Kelvin Sampson Gets Recognized With Houston’s Highest Athletic Honor
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The Houston Cougars have become one of the top names in the world of college basketball over the past five years. A program once lost in the dust after its incredible history, Kelvin Sampson is the one who brought it back to national relevance.
It has been arguably the best rebuild of a college basketball program this past decade. Sampson has brought a specific culture and identity for Houston basketball that has made it a winning program.
After leading the Cougars to countless accomplishments and making the men’s basketball program the pride of the university, Houston is now about to present Sampson with the highest athletic honor it can give.
Official Legendary Status in Houston
After Saturday afternoon’s win over Cincinnati at the Fertitta Center, Athletic Director Eddie Nuñez announced to the crowd that Sampson will be inducted into the Houston Athletics Hall of Honor in an October gala.
It’s rare to see someone currently employed and an active coach being recognized in this fashion, especially an induction of this caliber. However, all Houston fans would agree this is very well deserved.
Longtime Houston broadcaster and Houston alum Bill Worrell on Kelvin Sampson going into the school's Hall of Honor:
— Joseph Duarte (@Joseph_Duarte) January 31, 2026
“He’s just brought the pride back. For Cougar fans everywhere now, we stick our chests out a little farther. It’s a point of pride.”
“What he’s done for this university is important, impactful,” Nuñez said according to Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle. “For us, there’s no reason to wait until he retires. He’s earned it.”
Nuñez has led this effort and was something he wanted to see get done for a while, according to Chris Baldwin of Papercity Houston. Nuñez said this was a no-brainer.
Kelvin Sampson will be inducted into the University of Houston Hall of Honor in a big October gala. UH athletic director Eddie Nunez tells @PaperCityMag it's something he's wanted to see get done for a while, something well beyond deserved. More to come. pic.twitter.com/0C8uEBsR7i
— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) January 31, 2026
Houston Athletics typically hosts a Hall of Honor event every season, but Nunez and the top administration held off this past year in order to make sure this upcoming one is really special. Some of the top names that are in the Hall of Honor include Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Elvin Hayes, Carl Lewis, Guy V. Lewis, Bill Yeoman, and Jim Nantz. Case Keenum was in the 2023 class.
More from athletic director Eddie Nuñez to @PaperCityMag on decision to induct Kelvin Sampson into the University of Houston's Hall of Honor: "It is no brainer. Let's go. He's earned it. He is beyond. He is of the City. Of the University. . .
— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) January 31, 2026
"He's not just deserving because of… https://t.co/uwpkWczEEh
Sampson was recently announced as one of the first-time nominees for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in December. Known as a future Hall of Famer, the now 70-year-old is in his 37th year of coaching overall and 12th with Houston.
Sampson is a 14-time National Coach of the Year winner and 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.
In the previous 11 seasons at Houston, Sampson 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.
The winningest coach in UH history, 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. Houston has absolutely dominated in the Big 12 with a 41-5 record over the past two plus seasons.
Besides that, he played a big role in the major facility upgrades with the Fertitta Center and the construction of the Guy V. Lewis Development Center.
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.