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Kelvin Sampson
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- Head Coach
Two-time National Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson was named the 26th head coach in Indiana University history on March 29, 2006, and since that day he has worked tirelessly to reposition the Hoosiers among college basketball's elite programs. If the first year is any indication of how the merger of one of the NCAA's most tradition-rich basketball programs with a coach who has notched 16 20-plus win seasons, then Hoosier fans should be excited about things to come.
What Indiana fans respect most about Sampson is his energy, intensity, and his commitment to building a program an entire state can call its own. Entering his 25th season as a head coach, Sampson is 476-268 (.640). In his first year with the Cream and Crimson, Sampson's squad finished 21-11 and tied a school record by going 15-0 at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers earned their 34th NCAA Tournament bid, advanced to the second round of the West Regional after defeating Gonzaga, 70-57, in the first round, and were ranked as high as 19th in the country during the regular season.
"I liked the way we developed individually and as a team," Sampson said. "From our first day of practice until the end, I just saw constant improvement."
As a team, the Hoosiers led the Big Ten in three-point field goal percentage (38.1) and three-point defense (31.0). Individually, junior D.J. White earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and senior Roderick Wilmont was a third-team All-League pick. In addition, Sampson's first IU recruiting class was consistently ranked among the nation's best by several noted experts.
"I came to Indiana for one reason," Sampson said. "I think we can win championships."
THE BEST IN THE BIG XII
Sampson came to IU after a 12-year run at Oklahoma which saw him post a 279-109 record overall and a 128-60 mark combined in the Big 8 and Big XII. His 111 regular season Big XII victories when he left OU were the most in league history at the time. He was 111-49 (.694) in conference play since the league formed in 1996-97 and his 128 triumphs combined in regular season and league tournament play also were conference standards. In addition, he was 239-87 during that 10-year span which also was the most wins by a single coach overall in that conference over that period.
With a 20-9 record in 2005-06, Sampson coached OU to its ninth consecutive 20-win season. Sampson's club was productive on the court and in the classroom. The squad posted a 3.14 grade point average (GPA) for the 2005 fall semester, setting a single semester record for the 12-year Sampson era. Eight of the 12 team members recorded a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Under Sampson's leadership, Oklahoma enjoyed one of the most successful three-year runs in school history from 2000-03. The Sooners were 84-19 (.816), won three-straight Big 12 Tournament titles and advanced to the 2002 NCAA Final Four (before losing to Indiana in the national semifinals) and the 2003 NCAA Elite Eight.
SAMPSON IN THE PAC-10
Sampson left quite a mark in his seven-year stint at Washington State. One of only four men to win 20 or more games in a single season in Washington State history, Sampson directed the 22-11 Cougars to the 1992 National Invitation Tournament (NIT), and earned Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors in the process. Sampson concluded his stay in Pullman by leading Washington State to a 20-11 mark and the 1994 NCAA Tournament, the Cougars' first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years. Sampson served as an assistant coach at WSU from 1985-87.
AT MONTANA TECH
He began his head coaching career at the helm of the Montana Tech program from 1981-85. After spending the 1981-82 campaign as the interim head coach, Sampson led the Orediggers to a 73-45 mark in his final four years. Montana Tech had won just 17 games in the three years combined prior to Sampson's arrival. He closed his Montana Tech tenure with three-straight Frontier League titles.
USA BASKETBALL INVOLVEMENT
Sampson also boasts an extensive background with USA Basketball. He was the head coach of the 2004 USA Basketball World Championship for Young Men qualifying team that posted a 5-0 record and earned a gold medal in Halifax, Nova Scotia. That 2004 squad featured former Hoosier standout Bracey Wright and captured the United States' first gold medal in the event since 1996. Sampson, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and former Golden State Warriors coach Mike Montgomery were assistant coaches to George Karl on the 2002 USA Men's World Championship team in Indianapolis. That squad included current NBA stars Paul Pierce, Michael Finley, Elton Brand and Baron Davis.
