Kelvin Sampson Biography

Success for Kelvin Sampson hasn't come easy. The Oklahoma University basketball coach spent several years on the back roads of college basketball before earning a place in the glaring spotlight of big time NCAA Division I basketball at a school with high national visibility in the "other" sport - football.

Sampson logged five seasons as head coach at Montana Tech where he took a dismal basketball program and turned it into a perennial contender. When Sampson left after the 1985-86' season he left behind a 73-45 (.619) mark. To put Sampson's success at Montana Tech in its proper perspective Montana Tech had won just 17 games total the three years previous to Sampson's arrival.

Sampson moved on to Washington State University, another basketball program in need of a turnaround. He was an assistant to then head coach Len Stevens for 2 seasons and took over the helm of the Cougars team starting with the 1989-90' season.

By the 1990-91' season Sampson's Cougars produced a 16-12 record, the first winning season at Washington State since 1983 and he earned his first Kodak District 14 Coach of the Year award given annually by the NABC. The 1991-92' season saw Sampson coach the Cougars to a 22-11 mark and a trip to the NIT Tournament, the first time since 1983 WSU had participated in postseason play. For his efforts Sampson earned his second Kodak District 14 Coach of the Year award and was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year.

Continuing their winning ways under Coach Sampson the 1993-94' edition of the Cougars had a 20-11 record and their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1983. After seven seasons at Washington State Sampson moved on to Oklahoma University and a school well known for its football prowess. In 10 seasons at OU Sampson has coached the Sooner's basketball teams to a phenomenal overall record of 234-91 (72%), a conference mark of 105-51 (67%) and put basketball at Norman on the local as well as national map.

Kelvin Sampson who became the 11th head coach at the University of Oklahoma in April of 1994 has been wildly successful in putting OU basketball on the national collegiate basketball map. He has coached the Sooners to an average of 23.4 wins per season, a (72%) mark in his 10 seasons at Oklahoma. Sampson's overall record is 410-239 (.641) winning percentage.

In the 2002-03' season OU produced a 31-5 (87%) record and second-place Big 12 regular season finish (13-3 league mark). In this same season they won their second straight Big 12 Tournament. The 31 victories tied for the second most in single season school history. The Sooners also won their second straight Big 12 Tournament and went to the "Final Four" for just the fourth time in OU history. The Sooners were rewarded with a final AP poll ranking of number 3 nationally and a number 4 rank by ESPN/USA Today. Sampson, for the second time at OU was named National Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).

The 2003-04' regular season ended with a 20-10 record marking the seventh consecutive 20-win season under Sampson. In addition the Sooners have gone to eight consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including a "Sweet 16" finish in 1999 and a "Final Four" appearance in 2002.

In 1995 following a 23-9 overall record and 15-0 at home Sampson was named National Coach of the Year by the AP, U.S. Basketball Writers Assn. (USBWA) and Basketball Weekly. The Sooners 1994-95' record of 23-9 was the second best overall record ever recorded by a first year coach in Big Eight (now Big 12) history.

The epitome of Sampson's philosophy about basketball as well as life is summed up in these few quotes when he said; "Success is measured in so many different ways, Do you know what failure is to me? I don't think you've lost anything until you quit." The Sooner coach, who is 234-91 at Oklahoma University, said; "Basketball is an excellent example about life in general basketball is not about you, it's not an individual game. It's important to know what your role is. In sports, it's about how to get better, and it's that way in life."

Sampson's resume would not be complete without the valuable contribution he has made representing the United States in international basketball. In 1993, Sampson was selected head coach of the West team at the U.S. Olympic Festival in San Antonio, Texas, his team won the silver medal. In the summer of 1994, Sampson was selected to serve as an assistant to former USC head coach George Raveling at the Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia, the USA team earned a bronze medal.

Sampson was head coach of the 1995 USA Junior Team that participated in the FIBA Junior World Championship in Athens, Greece, in the summer of 1995. His team of college freshmen and high schoolers finished 4-4 and in seventh place.

In addition to his on floor coaching contributions from 1997 to 2000, Sampson was a member of USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee which was responsible for the selection of coaches and players who represented USA Basketball at various collegiate level international competitions like the Goodwill Games, FIBA 22 and Under World Championships, World University Games, FIBA Junior World Championships and others.

Sampson earned his undergrad degrees from Pembroke State (NC) in health, physical education and political science. He got his master's degree from Michigan State in coaching and administration.

Sampson was inducted into the Montana Tech Hall of Fame in 1996 and into the Pembroke State Athletic Hall of Fame in February 1998.

He is married to the former Karen Lowery. They are the parents of a daughter, Lauren, and a son, Kellen.

Some of his accomplishments are:

73-45 (.619) mark at Montana Tech
Montana Tech had won just 17 games total the three years prior to Sampson's arrival
Sampson's Cougars produced a 16-12 record 1990-91' first winning season at Washington State since 1983
Earned his first Kodak District 14 Coach of the Year award given annually by the NABC
Coached the 1991-92' Cougars to 22-11 mark
1991-92' Cougars went to NIT - 1st postseason play for them since 1983
Earned his second Kodak District 14 Coach of the Year award
Was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year for 1991-92' season
Coached the 1993-94' Cougars to a 20-11 record
WSU's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1983
Overall record of 234-91 (72%) 10 seasons at Oklahoma University
Coached Sooners to a 105-51 (67%) conference mark
Put basketball at Norman on the local as well as national map
2002-03' season OU produced a 31-5 (87%) overall record
The 31 victories tied for the second most in single season school history
Won their second straight Big 12 Tournament 2002-03' season
Went to the "Final Four" for just the fourth time in OU history
Sooners rewarded with final AP poll ranking of number 3 nationally and number 4 rank by ESPN/USA Today
Named for the second time at OU National Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)
Seven consecutive 20-win seasons
Sooners have gone to eight consecutive NCAA Tournaments
Coached Sooners to "Sweet Sixteen" and "Final Four" finishes
Named National Coach of the Year following 1994-95' season by AP, USSBWA and Basketball Weekly
Second best overall record (23-9) ever recorded by first year coach in Big Eight
Overall record is 410-239 (.641) winning percentage