Houston Coach & Fayetteville Native, Kelvin Sampson Pushes Hall of Fame Induction to 2027
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson has postponed his induction into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame until 2027.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – FEBRUARY 10: Head Coach Kelvin Sampson of the Houston Cougars during the first half of their game against the Utah Utes.
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)Houston coach Kelvin Sampson has postponed his induction into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame until 2027. According to AP News, a scheduling clash forced him to choose between two commitments, and he picked Dick Vitale's gala for pediatric cancer research.
The hall announced Sampson's inclusion in the 2026 class back in January, with his induction scheduled for May 1 in Greensboro, North Carolina. That same night, the V Foundation gala takes place in Sarasota, Florida.
Sampson, now 70, was born in Laurinburg, North Carolina. He played several sports at Pembroke High School. Later, he competed in baseball and basketball at UNC Pembroke.
His coaching path wound through Washington State, Oklahoma, and Indiana before landing with the Cougars ahead of the 2014-15 season.
Under Sampson's guidance, Houston has reached two Final Fours and won at least 30 games for four consecutive seasons. Last year, the Cougars made it all the way to the NCAA championship game.
Dick Vitale runs the yearly gala to collect funds for pediatric cancer research through the V Foundation. The occasion has grown into a fixture among charitable activities in sports.
