Kelvin Sampson

Kelvin Sampson has forged a distinguished career as a collegiate men’s basketball coach, leading multiple programs to national prominence and earning numerous coaching accolades. He is currently the head coach for the University of Houston. After quickly ascending to head coach at Montana Tech in 1981, Kelvin Sampson led the Orediggers to a 72-62 record over four years, including three consecutive 22-win seasons and three Frontier Conference championships. His initial success earned him Frontier Conference Coach of the Year honors in both 1983 and 1985.

Sampson’s tenure at Houston has been marked by numerous accolades, including multiple American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023). He also received national recognitions such as the Clarence ‘Big House’ Gaines National Coach of the Year (2019), the John McLendon National Coach of the Year Award (2021), CBS Sports National Coach of the Year (2022), and the Ben Jobe Award (2022). More recently, in 2024, he earned the Henry Iba National Coach of the Year Award, NABC National Coach of the Year, Associated Press National Coach of the Year, and the John McLendon Award. In 2025, Sampson was recognized as The Sporting News National Coach of the Year, CBS Sports National Coach of the Year, and Big 12 Coach of the Year, continuing his legacy of excellence.