Kelvin Sampson, Houston
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After a night spent locking up college basketball's hottest shooter, Florida's Walter Clayton Jr., the roles reversed for Houston guard Emanuel Sharp on the biggest play of Monday night's national championship game.
Sampson, who has turned Houston into one of the nation’s top programs, built on defense, toughness and rebounding, could only watch as his team struggled to score in the agonizing final moments of
"We have a set where it's a stack or gate... We thought if we get Emanuel to shot fake and get downhill... he probably should've shot faked that." — Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson on the final play of the National Championship Game vs. Florida pic.twitter.com/KJx91Tzu1p
Who are the oldest head coaches to win the men's NCAA Tournament? Here's what you need to know, as Houston's Kelvin Sampson looks to be the next on Monday.
The Houston Cougars held the Florida Gators in check for much of the 2025 NCAA national championship game, but ended up losing 65-63 in heartbreaking fashion. The Cougars were up by as much as a 12-point lead in the second half of the game,
Apr 7, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson reacts against the Florida Gators in the first half in the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
In the Lumbee Tribe's hub of Pembroke, population 2,832, they will be rooting on Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, a local hero from this tightly knit and often overlooked community. "We are just so proud of him,