Did Kelvin Sampson leverage his Bucks interview into more money? The Houston HC lands an extension, raise

Kelvin Sampson has been one of the best collegiate head coaches of the previous decade and finally made his worth known. Sampson flirted with jumping to the NBA as a candidate for the Milwaukee Bucks head coaching position before Adrian Griffin was hired. After he made his intentions known, the Houston Cougars agreed to a contract extension to make him one of the highest paid in the nation.

He was scheduled to make $3.4 million this season before the extension but now is slated to make a reported $5 million annually throughout the length of the deal. Sampson was previously an assistant coach with the Bucks from 2008-11 and it made the move seem more realistic than the Cougars wanted to believe.

But did Kelvin Sampson use this interview and potentially jump back to the NBA as a way to gain some leverage to get an extension and a pay raise? The answer is a resounding yes.

What has Kelvin Sampson done throughout his coaching career?

Kevin Sampson has been coaching for over 40 years and has shown the ability to do a successful job in multiple locations. He began as a graduate assistant for the Michigan State Spartans between 1979-1980. He moved to Montana Tech as an assistant coach for two seasons before getting his first head coaching opportunity from 1981-1985.

He left in 1985 and joined the Washington State Cougars as an assistant coach for three seasons before becoming their head coach in 1987 until 1994. There, he made a jump to become the head coach for the Oklahoma Sooners until 2006. He then spent three seasons with the Indiana Hoosiers.

Kelvin Sampson decided to leave college basketball and try his footing in the NBA. In 2008, he joined the Milwaukee Bucks until 2011 and went to the Houston Rockets in the same position until 2014. After that, he was named the head coach of the Houston Cougars.

What is Kelvin Sampson's career record and postseason success?

Kelvin Ssamson has an overall record of 657-301 throughout his extensive coaching career. His .686 winning percentage is 91st in college basketball history, while his 657 is 34th. His teams have made the NCAA Tournament 19 times and he has a 24-19 record in those games.

Last season, the Houston Cougars were ranked first in the nation in the AP Poll. That was the first time in Sampson's coaching career that a team reached the top ranking in NCAA.