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The Cougars foundation meant sliding past a Texas law.
Kelvin Sampson admits Houston was a no-go without nepotism hires originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Kelvin Sampson has never been shy about the unconventional path that helped transform the Houston Cougars into a national power.
According to the legendary coach, the job might not have worked without a little help from family. During a recent interview with Jason Whitlock, Sampson acknowledged that what some might call nepotism was actually building the foundation of Houston’s program. “When the job came open, my son, Kellen, had just been fired at Appalachian State,” Sampson said.
“My daughter, Lauren, was also someone I believed was incredibly talented in marketing and promotions and she’s a basketball nut. ” At the time, Sampson said he told his wife Karen that Houston’s interest intrigued him, but there was one major obstacle. Texas’ strict rules regarding nepotism in public institutions had to go.
“I asked them about their nepotism policy,” Sampson said. “They told me Texas has a nepotism law. I told them, if I can’t hire my son and my daughter, I don’t think this will work.