Cougars fans can rest easy, now Coach Kelvin Sampson isn’t going anywhere.
After leading U-H to their first Sweet 16 since 1984, there were rumors that Sampson was being pursued by the University of Arkansas after that school fired Mike Anderson. But those were only rumors.
U-H announced the Sampson has agreed to a contract extension. The new deal means Sampson will stay at U-H through the 2024-2025 season. Reports said the deal was worth three million dollars a season.
“I am excited to be at the University of Houston. We built this program to a point where we can compete for championships now, and I am glad our administration is on board. (Chancellor) Renu (Khator), (UH System Board of Regents Chairman) Tilman (Fertitta) and (Vice President for Athletics) Chris Pezman) have done a great job of supporting all our programs. They have given us a chance to compete for championships. That’s all a coach wants,’ Sampson said. “I am proud of our team this year. The people that matter most are the players. Everything we do is for them. We have great young men who represent this University the right way. I am excited to continue to be the coach and recruit kids that our fan base can be proud of. We are excited about the future.”
After leading U-H to a 33-4 record, Sampson was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the second straight season, becoming only the second coach in program history to accomplish that feat and the first since Hall of Fame Coach Guy V. Lewis did so in 1983-84 in the Southwest Conference.
Sampson also was recognized as the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 25 Coach of the Year and was named a finalist for the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year Award, the Henry Iba Award, the Jim Phelan Award and the Ben Jobe Award.