Bill Self claims there is 'not a better ball coach in America than Kelvin Sampson'

No. 14 Kansas bounced back in a major way from its shocking blowout loss to Cincinnati on Saturday with a 69-56 win over No. 5 Houston Monday night. The Jayhawks handed the Cougars their third consecutive loss for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Following the win, Kansas head coach Bill Self was asked about Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson‘s Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame candidacy. Self went to bat for his co-star in Big 12 coaching.

“I’m not an expert on judging, except I do know this… there’s not a better ball coach in America than Kelvin Sampson,” Self said. “You don’t have to be in the Hall to be one of the best. There’s a lot of great coaches that aren’t. If he’s a finalist, I hope he gets in because he’s terrific.”

Sampson is one of 21 finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame this year. He is joined by names such as NBA Champion head coach Doc Rivers, All-American and five-time All-NBA forward Blake Griffin, Naismith Player of the Year and two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker, and five-team All-NBA center Amare’ Stoudemire.

The Houston head coach is one of two active college basketball head coaches on the ballot. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, who has led the Bulldogs to a 769-154 record with two Final Four appearances, is also up for the Hall.

Kelvin Sampson has turned Houston into a juggernaut since taking over program

Sampson has coached college basketball since 1981 across five different programs (Montana Tech, Washington State, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Houston). Since then, the Laurinburg, NC native boasts an 821-359 career record with three Final Four appearances and two AP Coach of the Year nods (1995 and 2024).

His Hall of Fame candidacy could, however, be impacted by his numerous NCAA violations, which cost him his job at Indiana in 2008. Sampson was accused of sending text messages to recruits, which were banned by the NCAA at the time. The Hoosiers were given a five-year show-cause and Sampson was fired, which kept him out of coaching until 2014.

It took a few years, but Sampson has turned Houston into one of college basketball’s most consistent programs over the past decade. Houston has made seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (would have been eight but the 2020 Tournament was canceled), and advanced to the second weekend in six of the seven appearances. This includes three Sweet 16 appearances, an Elite Eight appearance, a Final Four appearance, and a runner-up effort in last year’s National Championship Game (Florida).

The new class will be revealed on April 4 at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2.