So, I got curious about how much money these big-shot college basketball coaches make, especially Kelvin Sampson. You know, the head coach for the Houston Cougars. I mean, the guy’s been around forever, coaching for like 35 years. He’s taken teams to the NCAA Tournament 19 times! That’s crazy. So, I dug into it, wanting to find out Kelvin Sampson’s net worth.
First, I hit up the usual spots like Forbes and Business Insider. They’re pretty good for getting a general idea about someone’s financial situation. Some sources mentioned that his net worth was around $10 million, while others had a higher figure of around $20 million as of February 2024.
Then, I started looking into his salary. This is where things got interesting. I found out he recently signed a new contract with the University of Houston worth a whopping $4.7 million a year. That puts him up there with some of the highest-paid coaches like Bill Self and John Calipari, who make between $4.5 million and $5 million annually. It is incredible, right?
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Sampson. I came across some articles talking about an NCAA investigation during his time at Oklahoma. Apparently, he and his staff made over 550 impermissible phone calls to recruits. That’s a big no-no in college sports. It resulted in a three-year investigation, which certainly complicated his career.
Despite that setback, Sampson has clearly bounced back. He’s been doing great at Houston, leading them to five consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and even the Final Four in 2021. They just recently made it to the Sweet 16 in the 2023 tournament, which is a huge achievement.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what I gathered:
- Estimated Net Worth: Somewhere between $10 million and $20 million.
- Current Annual Salary: $4.7 million.
- Career Highlights: 19 NCAA Tournament appearances, Final Four appearance in 2021, recent Sweet 16 appearance.
- Past Controversy: Involved in an NCAA investigation for recruiting violations during his time at Oklahoma.
My two cents?
Kelvin Sampson’s story is a real mixed bag. He’s had some serious success on the court, but that whole recruiting scandal definitely puts a damper on things. Still, you can’t deny the guy’s a good coach, and he’s clearly made a lot of money over the years. Whether he’s worth $10 million or $20 million, that’s a heck of a lot of dough. I was actually surprised by the numbers, especially with the new contract.
