Kelvin Sampson Named Naismith Coach of the Year Semifinalist

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POSTED: March 10, 2022 -- 11:55 a.m. CT

Leading the Houston Cougars Men's Basketball program to another award-winning season, Head Coach Kelvin Sampson was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year Award.

Now in his eighth season at Houston, Sampson has led the 18th-ranked Cougars to a 26-5 overall record and 15-3 mark in American Athletic Conference play. With the Cougars' claiming the 2021-22 American regular-season title, he became the first coach in Houston history to lead the program to three conference crowns in a four-year stretch.

Sampson already is the only coach in school history to lead the Cougars to seven consecutive 20-wins seasons. With his selection as the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the third time earlier this week, he also became the first Cougar coach to receive three conference Coach of the Year honors.

After losing four starters from last year's NCAA Final Four squad, Sampson's 2021-22 team's impressive accomplishments have come despite losing Preseason All-American Athletic Conference First-Team guard Marcus Sasser and sophomore guard Tramon Mark to season-ending injuries in December 2021.

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Sampson was joined as a semifinalist by Mark Adams (Texas Tech), John Calipari (Kentucky), Ed Cooley (Providence), Scott Drew (Baylor), Steve Forbes (Wake Forest), Greg Gard (Wisconsin), Tommy Lloyd (Arizona), Matt McMahon (Murray State) and Bruce Pearl (Auburn).

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