Kelvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars are the most dominant team in the Big 12. They’re at the top of the chart with 23 wins and two losses. They are 11-1 in the conference and still remain unbeaten at home.
While the players and coaches aren’t leaving any stone unturned, Sampson isn’t happy with the team’s funding. Earlier this month, when they defeated the UCF Knights, Sampson detailed the issue during a press conference.
The head coach stated that the program doesn’t have enough money and that is restricting them from making bigger moves. He even called the Houston Cougars “poor.”
Sampson’s passionate rant caught Mick Cronin’s attention. The UCLA head coach took advantage of the moment and sent him $1.
“You know, Mick Cronin had the best line,” he said. So, he Venmos me a dollar. He actually sent it to (son and Houston assistant) Kellen to give to me… and he said, ‘Yo man, I heard your schtick at your postgame press conference. You’ve got to learn not to say certain things. But I did get that you don’t have very much, so here’s a dollar.”
Cronin told Sampson that he heard his rant and felt compelled to send him a dollar. Sampson now regrets using the word poor and has said great things about the athletic department.
“I shouldn’t have said we’re poor,” he said. “We’re not poor. We’re anything but poor. We’ve got a great athletic department. The NIL thing, though, that’s not a bottomless pit. You’ve got to continue to work at that. And the schools that have been in the Big 12 the longest, they have an advantage.”
Sampson’s first comment wasn’t just about the lack of a good budget but every problem that arises because of it.
What Did Kelvin Sampson Say?
Sampson’s Houston Cougars registered a dominant 29-point win against the UCF Knights. It was their 20th win for the season at the time, and they were the second-ranked team in the Big 12. Since then, they have made a giant leap and now hold the top spot.
When Sampson sat down for the post-game press conference, he talked about how the lack of a good budget is not allowing him to build a stronger roster.
“We participate in the NIL just like everybody else. We know what our kids’ market value is. Trust me, they’re not starving here. They’re getting exactly what the market is for them. But, you know, we have a very poor athletic department,” he said.
“We’re still poor. We probably have the lowest budget of anybody in Power 4. The way our recruiting is going, we’re going to have to stop it at some point because we don’t have enough money to keep bringing in good players,” he added.
His rant showed how committed he was to the Houston Cougars. Despite winning games and leading the conference, he was still unhappy because he understood that wasn’t their ceiling.
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