With a knowledge of college basketball but also the Horizon League, Sharif Chambliss joined Scott Nagy’s staff in the Spring of 2016. A Racine, Wisconsin, native, Chambliss spent four seasons at HL foe Milwaukee after spending a season as the video coordinator at the University of Wisconsin.
His first season with the Raiders, WSU saw many successes and improvements that will act as a base for the future. Wright State posted 20 regular-season wins for the first time since 2008, including the title of the Men vs Breast Cancer Classic and finished with a 115 RPI. Also, WSU had a player named first-team All League for the first time since 2011 as Mark Alstork was honored by the Horizon League.
Year two in 2018, he helped guide the Raiders to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007 as senior Grant Benzinger was named to the the Horizon League's first team, freshman Loudon Love to the second team and Newcomer of the Year and junior Mark Hughes to the All-Defensive Team. For his and the team's efforts, Nagy was named the League and the NABC District Coach of the Year as WSU posted a 25-10, 14-4 record.
The third season, being picked to win the Horizon League title for the first-time ever at WSU, the Raiders tied for the regular-season title and received the top seed in the League Tournament. As Wright State (21-14, 13-5) advanced to the school's first NIT appearance, the Raiders added a record six individuals who received post-season conference honors, led by Scott Nagy being named Coach of the Year for the second straight time. Loudon Love once again was honored, this time as a first-team member while newcomer Bill Wampler was placed on the second-team. Seniors Mark Hughes and Parker Ernsthausen took two of the five spots on the All-Defensive Team, and Malachi Smith was placed on the All-Freshman squad. Additionally, Love was selected to the NABC District 12 Team, and named an All-American by the Lou Henson All-American Team committee, an award given annually to the nation's best mid-major players in Division I college basketball.
During the 2011-12 season, Chambliss was part of a Badgers program that posted a 26-10 overall record and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. He has also previously served as Milwaukee’s men’s basketball academic advisor and has served coaching stints at UW-Platteville and Francis Marion University.
The Panthers made a huge turnaround with Chambliss on staff in 2013-14 as they improved 13 games in the win column, posted 21 wins and reached the NCAA Tournament for the second time under head coach Jeter. Chambliss’ tutelage with the guards helped senior Jordan Aaron earn Second Team All-Horizon League accolades.
Chambliss was a standout player in the Big Ten Conference, starring at both Penn State University and Wisconsin. He spent three years with the Nittany Lions, and was the team’s leading scorer in two of those three seasons. He transferred to Wisconsin for his final season, earning a spot as a team captain and averaging 7.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, while helping the Badgers to the Elite Eight in 2005.
A two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten guard, Chambliss scored 1,107 points in his collegiate career and in his final two seasons at Penn State, averaged 14.6 and 14.7 ppg respectively. Upon graduating, he embarked on a two-year professional basketball career in Portugal.
Chambliss earned a degree in life science communications from Wisconsin in 2005 and completed a master's degree in adult education from UW-Platteville in 2011. Chambliss and his wife, Melissa, married in spring 2015. The couple have two sons, Julian and Kellen.
