The Houston Cougars are hoping to win their first national title in program history as the 2025 NCAA tournament reaches an end at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson has experienced a lot of basketball since he first became a head coach for Montana Tech in 1981, but a national championship has been sorely missing from his résumé. He has led his teams to the NCAA tournament 21 times, but he fell short in his prior two Final Four appearances. The 69-year-old is just two wins away from 800 career wins, the second most of any active coach without a national title.
If the Cougars defeat the Florida Gators, Sampson would become the oldest head coach in NCAA history to win a national championship. The 69-year-old is just two wins away from 800 career wins, the second most of any active coach without a national title. Though he hasn’t indicated any desire for retirement, Sampson has plenty of reason to leave the game on top if the Cougars win.
Kelvin Sampson’s contract guarantees his son will be next Houston’s next head coach
Sampson’s contract includes a guarantee that Kellen Sampson, his son and associate head coach, will become Houston’s next head coach, according to Front Office Sports.
The stipulation was added during the elder Sampson’s contract extension in June 2023 and officially goes into effect this June. The contract states that the university would have to pay Kellen $2 million if he is not named the team’s next head coach within 14 calendar days after Kelvin’s departure. If Kelvin retires, Kellen would earn a four-year contract that earns him $2 million through the first three years of the deal.
Nepotism is visible in any industry, and it certainly isn’t rare in sports. In some cases, fortunate individuals are given a title due to familial relationship but ultimately prove themselves to be deserving of the role. It’s not surprising to see the son of a coach grow up to be an excellent coach himself. Bill Belichick and Kyle Shanahan both received their first opportunities as NFL coaches due to their fathers, but both have done enough to earn their spot.
On the other hand, undeserved nepotism also runs rampant. Many professional sports teams that were once great have fallen apart after control was passed down to a younger generation that knows less about the sport or the business. Nepotism has even become a conversation at the player level in the NBA. There are mixed opinions about whether Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Bronny James deserves his spot on the roster or if he only has his role solely due to his father and teammate, LeBron James.
Growing up under the tutelage of a Hall of Fame coach is enough to get Kellen an opportunity, but he’ll still have to prove himself to sustain a long coaching career. Former High Point coach Tubby Smith set up his son G.G. as the team’s heir in 2022, but the younger Smith was fired after just one season.
For now, the younger Sampson is getting plenty of experience under his father’s staff, who has helped transform Houston’s program. Houston had just one NCAA tournament appearance in the 22 years prior to Kelvin Sampson’s arrival, but the experienced coach quickly stabilized the program. They’ve now made it to the NCAA tournament for seven straight seasons and have reached the Sweet 16 in each of the past six tournaments. Houston has not lost more than eight games in a single season since 2017, and they’ve won at least 32 games for four straight years.
The Cougars’ success has earned the Sampson family enough goodwill for Kellen to get a shot at head coach, but the 39-year-old will eventually have to carve his own path to last.