Sampson has gone 232-74 at UH, including a Final Four and Elite Eight appearance in 2021 and 2022. | Anh Le/The Cougar
UH head basketball coach Kelvin Sampson interviewed for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks’ head coaching job, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
However, Sampson reiterated his commitment to UH basketball before its first season in the Big 12 Conference.
According to reports from the Houston Chronicle, Sampson said via text: “Can’t wait to compete in the Big 12 next season. Go Coogs!”
Sampson has revitalized the Cougars’ basketball program since being hired in 2014, leading the team to five straight tournament appearances including a Final Four berth in 2021. In 2023, Sampson coached a UH team that reached the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll for the first time since 1983, winning 33 games on the way to a Sweet 16 appearance.
The Bucks fired championship-winning coach Mike Budenholzer after the team’s first-round loss to Miami earlier this month.
Sampson spent six seasons in the NBA as an assistant coach between 2008 and 2014, during which he spent three years each with the Bucks and Houston Rockets.
Sampson joins several names such as Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson and former Washington and Oklahoma City head coach Scott Brooks as part of the Bucks’ coaching search.
In 2018, Sampson was reportedly a candidate for the Orlando Magic’s head coaching vacancy but ultimately chose to stay at UH.
