University of Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson interviewed with the Bucks about their coaching vacancy, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Sampson has an NBA background, having spent six years in the league as an assistant coach, including three in Milwaukee. He left for the NCAA in 2014 and has turned the Cougars into one of college basketball’s best programs, making four straight trips to the Sweet 16.
Wojnarowski notes that Sampson has worked with general manager Jon Horst, who was part of the Bucks’ front office while Sampson was an assistant under Scott Skiles from 2008-11.
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Milwaukee has been conducting an extensive search since Mike Budenholzer was fired following a first-round playoff loss, but Sampson is the first college coach to get an interview, sources tell Wojnarowski.
The process has mainly focused on current NBA assistants such as Charles Lee, Kenny Atkinson, Scott Brooks, Adrian Griffin, Chris Quinn and Kevin Young, along with former Hornets head coach James Borrego. The Bucks are also reported to have interest in Monty Williams, who was fired by the Suns over the weekend.
Wizards assistant Joseph Blair also recently had an interview in Milwaukee, Wojnarowski tweets. Blair won a G League championship with Rio Grande Valley in 2019 before becoming an assistant with Philadelphia, Minnesota and Washington.
Sampson is a better college coach. Needs to just stay at UH and finish out his career. (Unless he is leaving to let his kid take over)
How do you know? He never was a head coach in the NBA. No way to know that
Head? No….but he was an assistant at Milwaukee and Houston from 2008 – 2014. Why do you think he came back to the college game instead of staying in the nba? In 6 seasons teams he coached made the playoffs 2 times and never got past the first round in those 2 times.
He was never offered a head coaching position either in the 6 years despite his past college success and being on teams that needed new head coaches.
I don’t need to see head coaching experience in the nba to show that he’s more of a college coach. There’s enough data there.
Sampson can really coach. If he has the desire and energy to to make the jump, I’d give him a long look. Not sure about MIL as a fit for him, although I’m not sure who would fit there. They had the right coach.
Sampson is highly regarded within the Milwaukee organization. He went to the NBA after getting fired by Indiana, and built up great respect for his ability to coach. Don’t be surprised if he is the guy.