In the summer of 1995, Sampson served as head coach of the USA Men's Junior World Championship team that played in Larissa and Athens, Greece. That team featured current NBA players Vince Carter and Stephon Marbury. Sampson was an assistant coach to George Raveling on the 1994 USA Goodwill Games team that competed in St. Petersburg, Russia. Damon Stoudemire, Shawn Respert, Finley and Tim Duncan led that club to the bronze medal. Sampson began his USA Basketball tenure as the head coach of the 1993 Olympic Festival West team in San Antonio, Texas. Jerod Haase, Charles O'Bannon and Jerald Honeycutt helped that club to the silver medal.
WORKING FOR THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY
One of the first things you notice on the front page of the website for Camouflage Kids is the quote at the top of the page. It comes from Indiana men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson and reads, "There's not a thing I wouldn't do for our Army. They're my heroes."
Sampson is a member of the Board of Directors of the organization founded by New York Knicks Director of Scouting Jeff Nix and retired businessman and U.S. Army veteran Ray Stults. The group raises money to purchase tickets for families of servicemen and service women who are abroad. This year, the mission grows to include the children of the Indiana National Guard and Indiana Marine Corps who will attend
Hoosier games this season.
In 2005 and 2006, Sampson was among the nation's top college coaches participating in "Operation Hardwood – Hoops with the Troops," an eight-team U.S. Army troops' basketball tournament in Kuwait. In August 2005, Sampson joined Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Alabama's Mark Gottfried, South Carolina's Dave Odom, Charlotte's Bobby Lutz, College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins, former St. John's coach Mike Jarvis and ESPN analyst Jay Bilas for the debut event. A year later, Sampson, returned to Kuwait and directed his team to the tournament title, but the reward went well beyond the trophy.
"I met 12-15 soldiers from the state of Indiana. When you greet them, you can just feel that kinship. They just want to stop and talk to you and ask questions about the team and how things are going. They were telling me the Indy 500 was that particular weekend, and were asking if I had ever been to the race. Even though they are racing fans, you can tell they are passionate about IU Basketball, which was great to see.
"There is such a sense of gratification when you go to bed at night, and a sense of excitement when you wake up in the morning. Last year's experience was amazing, but this one tops it. You just feel so good about what you are doing, and what you have been able to give back to these young men and women."
IN THE COMMUNITY
Sampson-coached basketball teams are known for their competitiveness, discipline and unselfishness on the court as well as their strong presence in the local community. Not only do IU coaches and players make weekly appearances at local elementary schools to emphasize the value of reading and education, but they also spend an hour each Friday serving lunch at the Shalom Community Center, a daytime resource center for those experiencing poverty and homelessness.
Sampson said that the outreach activities are just one component of the Hoosiers' broad-based program.
"Indiana fans have such a passion for Hoosier basketball, which is why it is so important that we touch every base of the community," Sampson said. "It warms our players' and coaches' hearts to see the reception that they get from the elementary school students or how happy the visitors at the Shalom Center are to see us at lunch."
PERSONAL
Sampson was born on Oct. 5, 1955, in Laurinburg, N.C. He was raised in Pembroke, N.C., and was an all-league three-sport star (football, basketball and baseball) at Pembroke High School. He captained his high school basketball team for two years, coached by his father, John W. "Ned" Sampson. Sampson enrolled at Pembroke State University (now UNC Pembroke) where he earned four letters in basketball and three in baseball. He was a Dean's List student and received the Gregory Lowe Memorial Award as the school's outstanding physical education major as a senior.
Sampson received bachelor's degrees in health and physical education and political science in 1978 and his master's degree in coaching and administration from Michigan State in 1980. During his stay in East Lansing, he served as a graduate assistant to Jud Heathcote. Sampson, who was inducted into the Montana Tech Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Pembroke State Hall of Fame in 1998, is married to the former Karen Lowery.
They have one daughter, Lauren, and one son, Kellen. Lauren is in pharmaceutical sales for AstraZeneca in Bloomington, while Kellen, who recently graduated from Oklahoma after playing four years of basketball for the Sooners, is a graduate manager for the Hoosiers.
