Kelvin Dale Sampson is the head coach for the Houston Cougars men's basketball team, which competes in the Big 12 Conference. Before joining Houston, Sampson gained coaching experience at various universities as an assistant coach in teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets. Sampson guided his team to three NCAA Division I Final Fours in 2002, 2021, and 2025. He also won the four Big 12 Tournament championships in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2025 and three Big 12 regular-season titles in 2005, 2024, and 2025.
In the American Athletic Conference, he won two tournament titles in 2021 and 2022 and four regular-season championships in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023. As a player, Sampson took home three Frontier Conference tournament titles in 1983, 1984, and 1985 and two regular season titles in 1984 and 1985. His awards include two AP Coach of the Year awards in 1995 and 2024, the Ben Jobe Award in 2022, and two Henry Iba Awards in 1995 and 2024. He was given NABC Coach of the Year recognition twice, in 2002 and 2024, and Sporting News Coach of the Year in 2025. Sampson also received conference recognition, including Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2024 and 2025, AAC Coach of the Year four times in 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023, Big Eight Coach of the Year in 1995, Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 1991, and Frontier Coach of the Year twice in 1983 and 1985.
Kelvin Sampson Parents
Kelvin Sampson's parents are John "Ned" Sampson and Eva Sampson.
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Who is the mother of Kelvin Sampson?
Eva Sampson is the mother of Kelvin Sampson.
Who is the father of Kelvin Sampson?
Ned Sampson is the father of Kelvin Sampson, he was a Lumbee Native American and the basketball coach at Pembroke High School, where he coached for more than 34 years. He retired from coaching due to a stroke, as per Kelvin's official Houston Cougars profile.
Kelvin Sampson Siblings
Kelvin Sampson has four siblings: Ursula, twin sister Karen, and Suzanne.
Who is the sister of Kelvin Sampson?
Kelvin Sampson had a twin sister named Karen, who passed away in 2023, as per the Houston Chronicle.
Who is the wife of Kelvin Sampson?
Karen Lowry is the wife of Kelvin Sampson, as per his official Houston Cougars staff directory.
How many kids does Kelvin Sampson have?
Kelvin Sampson has a daughter named Lauren and a son named Kellen, according to his official roster.
Kellen Sampson is the Assistant coach of the Houston Cougars, a position he has held since 2014.
Lauren is the Director of external operations of the Houston Cougars, as per Kelvin's official roster.
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FAQs on Kelvin Sampson
A. Kelvin Sampson is the head coach of the Houston Cougars men's basketball team.
A. Kelvin Sampson coaches in the Big 12 Conference.
A. Kelvin Sampson is 69 years old, born on October 5, 1955.
A. Kelvin Sampson was born in Laurinburg, North Carolina.
A. Kelvin Sampson played at Pembroke State as a guard from 1973 to 1978.
