While Houston prepared for its Sweet Sixteen showdown against Kentucky, the school tried to extend head coach Kelvin Sampson’s contract, but Jeff Goodman of Stadium reported that Arkansas was also after the coach.
The latest update is from Fox 26’s Mark Berman, who said that Arkansas has not even contacted Sampson.
“I’m not going to talk about my contract situation,” Sampson said Thursday before the game. He also said it would be resolved quickly in an interview with USA Today.
If Sampson does leave, it will not be because Houston did not try hard enough to keep him.
Tilman Fertitta said in an interview with KHOU that Houston has offered Sampson a six-year, $18 million contract to keep him around.
In his time at UH, Sampson and the men’s basketball team have received the Guy V. Lewis Development Facility and the Fertitta Center to help raise the profile of the team.
“We’ve given Kelvin the facilities, the practice facility, the great basketball arena and we’re all happy with Kelvin. But, if Kelvin doesn’t want to be here, there’s nothing we can do about it,” Fertitta said.
Arkansas’s Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek worked at Houston for about three years and has worked with Sampson at Houston. Fertitta said he knew that Yurachek wants Sampson.
Sampson has spoken at length about the family atmosphere of the Houston team being a big bonus to the job.
He gets to work with his son Kellen and daughter Lauren every day, as well as see his granddaughter everyday, which has made it a great environment for him, Sampson said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that Coach Sampson is not going to leave us. I know he’ll be a Houston Cougar for as long as possible,” said junior guard Armoni Brooks, who will be just one of two seniors on the team next season.
Only time will tell if Sampson stays, and The Cougar will update readers upon receiving any new information.