Whether controlling what happens on the court as a player, or dictating what happens off it as a worker, Sam Masten has always felt right at home at Northern State.

The Colorado native has evolved from a standout member of the men’s basketball team to now serving as Coordinator of Athletic Marketing and Events for the Wolves.

He spent one year playing semi-professional basketball in Australia before gravitating back to Aberdeen.

“When you leave it wasn’t one of those deals necessarily where I was like I’m going to come back here as quickly as I can,” Masten said. “You love your time and you’re kind of excited for something new, and then all of a sudden you realize I’m right back here doing this. Obviously, it’s a completely different situation now, but it’s been really good.”

Masten came to NSU in his junior season and almost immediately knew that it was a good fit.

“Once I got here, early on I realized I made a good choice. I was really happy with being here. It was a great place for me,” Masten said. “I learned a lot about myself and I felt like I grew a lot as a person. It just worked out really well. And funny enough, here you are four years later and still here, so it’s crazy.”

The point guard became a dominant fixture for the Wolves, orchestrating a potent offense on his way to becoming an All-America selection and the North Division Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Year.

Masten said he wasn’t even sure what to expect when he landed at Northern, but things could not have worked out much better for him or the Wolves.

“I didn’t think it was possible to find a place where I’d excel as quickly and as much as I did, and I was really fortunate that I landed on this place,” Masten said. “Everything kind of worked out and it was kind of a match made in heaven, I think. And we just kind of took it and ran with it from there.”

Once Masten finished playing college basketball, he had an opportunity to play overseas and that was also a good fit as he helped to lead his Darby squad to a championship.

“It was one of those experiences I wouldn’t have traded for the world,” he said, “because it was difficult for the first couple of months when I got over there, adjusting and kind of getting used to new things, but then by the end of it I loved it.”

Soon, Masten was ready for the next challenge in his life. A Sport Management major, he reached out to current NSU Athletic Director Nate Davis to get some advice on potential pathways. Davis informed him of the opening at Northern and soon the 25-year-old Masten was back in the Hub City, albeit in a much different role.

Masten does a lot of behind the scenes work in new his job and also performs some very noticeable duties, such as spearheading events during breaks in the action.

“I do a lot of different things. I handle all of the game day operations from the game scripts and the stuff that we do at halftime, and time-out breaks and things like that, to what we run on the video board,” Masten said. “I do the marketing for us, so put out promotional plans and try get people in the seats basically, then kind of everything else in between. I spend a lot of time on game day getting the arena or the stadium or whatever it is, all set up and ready to go.”

Masten, who said he didn’t realize as a player how much work went into all the activities surrounding a game, tries to help make game day as positive an experience as possible for fans, regardless of the sport. 

“When you’re playing college athletics you don’t realize how much goes into it behind the scenes and then you get in those positions and you’re like wow, there is a lot happening here, but I think it’s fun,” Masten said. “Our job is to make a fan’s experience as fun as possible when they come to a game, whether it’s football, basketball, volleyball, you name it.”

Just two years removed from playing for the maroon and gold, Masten admits it’s a unique experience watching the game from courtside that involves his past coach and some of his former teammates.

Masten said as a player, he didn’t realize all of the time and energy it took to help provide the athletes with the best experience possible. Now, he wants to help return the favor.

“I try to think back to how much fun I had when I played here and how great my experience was and I want that same experience for these guys … the experience and the atmosphere, the environments you get to play in,” Masten said, “and so it’s definitely something that I try to keep in the back of my mind, OK I want to do what I can to create those same experiences for these guys.”

In some respects, Masten uses some of the same quick-thinking and flexibility at his new job that he employed when he was running the running the floor while playing.

“One thing I’ve learned pretty quickly,” he said, “you know what’s supposed to happen but everyone else at the game doesn’t, so as you go through it you just have to learn to adjust and do the best you can.”

While Masten is a basketball junkie at heart, he has learned to appreciate and connect with all of the sports at NSU in his new position.

“It’s been a fun challenge for me,” Masten said. “I wasn’t quite sure how I would handle not being around basketball every day, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised how much I enjoy being around all the sports.”

Masten isn’t quite sure what his long-term future holds, but he definitely knows one thing: Aberdeen has become home and it’s because of the loyal support that Northern State receives from fans around the region.

“What made it so special for me was what this community gave me and the support that it gives our student athletes. I’m a prime example that what these people do, it makes a difference, and you impact lives,” Masten said. “So, I think that’s just important for people to keep in the back of their minds. Their support is not going unnoticed. For a kid like myself it came at a time when I really needed it and the doors that’s opened for me going forward is awesome.”