Houston Cougars & Kelvin Sampson's All-Time NCAA Tournament Record, Best Finishes

The Houston Cougars all-time record during March Madness is shocking.

Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson claps his hand while the Cougars play against the Baylor Bears in the second half at Fertitta Center. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The long-awaited time of the year is here for the Houston Cougars. The NCAA Tournament has arrived for the Houston Cougars, and fans are no strangers to the end of March and what it means for their beloved basketball team.

With the bracket release, the Cougars will take on the Idaho Vandals in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Oklahoma City, with a potential matchup against in-state foes, the Texas A&M Aggies, on deck.

For longtime coach Kelvin Sampson, though, where does his record stand in the NCAA Tournament, and how have the Cougars fared over the years in the big dance?

Second Home

Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) reacts while playing against the Baylor Bears in the second half at Fertitta Center | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Cougars are absolutely no strangers to the NCAA Tournament, especially under the direction of Sampson, and have become mainstays for late runs in many people's bracket predictions. Even with the recent success, though, the Cougars had a long dry period where they failed to make the tournament.

Over the 20 years from 1990 to 2010, the Cougars qualified for the tournament only twice, both times resulting in first-round exits. Outside of that, though, the Cougars have been a model of greatness, making seven Final Fours in the 27 seasons they have made the bracket, but they are still in search of their first national championship and boast a 45-31 all-time tournament record.

Over the last five seasons, the Cougars have demonstrated consistency and avoided the chance of becoming a potential Cinderella story. Having made it past the second round during that stretch, they also reached the national semifinals in 2021 and the national championship last season, where they lost to the Florida Gators.

A lot of that success comes from Sampson, who has brought his teams to the NCAA Tournament at every stop along the way during his coaching career. It took six seasons with Washington State to make the tournament, and after leaving for Oklahoma, it marked the start of a 10-year streak of making it in.

Sampson has been to the Final Four four different times in his career, three times with the Cougars and once with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2003. Still in search of his first championship as a head coach, Sampson has gotten close multiple times and boasts a 31-21 record overall during the tournament.

The Cougars will play in the first round of the tournament on Thursday, March 19 against the Vandals at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at 9:10 p.m. CT