RESIGNATION
On Feb. 22, 2008, he announced his resignation as the head coach at Indiana. (read full story)
What Indiana fans respect most about Sampson is his energy, intensity, and his commitment to building a program an entire state can call its own. Entering his 25th season as a head coach, Sampson is 476-268 (.640). In his first year with the Cream and Crimson, Sampson's squad finished 21-11 and tied a school record by going 15-0 at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers earned their 34th NCAA Tournament bid, advanced to the second round of the West Regional after defeating Gonzaga, 70-57, in the first round, and were ranked as high as 19th in the country during the regular season.
"I liked the way we developed individually and as a team," Sampson said. "From our first day of practice until the end, I just saw constant improvement."
As a team, the Hoosiers led the Big Ten in three-point field goal percentage (38.1) and three-point defense (31.0). Individually, junior D.J. White earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and senior Roderick Wilmont was a third-team All-League pick. In addition, Sampson's first IU recruiting class was consistently ranked among the nation's best by several noted experts.
"I came to Indiana for one reason," Sampson said. "I think we can win championships."
THE BEST IN THE BIG XII
Sampson came to IU after a 12-year run at Oklahoma which saw him post a 279-109 record overall and a 128-60 mark combined in the Big 8 and Big XII. His 111 regular season Big XII victories when he left OU were the most in league history at the time. He was 111-49 (.694) in conference play since the league formed in 1996-97 and his 128 triumphs combined in regular season and league tournament play also were conference standards. In addition, he was 239-87 during that 10-year span which also was the most wins by a single coach overall in that conference over that period.
With a 20-9 record in 2005-06, Sampson coached OU to its ninth consecutive 20-win season. Sampson's club was productive on the court and in the classroom. The squad posted a 3.14 grade point average (GPA) for the 2005 fall semester, setting a single semester record for the 12-year Sampson era. Eight of the 12 team members recorded a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Under Sampson's leadership, Oklahoma enjoyed one of the most successful three-year runs in school history from 2000-03. The Sooners were 84-19 (.816), won three-straight Big 12 Tournament titles and advanced to the 2002 NCAA Final Four (before losing to Indiana in the national semifinals) and the 2003 NCAA Elite Eight.
SAMPSON IN THE PAC-10
Sampson left quite a mark in his seven-year stint at Washington State. One of only four men to win 20 or more games in a single season in Washington State history, Sampson directed the 22-11 Cougars to the 1992 National Invitation Tournament (NIT), and earned Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors in the process. Sampson concluded his stay in Pullman by leading Washington State to a 20-11 mark and the 1994 NCAA Tournament, the Cougars' first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years. Sampson served as an assistant coach at WSU from 1985-87.
AT MONTANA TECH
He began his head coaching career at the helm of the Montana Tech program from 1981-85. After spending the 1981-82 campaign as the interim head coach, Sampson led the Orediggers to a 73-45 mark in his final four years. Montana Tech had won just 17 games in the three years combined prior to Sampson's arrival. He closed his Montana Tech tenure with three-straight Frontier League titles.
USA BASKETBALL INVOLVEMENT
Sampson also boasts an extensive background with USA Basketball. He was the head coach of the 2004 USA Basketball World Championship for Young Men qualifying team that posted a 5-0 record and earned a gold medal in Halifax, Nova Scotia. That 2004 squad featured former Hoosier standout Bracey Wright and captured the United States' first gold medal in the event since 1996. Sampson, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and former Golden State Warriors coach Mike Montgomery were assistant coaches to George Karl on the 2002 USA Men's World Championship team in Indianapolis. That squad included current NBA stars Paul Pierce, Michael Finley, Elton Brand and Baron Davis.
