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He’s single-handedly rekindled the city’s love affair with Cougars basketball. The current run is undeniable. Over the past seven seasons, Houston has piled up 216 victories, a mark that defines sustained excellence. Kelvin Sampson has built a powerhouse, guiding the Cougars from irrelevance to national prominence, capped most recently by a trip to the national title game.
Before Sampson arrived, Houston basketball was mostly dormant. Tom Penders managed to sneak the Cougars into the Big Dance once during his six-year tenure, an accomplishment in itself. Prior to that, the program went 17 years without tasting March Madness. In college hoops terms, that’s an eternity. Just ask Syracuse, which has missed four straight tournaments, or even DePaul, whose last appearance came back in 2004.
Sampson’s body of work has been jaw-dropping. Former UH head coach Tom Penders told Sporting News the transformation is bigger than wins and losses.
“He’s built Houston’s money-strapped program from the bottom up. He convinced Tillman Fertitta to spend $80 million on a state-of-the-art basketball center and another $80 million to renovate Hofheinz Pavilion. Those moves brought the Cougars into the modern era. No other coach has done more to build a basketball program. On top of all that, Kelvin is an elite coach — and as a result, they’ll always be in the hunt for a national championship.”
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson on state of the game: "We're still in an educational institution, but there is nothing educational about college basketball right now. It's all transactional. And we all put our heads in the sand." Sampson, Tom Izzo + John Calipari are speaking out." pic.twitter.com/076zjzFfVY
— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) October 22, 2025Asked whether a letdown might follow after last April’s heartbreak, Penders didn’t hesitate.
“I don’t foresee any lull or burnout on the horizon. You honestly have a better chance of being hit by a blimp!”
This winter, the city’s sports focus will live on the hardwood. The Texans’ three-win start offers little inspiration.
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