Kelvin Sampson Finally Nominated for This Prestigious Achievement
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The turnaround of the Houston Cougars basketball from a forgotten program of greatness to now a powerhouse in the sport is because of this individual:
Head coach Kelvin Sampson.
Known as one of the best coaches in the game now, Sampson has been widely called a future Hall of Famer. That may finally be a reality. Although Sampson reached the eligibility requirements of coaching as an assistant or head coach for more than 25 years, well over a decade ago, this nomination has not come. Of course, that was the beginning stages of Houston’s rebuild.
After all that has been achieved, the first step for Sampson’s eventual Hall of Fame induction has happened.
Naismith Calling
Sampson was announced as one of the first-time nominees for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this past Friday, according to the organization itself.
Kelvin Sampson was among the names announced by The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame today as first-time nominees. The class of 2026 will be announced on Final Four weekend.
— GoCoogs.com (@gocoogs1) December 19, 2025
📸 by Mario Puente @LifeOfMarioP pic.twitter.com/go2h2GFLL1
Now in his 37th year of coaching with an illustrious career that started in Montana Tech and spanned the country with programs like Washington State, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Houston, Sampson has made a name for himself.
The 70-year-old just crossed the historic 800-win marker at the start of the season after Houston beat Lehigh in the season opener back in November. Sampson currently has 810 wins and is ranked 15th all-time in victories among men’s college basketball head coaches.
The finalists will ultimately be announced later, with the official class of 2026 revealed during Final Four weekend on April 4. Other standout first-time nominees for this class include Bruce Pearl, Mike D’Antoni, Candace Parker, and Blake Griffin.
Sampson owns Houston’s highest winning percentage among coaches and is currently 309-85 in the middle of his 12th season at UH. Sampson was quite humble when he heard the news this past Friday evening, taking in the nomination as a high achievement.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson learned he was a first-time nominee for the @Hoophall upon arrival in Newark, N.J., late Friday night for Saturday’s game against No. 14 Arkansas.
— Joseph Duarte (@Joseph_Duarte) December 20, 2025
His reaction?
“I guess a little smile,” Sampson tells @HoustonChron pic.twitter.com/8d6u6VEl6a
A 14-time National Coach of the Year winner, Sampson has compiled 20 NCAA Tournament appearances so far. He is one of only 15 coaches in NCAA history to lead 4+ schools to the NCAA Tournament and one of only 16 coaches to lead multiple schools to the NCAA Final Four.
Sampson was hired at Houston back in 2014 after spending time as an NBA assistant coach and has brought the program back to life in one of the most impressive rebuilds seen in recent college basketball history.
In the previous 11 seasons at Houston, Sampson has led the Cougars to a program record seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances going back to 2018, and six straight Sweet 16's starting in 2019.
That includes two Final Fours in 2021 and 2025 with a national championship berth last season. Houston has won six American Athletic Conference titles, back-to-back Big 12 Conference regular season championships, and the 2025 Big 12 tournament title.
Sampson is the only coach to lead Houston to 10 straight 20-win seasons, and the Cougars have currently won 30 games for four straight seasons. UH has been historically good in the Big 12 so far, with a 15-3 record in year one, followed up by a record 19-1 mark in 2025, where the Cougars went an undefeated 10-0 on the road. Sampson helped the Cougars win three titles so far in the conference and won Big 12 Coach of the Year the last two seasons.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said his first thoughts after being nominated for the first time for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame was his family, his mother and father, wife Karen and the “people that have sacrificed … and helped you along the way.”
— Joseph Duarte (@Joseph_Duarte) December 20, 2025
Houston has four of their legends currently in the Naismith Hall of Fame. Those names are Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes, Clyde Drexler, and Guy V. Lewis.
Sampson has a chance to join them this spring.
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.