Sam Horsechief
Pawnee and Cherokee
Induction Category:
Year Inducted
Athlete
2023
Sam Horsechief is the head coach of cross-country and track at Sequoyah High School, a Native American boarding school, located in Tahlequah, OK. He started in February 1987 and has been there ever since. In his 35-year coaching career, he has coached:
Eight State Team Championships (Cross Country: 6 boys, 2 girls)
12 State Team Runner Ups (Cross Country 11, Track 1)
95 All-State Athletes (Track 39, Cross Country 56)
31 Regional Championships (20 Boys and 12 Girls)
32 Cross Country Honorable Mention All-State Athletes
Horsechief was recognized as the 2006 Oklahoma NFHS Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year, Oklahoma Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year in 2001, 2003, 2019 for Cross Country and again for Track in 2003. In 2019, he was inducted in the Oklahoma Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
After graduating as a top running athlete from Muskogee High School, Sam Horsechief decided to continue his running career at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas then onto Central State University in Edmond, OK. He ran both track and cross-country.
During his time as a collegiate athlete, he set the Haskell school record in the 800m run in 1979 with a time of 1:55.8. He also set more school records at CSU in the 1 mile run with a time of 4:19.3 in 1980 and the 800-meter with a time of 1:52.8 in 1981.
In addition, he was a seven-time qualifier for the Nationals meets. In track, he qualified six times and once for the Cross Country National meet in 1980. In track, his events included the 800 meter, 1000m run, two-mile relay, distance medley relay, mile relay, and 1500 meter. He won various medals during his career. Most notable, he was a medalist in the NAIA National Indoor meet for the distance medley for placing sixth. He also earned All-American for that event, where he ran the 800m leg of that race.