Texas Tech Basketball: 9 candidates to replace Chris Beard as head coach

Why Texas Tech basketball could hire Kelvin Sampson

Among the candidates we’ve examined to this point, most of them have made their names in recent years at the mid-major level or have certain connections to Texas Tech. There are still a few coaches to consider that would be much more high-profile additions. There’s no reason for Texas Tech not to swing for the fences, and Sampson would clearly be a home run hire for the school.

Sampson has been a coach for more than four decades and has made his mark all over the country. He was successful at both Montana Tech and Washington State as head coach. He led Oklahoma to the Final Four before flaming out at Indiana due to a recruiting scandal. After a brief banishment from the collegiate game, he’s returned in an impressive way at Houston, leading this year’s Cougars to their first Final Four in nearly forty years.

Texas Tech and the Big 12 would be a nice step up for Sampson from Houston. However, he’s already 65 and might be satisfied with spending the rest of his career with the Cougars, especially if they can continue dominating the AAC. He’s certainly shown that he can win big games and recruiting battles in the state of Texas, but could both sides agree on the right deal for him to end an outstanding coaching career in Lubbock?