One primary task on Houston basketball coach Kelvin Sampson’s offseason “to-do” list has already been checked off the list.
Sampson had to fill a vacancy on his coaching staff and was able to do that with the hiring of Mike Ekanem, who has worked in several capacities at both the collegiate and NBA level. Most recently, Ekanem was an assistant coach at Houston’s Big 12 rival Oklahoma State, where he served during the 2024-25 season.
Ekanem joins the Houston staff as the replacement for Quannas White, who took over the head coaching position at the University of Louisiana. White – who had been on Sampson’s staff since 2017 – did remain with the Cougars through their run to the national championship game.
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Prior to Oklahoma State, Ekanem served as an assistant coach at George Mason and Sam Houston State, and was also director of player development at Arkansas and Texas A&M’s director of scouting. He even served as a women’s basketball assistant coach at Louisiana Tech.
Ekanem also spent 2008-13 with the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, where Sampson briefly worked after resigning as Indiana’s coach in 2008. With the Spurs, Ekanem was a basketball operations assistant, among other duties.
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“Mike fits in with our culture and is very much a go-getter,” Sampson said in a statement. “He is an extremely hard worker, is well connected and is well respected in our industry.
“When you have a program built on culture like ours is, it’s important to find someone who matches that Mike fits in well in with our other staff members and will bring great value to our program.”
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At Oklahoma State last season, Ekanem – who played collegiately at Texas Lutheran – helped the Cowboys finish with 17 wins and a berth in the NIT quarterfinals.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to work for Coach Sampson and in the program that he has built,” Ekanem said in a statement. “He has taken Houston to levels it’s never seen with a culture of winning, toughness, player development and in building men.
“Houston is a dream job for me and always has been.”
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