions for athletes of various skill levels with a focus on technical skills, physical conditioning, and mental preparation. He also worked with WNBA player Arike Ogunbowale to help refine her shooting technique and overall performance. 

A student-athlete himself, Kearns played Division I basketball at Oral Roberts for three years before going on to compete at the professional level for two seasons. He played for the Owensboro Thoroughbreds in 2022 where he was recognized as a nominee for the Defensive Player of the Year award after helping the team to a first-place finish in the Upper Midwest Division. His next stop was with the KW Titans for the 2023 season, leading the team to the playoffs with a league-best three-point shooting percentage.

Kearns earned his bachelor's degree in Sports Management from Oral Roberts in 2020.