Kelvin Sampson Reaches Historic Milestone in Houston's Season Opener
In this story:
The Houston Cougars picked up a season-opening win against Lehigh on Monday night at home to begin what hopes to be a revenge tour after last year's heartbreak.
And in the process, Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson reached a historic career milestone.
The 75-57 win for Houston marked Sampson's 800th career win. Winning the national championship against the Florida Gators last season certainly would have been the sweetest way to reach that mark, but it's safe to say Monday night was a special moment nonetheless.
Houston Honors Kelvin Sampson With Postgame Ceremony
The Cougars had a special postgame "800 wins" ball for Sampson along with a tribute on the arena video board that included messages from former players.
Among those included in the video was NBA legend Magic Johnson, who has connections with Sampson dating back to Michigan State in the late 1970s.
Take a look:
Among the tributes to Kelvin Sampson was @MagicJohnson
— Joseph Duarte (@Joseph_Duarte) November 4, 2025
“You’ve built such a powerhouse at the University of Houston …” pic.twitter.com/jL31PPVR4K
“I’m grateful that I get to end my career here at the University of Houston," Sampson said while addressing the crowd after the game.
The entire team joined him on the floor as he spent over three minutes speaking to the fans.
It certainly wasn't the prettiest game for the Cougars, but they got the job done. As Houston fans know all too well, Sampson's teams don't usually win with style points after all.
Houston true freshman guard Kingston Flemings, who eights points in his collegiate debut, said before the season that Sampson never has "bad days." It's clear the players love Sampson, evident by the touching video and comments from Cougars over the years.
“Coach Sampson has no bad days so if you come in and you’re having a bad day, he’s gonna run, just like you said, run right through you so I think just trying to come in everyday just end up being the player he wants you to be because it’s gonna happen eventually or you’re not gonna play,” freshman guard Kingston Flemings said. ”I think [I] just kinda come here and listen to what he has to say, do what he tells me to do, and just the best I can every single day to get to where I want to be.”
The Cougars will look to move to 2-0 when they host Towson on Saturday.
