The Houston Cougars have enjoyed unparalleled success since Kelvin Sampson took over as the program’s head basketball coach in 2014, particularly over the past several seasons.
Houston has made every NCAA Tournament over the last seven seasons—this year will make it eight—and has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen or better in each of the last five tournaments. They’ve also won at least a share of their conference in every season dating back to 2019, and have won 32 or more games in each of the past three years.
A national championship has eluded Sampson during his time in H-Town, though, and that might overshadow the profound success that UH has enjoyed under his watch.
Houston notched a 76-65 win over Baylor on Monday night—their 16th victory in their last 17 games—and the experience left an impression on Bears’ head coach Scott Drew.
However, Drew’s comments might not be what some would expect, as he seems to say that the fan support for Coach Sampson should be even better than it already is.
“Nothing but love and respect for Coach Sampson and what he’s done here,” Drew said, according to Joseph Duarte. “The only thing I’d say is, I go to a lot of arenas and when the other coach gets announced, the place goes crazy. For what Coach Sampson has done here, it’s amazing. I would just encourage everyone for what he’s built, because it’s a really hard place to play and he deserves a lot of that credit.”
In the comments section of the report, it’s evident that at least a few folks agree with the sentiment.
“Perennial top 5 program and Fertitta sounds like a library. Poor crowd and environment for Big Monday. Tough place to play because Kelvin and the players. Has little to do with fan support,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Our stadium is too quiet for what Sampson has done for us,” says another.
In just two seasons in the Big 12, Houston is an unbelievable 30-1 at home, but rarely do we hear about the environment inside the Fertitta being a factor. What do you think? Do Houston fans take Kelvin Sampson for granted, or was it just an off-night for the fanbase?
