BUTTE, Mont. -- The name 'Kelvin Sampson' is a hallowed one in Butte, America. And the current Houston men's basketball coach gave his old job a shoutout in a press conference on Thursday ahead of this weekend's NCAA Tournament Final Four.
Of course, long before he took the Cougars to its second national semifinal in five years, Sampson coached at Montana Tech, producing a run of unparalleled success that eventually resulted in the Orediggers naming their home court after him.
Sampson's Digs won three straight Frontier Conference tournaments from 1983 to 1985, a feat only finally surpassed by the Montana Tech men of today, who their fourth straight regular season and postseason titles this year.
In reflecting on his coaching path from humble beginnings to the national stage, Sampson talked about his relationship with Jud Heathcote, under whom both he and Tom Izzo served as assistants at Michigan State, before Sampson took to Montana Tech in 1980.
Heathcote famously coached five seasons at Montana in the early '70s before winning a national championship with the Spartans, taking the Griz to the Sweet Sixteen and earning Big Sky Coach of the Year in 1975.
"Jud is the only reason why I got the job at Montana Tech, and he's the only reason why I became head coach at 31 years old at Washington State University," Sampson said.
"Tom [Izzo] and I talk about Jud a lot," Sampson continued. "Tom said yesterday, 'If you and I had been playing each other in the Final Four, Jud would have probably been up there, wondering why we didn't play any zone or something.' And he's right. Jud would have found something, that's for sure."
"But those [early] days formed me," Sampson added. "That's why the feeling of coming here [to the Final Four] is not one of accomplishment for me, maybe because of my age. It's more gratitude, that you still have an opportunity to do this."
Of course, long before he took the Cougars to its second national semifinal in five years, Sampson coached at Montana Tech, producing a run of unparalleled success that eventually resulted in the Orediggers naming their home court after him.
Sampson's Digs won three straight Frontier Conference tournaments from 1983 to 1985, a feat only finally surpassed by the Montana Tech men of today, who their fourth straight regular season and postseason titles this year.
In reflecting on his coaching path from humble beginnings to the national stage, Sampson talked about his relationship with Jud Heathcote, under whom both he and Tom Izzo served as assistants at Michigan State, before Sampson took to Montana Tech in 1980.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson reflects on start at Montana Tech, relationship with Jud Heathcote ahead of Final Four
BUTTE, Mont. -- The name 'Kelvin Sampson' is a hallowed one in Butte, America. And the current Houston men's basketball coach gave his old job a shoutout in a press
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Heathcote famously coached five seasons at Montana in the early '70s before winning a national championship with the Spartans, taking the Griz to the Sweet Sixteen and earning Big Sky Coach of the Year in 1975.
"Jud is the only reason why I got the job at Montana Tech, and he's the only reason why I became head coach at 31 years old at Washington State University," Sampson said.
"Tom [Izzo] and I talk about Jud a lot," Sampson continued. "Tom said yesterday, 'If you and I had been playing each other in the Final Four, Jud would have probably been up there, wondering why we didn't play any zone or something.' And he's right. Jud would have found something, that's for sure."
"But those [early] days formed me," Sampson added. "That's why the feeling of coming here [to the Final Four] is not one of accomplishment for me, maybe because of my age. It's more gratitude, that you still have an opportunity to do this."
