Kelvin Sampson is clearly happy at Houston, and the feeling is mutual.
The veteran coach has signed a new four-year contract with the school that will run through the 2028-29 season, the school announced on Thursday. He had two years remaining on his previous contract.
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The new deal will keep Sampson on par with the highest-paid coaches in college basketball, per CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. The terms of the contract have yet to be announced.
“There is no other program in the country that has been able to do what he has done, at the level he has been able to do it,” Houston athletic director Eddie Nunez said in an interview with Fox 26’s Will Kunkel. “As long as he wants to be our coach, I’m in!”
Sampson just wrapped up his 11th season at Houston and the Cougars have been a mainstay among college basketball’s elite for most of his tenure. In his time at the school, the Cougars have made the Sweet 16 six times and have two Final Four appearances.
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This year’s team might’ve been his best yet.
The Cougars pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament in the Final Four, knocking out Cooper Flagg and Duke after a furious rally at the end of the game. They nearly capped it all off with a trophy in the championship game, but Florida eked out a 65-63 win.
Houston is in position to continue that success next season, bringing in the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class, as ranked by Rivals. The class includes forwards Chris Cenac Jr. (the No. 6 player nationally) with guards Isiah Harwell (No. 9), Kingston Flemings (No. 22) and Bryce Jackson. The Cougars are also adding senior forward Kalifa Sakho in the transfer portal from Sam Houston State.
Sampson has compiled a 299-84 record during his 11 seasons at Houston, a .781 winning percentage. Overall, he has a 724-311 record during his career, which includes stints at Washington State, Oklahoma and Indiana.
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