The Houston Cougars entered the 2025 NCAA national championship game for the first time since reaching the final in the 1983-1984 season. Under the direction of their head coach, Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars achieved a historic 70-67 victory over the Duke Blue Devils. Success under Sampson has depended heavily on his long-term approach to team building, which focuses on team unity rather than external acquisitions.
Sampson revealed during the Final Four press conference his team-building strategy, which earned widespread acclaim from spectators.
Sampson adopts a different method of hiring coaching staff members, which works successfully because he avoids accepting resumes or responding to recruitment calls from outside candidates. According to his belief, the process of promoting internal candidates works to strengthen teamwork and protect the team’s identity.
Houston stands at the threshold of winning a national championship following their successful qualification against Florida Gators, who defeated Auburn to reach the finals. Sampson’s defensive and rebounding-focused program identity remained strong during the final 35 seconds of the game, where Houston ran up their points 9-0 to beat Duke.
Building a Legacy Through Internal Growth
Kelvin Sampson’s philosophy of cultivating a homegrown coaching staff has been a cornerstone of Houston’s success. As highlighted in a tweet from Front Office Sports on April 6, 2025, Sampson stated:
“Houston’s Kelvin Sampson says he doesn’t take resumes or phone calls from people looking to join his staff. Instead, all his hires are from within because ‘that’s culture.’ Now, his Cougars team is in the national championship.”
Houston’s Kelvin Sampson says he doesn’t take resumes or phone calls from people looking to join his staff.
Instead, all of his hires are from within because “that’s culture.”
Now, his Cougars team is in the national championship.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 6, 2025
This approach ensures that the team’s values and strategies remain consistent, as new coaches already understand the program’s expectations and dynamics.
Houston’s exciting win over Duke showed how well this strategy works. The Cougars’ defense, which has been a key part of Coach Sampson’s time with the team, totally wore out the Blue Devils in the last few minutes, even though Duke had some tall players, with several guys 6-foot-5 or more oversized.
Houston’s defense is super efficient—among the best in the country—and their aggressive blitz on ball screens messed up 35% of the passes Duke tried to make. J’Wan Roberts came through big time, nailing two clutch free throws with just 19 seconds left, and L.J. Cryer stepped up in the final moments too, helping lock in the 70-67 victory. It shows how this team can handle the pressure and get it done when it counts.
Sampson’s focus on internal growth extends beyond the coaching staff to the players. Veterans like Emanuel Sharp and Mylik Wilson, along with transfers like Cryer, mentor newcomers, ensuring they quickly adapt to the program’s culture. This continuity has been key in Houston’s tournament run. They became the first team to defeat four schools seeded tenth or higher en route to the Final Four in 2021, a milestone they’ve now surpassed by reaching the championship game in 2025.
A Defensive Juggernaut Ready for the Final Test
Houston’s defense, molded by Coach Sampson’s in-your-face style, has turned them into the most formidable defensive squad in the country this season. The way they threw Duke off their game shows just how good they are at messing with opponents, and that’s going to be huge when they face Florida, led by the incredible Clayton.
That guy’s been on fire, dropping 30+ points in both the Elite Eight and Final Four—something only Larry Bird has done before in NCAA history. But Houston’s not fazed.
They’ve already stood tall against a powerhouse like Duke, with national player of the year Cooper Flagg, and showed they don’t back down from anyone. With their grit and knack for crashing the boards on offense, the Cougars are ready to take on Florida’s explosive attack in what’s shaping up to be an epic championship showdown.
Kelvin Sampson’s rock-solid dedication to growing the Houston Cougars from the ground up has turned the team around and made them a force to be reckoned with in college hoops. He’s all about building a tight-knit culture, locking down on defense, and developing what’s already there, and that’s what’s carried them to the 2025 national championship game.
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It’s absolute proof that his way of doing things works. Now, as they gear up to take on Florida, the Cougars are carrying both a sense of history and the chance to leave a lasting mark, showing that a team that’s genuinely together and built on the same beliefs can do something extraordinary.
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