Kelvin Sampson: Champion Basketball Coach

Kelvin Sampson
As of June 2004

Back for his fifth stint with USA Basketball, University of Oklahoma mentor Kelvin Sampson returned this summer to guide the 2004 USA World Championship For Young Men Qualifying Team to a perfect 5-0 record and the gold medal in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. In doing so, the U.S. also qualified for the 2005 FIBA World Championship For Young Men.

Quickly becoming a staple in the USA Basketball coaching circle, Sampson most recently served as an assistant coach under George Karl for the 2002 USA Men's World Championship Team that finished 6-3 and in sixth place in the 14th FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis. Prior to coaching at the World Championship, Sampson guided the 1995 USA Junior World Championship Team to a 4-4 record at the FIBA Junior World Championship in Athens, Greece.

In the summer of 1994, Sampson was selected to serve as an assistant to then-USC head coach George Raveling at the Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia. The USA team earned a bronze medal and following the Goodwill Games, competed in an exhibition game against a USA Basketball Senior National Team made up of NBA standouts who were preparing for the 1994 FIBA World Championship.

In 1993, Sampson was selected head coach of the West team at the U.S. Olympic Festival in San Antonio, Texas, and his squad won the silver medal.

Sampson was a member of USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee from 1997-2000. The committee was responsible for the selection of coaches and players who represented USA Basketball at various collegiate level international competitions such as the Goodwill Games, FIBA 22 And Under World Championships (now known as the World Championship For Young Men), World University Games, FIBA Junior World Championships and others.

In 10 seasons (1993-94 through 2003-04) at Oklahoma, Sampson has led his teams to nine NCAA Tournament berths, including a Final Four in 2002. His overall head coaching record stands at 410-240 (.631 winning percentage) and his 234-92 tally at OU gives him the highest winning percentage of any coach in the school's history at .718.

After piecing together seven straight 20-win seasons during which the Sooners averaged over 25 wins a year, last season Sampson guided a young and injury-plagued team to a 20-11 record and an NIT appearance. In the three seasons prior to 2003-04, Sampson's Oklahoma teams won three consecutive Big 12 Tournament Championships and seven NCAA Tournament games.

In 2002-03, his Sooners finished 27-7 and ranked No.3 in the final Associated Press (A.P.) regular season poll. In 2001-02, Sampson coached Oklahoma to a 31-5 record and to the school's fourth Final Four appearance. The 31 victories tied for the second most in single-season school history. That same season, Sampson took home National Coach of the Year honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and Chevrolet.

In 1995, the A.P., Basketball Weekly and United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) recognized Sampson as National Coach of the Year after he led the Sooners to a 23-9 overall record. The solid season earned Sampson's squad a No. 4 seeding in the NCAA Tournament's Southeast Regional.

Coaching at Washington State University before moving on to Oklahoma, Sampson brought the Cougars back onto the college basketball landscape in his seven years (1986-87 through 1993-94) as head coach there.

Sampson led Washington State to a 20-11 record and its first NCAA Tournament berth in 11 years in 1994, and when he led the Cougars to the NIT two years earlier in 1992, it marked the first time Washington State had participated in postseason play since 1983. Before taking over as head coach at Washington State, Sampson spent two seasons (1984-85 and 1986-87) in Pullman as an assistant.

Prior to coaching at Washington State, Sampson worked as head coach at Montana Tech for six seasons (1979-80 through 1984-85). After working under the "interim" coaching title for one year at Tech, the Pembroke, N.C., native went 73-45 (.618) in his final four seasons. Sampson led his teams to two NAIA District 12 tittle games and earned NAIA Coach of the Year honors in 1983 and 1985.

Sampson is also a nine-year member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches board and served as the organization's President in 2003-2004.

The Kelvin Sampson Record
USA Basketball Coaching Experience:

Event	Position	W-L	Pct.	Finish
2004 USA World Championship For Young Men Qualifying Team	Head Coach	5 - 0	1.000	Gold Medal
2002 USA World Championship Team	Asst. Coach	6 - 3	.667	Sixth place
1995 USA Junior World Championship Team	Head Coach	4 - 4	.500	Seventh place
1994 USA Goodwill Games Team	Asst. Coach	3 - 2	.600	Bronze Medal
1993 U.S. Olympic Festival West Team	Head Coach	2 - 2	.500	Silver Medal
Totals:	20 – 11	.645

Collegiate Head Coaching Experience:

Year	School	Overall Record	Pct.	Notes
1981-82	Montana Tech	7 - 20	.259
1982-83	Montana Tech	22 - 9	.710
1983-84	Montana Tech	22 - 7	.765	Conference championship
1984-85	Montana Tech	22 - 9	.710	Conference championship
1987-88	Washington State	13 - 16	.448
1988-89	Washington State	10 - 19	.345
1989-90	Washington State	7 - 22	.241
1990-91	Washington State	16 - 12	.571
1991-92	Washington State	22 - 11	.667	National Invitational Tournament
1992-93	Washington State	15 - 12	.571
1993-94	Washington State	20 - 11	.645	NCAA Tournament
1994-95	Oklahoma	23 - 9	.719	NCAA Tournament
1995-96	Oklahoma	17 - 13	.567	NCAA Tournament
1996-97	Oklahoma	19 - 11	.633	NCAA Tournament
1997-98	Oklahoma	22 - 11	.667	NCAA Tournament
1998-99	Oklahoma	22 - 11	.667	NCAA Tournament
1999-00	Oklahoma	27 - 7	.794	NCAA second round
2000-01	Oklahoma	26 - 7	.788	Big 12 Tournament title, NCAA Tournament
2001-02	Oklahoma	31 - 5	.861	Big 12 Tournament title, NCAA Final Four
2002-03	Oklahoma	27 - 7	.794	Big 12 Tournament title, NCAA second round
2003-04	Oklahoma	20 - 11	.645	NIT second round
Totals:		21 Years	410 - 240	.631