Kelvin Sampson offered revised contract
The University of Houston presented a revised contract for men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson in the past two weeks, sources briefed on the situation said while a report circulated Wednesday that Sampson interviewed for a vacant NBA head coaching job.
ESPN reported that Sampson, who has built UH into a national championship contender, met with the Milwaukee Bucks about their opening. A source characterized Sampson’s meeting with the Bucks as “a visit.”
In a text message to the Houston Chronicle, Sampson quashed any speculation he might be leaving for a job elsewhere.
“Can’t wait to compete in the Big 12. Go Coogs!” Sampson wrote in reference to UH’s conference move on July 1.
Prior to taking over at Houston, Sampson spent six seasons in the NBA as an assistant coach, including three with the Bucks. The UH offer has been on the table since early May, before top-seeded Milwaukee lost its first-round Eastern Conference series to the Miami Heat and fired Mike Budenholzer.
The new UH contract presented to Sampson’s representatives includes a pay raise that would put him among the top 15 college basketball coaches in salary, two sources with knowledge of the talks said. Under his current deal, Sampson, 67, is set to make $3.4 million in 2023-24 and would receive a $100,000 increase each year that UH makes the NCAA Tournament through the 2026-27 season.
“He’s outperformed, and he’s earned to be better compensated,” UH athletic director Chris Pezman said earlier this month at the Big 12’s spring meetings.
UH is also working on a new deal with assistant coach Kellen Sampson that includes “more defined head coach-in-waiting” language in his contract and commensurate pay once he makes the transition to replace his father.
“There’s got to be some forethought, especially at a program that is elite like we are, that what Kelvin and Kellen built to this point that we make sure we maintain it whenever that happens,” Pezman said. “We want it to be a long time from now. We want to keep it as good as possible for Kellen. Part of that is keeping Kellen here and making sure that Kellen knows there is a path forward to the future, financially and a path for him to be the head coach and what that looks like.”
Kelvin Sampson is 232-74 in nine seasons at UH, including four straight appearances in the Sweet 16 and a trip to the Final Four in 2021. The Cougars spent a majority of the 2022-23 season with the No. 1 ranking and matched the program record with 33 wins.
In a Hall of Fame worthy career, Sampson is 657-301 across stops at UH, Indiana, Oklahoma and Washington State. Along with three years with Milwaukee, Sampson spent three seasons with the Rockets from 2011-14 and as an adviser to San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
The ESPN report cited Sampson’s relationship with Bucks general manager Jon Horst, who was a member of the franchise’s front office when Sampson worked on Scott Skiles’ staff from 2008-11.
In 2018, Sampson was linked to the Orlando Magic head coaching opening, and Arkansas expressed interest the following year.
Source: Houston Chronicle
