Kelvin Sampson Named The Sporting News National Coach of the Year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After leading the #2/2 University of Houston Men's Basketball program to 27 regular-season wins and the Big 12 Conference regular-season championship for the second straight season, Head Coach Kelvin Sampson was recognized as The Sporting News National Coach of the Year on Thursday.

Now in 11^th season with the Cougars, Sampson is the only coach in school history to lead Houston to five, six, seven, eight, nine and 10 consecutive 20-win seasons as well as three consecutive 30-win campaigns.

In 2024-25, Sampson's Cougars became the first team in more than a century to join a major conference and win consecutive regular-season titles in their first two years in the league.

This marked the seventh consecutive season in which Sampson led Houston to at least one conference title (regular season or tournament).

With a 19-1 conference record, the Cougars set Big 12 and school single-season records with their victory total. Houston reached that milestone with a perfect 10-0 road in Big 12 road games, becoming the first school in a major conference to do that in a season.

Houston has reeled off 14 consecutive road wins – all in Big 12 play – to record the nation's longest active streak and set a Big 12 record. The Cougars have not lost a road game since Feb. 3, 2024.

The 2024-25 Cougars lead the nation, allowing only 58.1 points per game, and rank among the nation's Top-10 NCAA leaders in winning percentage (87.1, 4^th) scoring margin (+16.1, 5^th), 3-point field goal percentage (39.7, 4^th), field goal percentage defense (38.2, 5^th), turnover margin (+4.6, 7^th), turnovers per game (9.3, 8^th) and stand second in KenPom.com with an 89.3 defensive efficiency rating.

Earlier this week, Sampson was recognized as the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second straight season. It was the 11^th Conference Coach of the Year honor in his career.

Thursday's honor was the 13^th National Coach of the Year award for Sampson in his career.

UP NEXT
• Sampson and the Cougars take their first steps in the postseason when they compete in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship Quarterfinals inside T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.,
• The Cougars begin postseason play at 2 p.m., Thursday, March 13, against (16) Colorado.
• With a win Thursday, the Cougars advance to the Semifinals to face the winner of #17/18 (4) BYU / #12/12 (5) Iowa State at 6 p.m., Friday, March 14.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Thursday's game on ESPN2 with Jon Sciambi (play-by-play), Fran Fraschilla (analyst) and Kris Budden (reporter) calling.
• Fans can hear Thursday's game on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Elvin Hayes (analyst) calling. The pregame show begins at 1:45 p.m., Thursday.
• Fans can follow live stats from Thursday's game by clicking here.

BUY TICKETS
Current season-ticket holders can renew their season tickets now through April 30 by clicking here and logging into their accounts.

Non-season ticket holders interested in purchasing season tickets are invited to place their names on the Season Ticket Wait List by clicking here.

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Men's Basketball by supporting Linking Coogs – UH's NIL collective – and by joining the 50-50 Club, which provides financial support directly to Houston Men's Basketball for needs beyond its operating budget.

Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.

– UHCougars.com –

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