Houston Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson shows off his custom Eracism Jordans after an NCAA college men’s basketball game on Wednesday, Jan. 4, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Houston’s head coach, Kelvin Sampson, has cemented himself as one of the greatest coaches in college basketball. Recently, he was named a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, where he could potentially join Phi Slama Jama pioneer Guy V. Lewis on the wall. With numerous accolades, Sampson has showcased his dominance throughout his coaching career.
Alongside his accolades, his legacy continues off the court with his contributions toward organizations that make the future a better place.
Sampson has supported many causes throughout his time with the Cougars, with the most recent being Coaches Against Cancer, child literacy and #Eracism .
Coaches Against Cancer is a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Its goal is to empower coaches and communities to join the fight against cancer and spread awareness. Sampson wore a pin supporting this cause during Cincinnati’s game on Jan. 31 and spoke about the organization during the press conference. He shared how his two grandmothers, mother and uncles died of cancer.
“I’m proud to wear this badge because it’s going to touch all of us at some point,” Sampson said. ” Whether it’s us personally or someone close to us, maybe a family member, maybe a friend. Early testing is important.”
At the same conference, he also wore a pin advocating for child literacy and highlighted a recent trip he took to a school in the Third Ward, where he was happy to see so many bright, intelligent children.
“There are a lot of kids that don’t have access to books,” Sampson said. “If you have a child that can’t read, read to them. Him or her. And if you have a child that’s old enough, instead of getting them a video game, get them a book.”
Lastly, #Eracism is a movement focused on ending racism, and Sampson has continually brought up how important it is to start conversations about racial injustice, regardless of how uncomfortable it can get. “Eracism is an easy support for me because I grew up in segregation, and it’s something that we have to continually work at and have conversations about,” Sampson said. Sampson wore a short and shoes that promoted this cause throughout his game against UCF on Feb. 4.
Throughout his career in Houston, two things have always stuck with Sampson, and those are his consistency and his empathy. Sampson feels fortunate to be a head coach with the platform to be able to help other people.
When asked about why he supports these causes, Sampson pointed toward the genesis of what coaching is, which is that you don’t coach for yourself; you coach to help others.
Sampson has accumulated over 800 wins and led teams to more than 20 NCAA tournament appearances. He has been to 3 Final Four appearances, a National Championship appearance and is one of 15 coaches in NCAA history to lead four or more teams to the NCAA tournament.
Sampson’s accolades do not stop there, as he has won AP Coach of the Year twice, Big 12 Coach of the Year twice and four AAC Coach of the Year awards. He was also the coach of the USA Under-21 national team and won a gold medal in 2004.
When he was asked what it meant to be a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, coach Sampson didn’t talk about wins or success but talked about the people who helped him through his journey. “I’m here because I had some great players, outstanding coaching staffs, Karen [Sampson], and my mother and father,” Sampson said.
With all of these accomplishments in mind, Sampson has not only gotten Houston’s basketball team to victory, but he has also changed the culture and the future of the program. And while he stays with Houston, we can only imagine what he will do next.
sports@thedailycougar.com
