Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson makes a call from the bench against Idaho during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Oklahoma City, Thursday, March 19, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Kelvin Sampson was supposed to be miles away, wearing his trademark red University of Houston polo shirt, about to coach a high-stakes college basketball game on a recent Saturday afternoon.
It was 5:07 p.m., just minutes before tip-off of an NCAA Elite Eight game, and Sampson was miles away from the Toyota Center in downtown Houston.
Instead he was on a neighborhood walk with his dog, Roxie.
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“It’s so strange to even be home right now,” Sampson said by phone.
Less than two days earlier, UH’s season ended abruptly in a cold-shooting loss to Illinois in the Sweet 16, denying the Cougars a shot at a return trip to the Final Four.
An “unbelievable text message” was waiting for Sampson the next morning from close friend Jay Wright, the retired former coach at Villanova.
“Sometimes you need your friends to remind you of the year you had,” Sampson said.
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Wright’s text partly read:
“Let me ask you something, brother. In November, before your first game, if somebody had told you that you were going to lose L.J. Cryer, J’Wan Roberts, Mylik Wilson and Ja’Vier Francis and replace them with freshmen and someone would say you were going to win 30 games and finish second in the Big 12 and go to the Sweet 16, would you have signed up for it?”
“I looked at that and said, ‘That looks pretty good, doesn’t it? ‘ Shoutout to all my friends that put things in perspective for you.”
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By Friday morning, Sampson met with his coaching staff and began to hold exit interviews with players. Several are out of eligibility. One has a no-brainer decision to leave to become a lottery pick in the NBA draft. Another could opt to stay. Others may look elsewhere for more playing time or NIL opportunities.
Each time, Sampson said, the same question came up:
Coach, are you going to come back?
Sampson has said on a few recent occasions that his 37-year coaching career is winding down. That coaches have to “understand when their time is” and he’s not going to get in anybody’s way.
“If I’m in somebody’s way, or if I’m overstaying my welcome, I’ll be the first one to leave,” Sampson, 70, said.
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By Saturday afternoon, Sampson said he would return for the 2026-27 season. He has three years left on his contract. He can walk away whenever he wants.
But he knows why his plans must be addressed. Current players want to know. Recruits want to know. Prospective transfer portal targets need assurances.
“You don’t have a week to think about it,” Sampson said. “You can’t take 48 hours like you used to. You don’t have 24 hours. You have to make a decision. For me, the most important thing is our players. They need to know.”
It’s all part of why Sampson isn’t ready to slow down. Why “I still burn for this,” he said of a job that can deliver such a rewarding feeling and heartbreak at the same time.
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“I want another run at it,” Sampson said of an elusive national title that was just minutes away last season in a championship game loss to Florida. “I want to chase it again.”
He’s also fully aware: “There are no guarantees in this business.”
Between making plans for next season, Sampson has spent the days since the season ended catching up on some errands and a “honey-do list” for wife, Karen. He attended his granddaughter Maisy’s softball game. He’s also put together the framework for the offseason, which is expected to include several players added from the transfer portal.
“We’ll be really active in the portal,” Sampson said. “I like the way that’s going so far. We’re pretty good at putting rosters together. So, we’ll have a pretty good roster.”
Regardless of the situation, Sampson understands players have decisions to make.
“Not every kid is going to stay here and wait four years to get an opportunity,” he said. “Some want an opportunity now. You have to be honest with them. I’m not going to lie to these kids. This is their life. They don’t owe anybody anything. They don’t owe me anything. They don’t owe our fans. I tell them to be selfish. Don’t think about me. Don’t think about anybody but you. This is the one time in your life you get a chance to be selfish. You go do what’s best for you and not worry about what other people say or think.
“Don’t get confused by other people’s opinions. Go say your goodbyes. We’re not going anywhere. We’ll be here for you. This is your home for the rest of your lives. But go chase your dreams. You’ve earned it.”
As for how the season ended, Sampson felt he squeezed as much as possible out of this year’s team, which was the youngest of his head coaching career with freshmen Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr. inserted into the starting lineup from the start. Even so, the Cougars challenged in the rugged Big 12, reached the conference tournament championship game and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the seventh straight season, the longest active streak in the nation.
“I’m glad we have a program where our fans get disappointed if we didn’t win the championship,” Sampson said. “Think how many programs think that way. Not very many. Think how many fans are just thrilled if they make the tournament or get to the Sweet 16. I’m glad we are one of those schools. I’m glad we are one of those schools that we have a passionate fan base that cares enough, thinks enough of our program that their goal is for us to win it all. Trust me, that’s our goal too. That’s why I’m coming back. I’m not coming back because I think we have a chance to make the tournament next year. That’s not why I’m coming back. I’m coming back to see if we can put another team together.
“Now we have to start over.”