Report: Houston Cougars close to hiring Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson

Dec 13, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson calls out to the players during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 116-112. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

It has been more than five seasons since former Indiana and Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson has roamed the college sidelines, but after working in the NBA since that point, he has reportedly close to an agreement to become the head coach at the University of Houston.

University of Houston is nearing an agreement with Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson to become head coach, sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 2, 2014

Sampson is currently employed as an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets, but it has been well-known for months that he was interested in head coaching jobs at both the college and pro levels, and this seems to be a fit. Before being forced out amid a recruiting scandal at Indiana in 2008, Sampson had put together eleven consecutive seasons with 20-or-more wins between his time at Oklahoma and with the Hoosiers, and he is a big-time hire.

Houston was once a power program after churning out NBA Hall of Famers like Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, but since the 1991-1992 season, the Cougars have been to the NCAA Tournament just once (a 1st-round exit in 2010), and at this point, they need some cache to rise up in the newly-formed American Athletic Conference.

Kelvin Sampson should provide that and more, provided the two sides can complete the deal.

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