How Kelvin Sampson's Coaching Approach Stays Steady Amid Chaotic NIL Era
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With the ever-increasing confusion that NIL has brought to college sports, head coaches around the country have begun to voice their opinions on the direction of college athletics. During Big 12 basketball media days, Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson discussed both the current state of NIL and the relationship that he has with it.
Entering his 12th season as the Cougars' head coach, Coach Sampson has been able to separate himself from the majority of college coaches around the country. Based on the head coach's current resume, that may be an understatement. With a career record of 799-354 and 20 NCAA Tournament appearances, Sampson's track record speaks for itself.
One of the things that separates Sampson from the rest of the pack appears to be his mentality when it comes to coaching. Even with college basketball becoming more transactional with each year, the Houston head coach has used an old-school coaching philosophy to keep the Cougars in the top echelon of the sport.
Coach Sampson on What Drives Him to Continue Coaching
During media availability at Big 12 media days, Sampson was asked about what keeps him coaching with the current state of college basketball. The head coach responded by saying that he tends to be stubborn about his love for coaching, even with external drama surrounding the transfer portal.
"I’m hardheaded about certain things, and I refuse to let someone, or some entity, take my joy for coaching away from me," Sampson said. "They don't get to do that. I get to choose how I want to react to it...It's not the NCAA's choice. They don't get to tell me whether their NIL and transfer portal stuff affects the way I can impact my kids' lives. I still enjoy doing that."
The head coach added to his remarks by saying that he believes that with college athletes having to deal with more than just playing their respective sport, it's necessary that they have guidance outside of the game of basketball.
"I think these guys need me and my brethren more now than ever before because they have so much more on their plate," Sampson said.
Sampson's approach to coaching at the collegiate level appears to go deeper than just chasing conference championships and national titles. For him, it's about establishing a culture that the Cougars can thrive in, whether their on or off the court.
While there are some coaches who emphasize building a better roster through the transfer portal, the Houston head coach focuses on developing his players in his own way. The results of Sampson's efforts show why he remains among the elite.
Since taking the Houston coaching job in 2014, the Cougars have won 299 of their 383 total games for a win percentage of over 78%. In that time, Houston has also won six regular season titles, made seven NCAA Tournament appearances, and have even competed for a national title.
Because Sampson has been consistent in the way he approaches coaching, even with distractions due to NIL and the transfer portal, the Cougars find themselves with national championship expectations for the 2025 college basketball season.
