With seven NCAA appearances in 11 years, including five straight, Kelvin Sampson is forging history with the Houston Cougars.
Sampson is a famous man in college football history, with a career spanned decades. The 69-year-old is making his third Elite 8 appearance with the Cougars in this year’s NCAA tournament.
In 2021, Sampson led the Cougars to the NCAA Final Four, and Houston made its sixth straight appearance in the Sweet 16, the longest active streak in the country. Since his appointment at Houston, this season will be his best.
Kelvin Sampson and Houston’s Resurgence.
2014 Houston hired Sampson after James Dickey stepped down as head coach due to “private family matters.” Dickey left with a 64-62 record in four seasons and no conference titles or NCAA appearances. Sampson and the Cougars struggled again in his first season, finishing with a 13–19 record and 4–14 in the AAC.
Houston’s resurgence started in the 15/16 season, with the team finishing 22–10 overall and 12–6 in the conference. They eventually lost in the AAC tournament and in the first round of the NIT. In 17/18, Houston had a 27–8 overall record, reaching the finals of the AAC tournament and winning a game in the NCAA tournament for the first time in 34 years.
In the 18/19 season, Houston set a program record for wins with a 33–4 record. They were regular season champions but lost the conference title. They went to the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Kentucky in the Sweet 16 round. It was their first Sweet 16 appearance in 35 years.
In the 20/21 season, Houston entered the NCAA tournament as the number 2 seed after winning the AAC tournament. They made their first final four appearances since 1984 before losing to eventual champions Baylor. Houston finished with a 29-5 record the following season and entered the NCAA tournament as the number 5 seed. They would eventually lose to Villanova in the Elite 8.
Houston was invited to join the Big 12 in 2021, and they started Big 12 play in the 23/24 season. In their first season, the Cougars went 32–5 overall and 15–3 in conference play to claim a regular-season title.
Houston won conference tournament championship titles in 2021,2023 and 2025. They were conference regular season champions for six years. (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
KEEP READING: Tennessee vs. Houston Prediction: Defensive Juggernauts Collide for Final Four Spot
Sampson is four wins away from 800 in his career, and with another elite eight appearance in this year’s NCAA tournament, he will hope to add to his win column when Houston faces Tennessee, led by Sampson’s longtime friend, Rick Barnes.
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