In the summer of 1995, Sampson served as head coach of the USA Men's Junior World Championship team that played in Larissa and Athens, Greece. That team featured current NBA players Vince Carter and Stephon Marbury. Sampson was an assistant coach to George Raveling on the 1994 USA Goodwill Games team that competed in St. Petersburg, Russia. Damon Stoudemire, Shawn Respert, Finley and Tim Duncan led that club to the bronze medal. Sampson began his USA Basketball tenure as the head coach of the 1993 Olympic Festival West team in San Antonio, Texas. Jerod Haase, Charles O'Bannon and Jerald Honeycutt helped that club to the silver medal.
WORKING FOR THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY
One of the first things you notice on the front page of the website for Camouflage Kids is the quote at the top of the page. It comes from Indiana men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson and reads, "There's not a thing I wouldn't do for our Army. They're my heroes."
Sampson is a member of the Board of Directors of the organization founded by New York Knicks Director of Scouting Jeff Nix and retired businessman and U.S. Army veteran Ray Stults. The group raises money to purchase tickets for families of servicemen and service women who are abroad. This year, the mission grows to include the children of the Indiana National Guard and Indiana Marine Corps who will attend
Hoosier games this season.
In 2005 and 2006, Sampson was among the nation's top college coaches participating in "Operation Hardwood – Hoops with the Troops," an eight-team U.S. Army troops' basketball tournament in Kuwait. In August 2005, Sampson joined Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Alabama's Mark Gottfried, South Carolina's Dave Odom, Charlotte's Bobby Lutz, College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins, former St. John's coach Mike Jarvis and ESPN analyst Jay Bilas for the debut event. A year later, Sampson, returned to Kuwait and directed his team to the tournament title, but the reward went well beyond the trophy.
"I met 12-15 soldiers from the state of Indiana. When you greet them, you can just feel that kinship. They just want to stop and talk to you and ask questions about the team and how things are going. They were telling me the Indy 500 was that particular weekend, and were asking if I had ever been to the race. Even though they are racing fans, you can tell they are passionate about IU Basketball, which was great to see.
"There is such a sense of gratification when you go to bed at night, and a sense of excitement when you wake up in the morning. Last year's experience was amazing, but this one tops it. You just feel so good about what you are doing, and what you have been able to give back to these young men and women."
IN THE COMMUNITY
Sampson-coached basketball teams are known for their competitiveness, discipline and unselfishness on the court as well as their strong presence in the local community. Not only do IU coaches and players make weekly appearances at local elementary schools to emphasize the value of reading and education, but they also spend an hour each Friday serving lunch at the Shalom Community Center, a daytime resource center for those experiencing poverty and homelessness.
Sampson said that the outreach activities are just one component of the Hoosiers' broad-based program.
"Indiana fans have such a passion for Hoosier basketball, which is why it is so important that we touch every base of the community," Sampson said. "It warms our players' and coaches' hearts to see the reception that they get from the elementary school students or how happy the visitors at the Shalom Center are to see us at lunch."
PERSONAL
Sampson was born on Oct. 5, 1955, in Laurinburg, N.C. He was raised in Pembroke, N.C., and was an all-league three-sport star (football, basketball and baseball) at Pembroke High School. He captained his high school basketball team for two years, coached by his father, John W. "Ned" Sampson. Sampson enrolled at Pembroke State University (now UNC Pembroke) where he earned four letters in basketball and three in baseball. He was a Dean's List student and received the Gregory Lowe Memorial Award as the school's outstanding physical education major as a senior.
Sampson received bachelor's degrees in health and physical education and political science in 1978 and his master's degree in coaching and administration from Michigan State in 1980. During his stay in East Lansing, he served as a graduate assistant to Jud Heathcote. Sampson, who was inducted into the Montana Tech Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Pembroke State Hall of Fame in 1998, is married to the former Karen Lowery.
They have one daughter, Lauren, and one son, Kellen. Lauren is in pharmaceutical sales for AstraZeneca in Bloomington, while Kellen, who recently graduated from Oklahoma after playing four years of basketball for the Sooners, is a graduate manager for the Hoosiers.
RESIGNATION
On Feb. 22, 2008, he announced his resignation as the head coach at Indiana. (read full story)
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