Mitch Lawrence who covers the NBA for the Sporting News just “Tweeted” Orlando Magic looking at Kelvin Sampson for its head coaching vacancy. That is not a good job though it probably pays 5 times what he makes here.
Should be an interesting development. I know Sampson loves coaching college kids but he was one of the ones I wish the Rockets hired to replace McHale.
Need to give CKS a raise.
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If offered, this typically would be a no-brainer for Sampson. But I think it speaks loads to how far up we’ve come…and how much potential we have moving forward if Sampson decides to stay.
I hope he sticks around another decade…but can’t fault him if he wants to give the NBA a chance.
Gut feeling is that he stays. Unless there is some kind of conflict we don’t know about with CKS and AD Pezman (which I doubt), CKS has said on a number of occasions that 1) he prefers college over the NBA, 2) he’s all about family and I doubt he’d be able to take his kids with him, especially since Kellen would probably be the one to replace him, 3) he’s said that he wants to see this through, and 4) the Magic job would be a struggle.
I mean, you never know about coaches, but I’d like to think CKS has been honest with all of us just as he has been with the kids he’s recruited.
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If he wanted to coach in the NBA, why would he have left the Rockets/league to coach UH? Don’t see him leaving at this point in his career
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He just wanted to be a head coach again. It wasn’t really about wanting to get back to college for him and he didn’t seem like he was that close to landing a head coaching gig in the NBA at the time. If he would have been offered the Magic job at the same time as ours when he came here I’m guessing he would have taken it based on things he’s said before.
That said, pure speculation, but I doubt he would leave us for that job. The Magic are a mess and with the type of competitor Sampson is I think he has to want to take this program even further now, especially with all the momentum he has going. If his name was in the mix for something like Milwaukee or Charlotte (NC is home for him and his wife), I would be worried. Then again, if his name is out there as a potential front runner it’s tough to piece together what exactly that means but it’s obviously not great to hear.
If Sampson bounces the timing would be … not great in terms of selling tix to a new arena.
I don’t think he would leave for Orlando…but I wouldn’t say he wouldn’t leave for any NBA job. NBA $$$ is insane.
It is for some but there’s a lot of variability in salaries. Given Sampson’s resume and that he’s not really at the top of the general candidate mill most teams are looking at, I’d expect him to get something like 4 years 12 million for a job like the Magic. That’s a lot, but it’s not insane for him to turn it down to stay considering he’d likely get fired from that job after a couple of years. But if they or someone else wanted him bad enough and were offering an upper mid tier coaching deal along the lines of 4 year, $24 million or something, that gets a lot harder to pass up.
If this happens, and especially if Kellen goes with him, I am going to lose it. Why can’t we have nice things? Baseball just won a huge series, this is supposed to be happy time.
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the question is what jobs will be open? bucks, and raptors the only ones open so far and it looks like they are dead set in hiring coach bud.
Are you sure UH would roll the dice on Kellen? I assumed UH would target TSU or PVA&M for a Sampson replacement if needed.
It is interesting that it took Kelvin moving back to college to be rumored for a NBA job. Will be interesting to follow. Most knew that he needs a raise based on results and the AAC salary landscape but how much will be “enough”?
I would. I think he is ready. He has been an assistant coach for what, 7 years? He would already be familiar with the players as well.
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We better kick the tires on Pitino before just handing the job to Kellen.
If CKS does go, I’ve always been a fan of Mike Davis. Plus, his son is already signed with the Coogs. Good fit, IMO.
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Having a Briles AND a Pitino on the school’s payroll at a single time in 2018?
That’s some scorched earth stuff. I’m here for it.
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I was interested in Mike after he got fired at UAB and we had Dickey. However, now I don’t think he’s a good fit here. He doesn’t recruit at TSU at all. Literally he just has people send him tapes. He schedules these ridiculous road heavy OOC schedules so he’s prepared to do well in the SWAC. I think he is doing an awesome job at TSU and is a perfect fit there.
We took a chance on Kelvin…and…Kelvin took a chance on us.
It just feels like he is supposed to be here. I hope he wants to see this transformation through…all the while training his son to take over the program for the next twenty years after he (dad) retires.
I hope to have no problem with naming the next new basketball arena the ‘SampsonDome’ after father and son. 
Prepare to have some version of this article jammed down our throats until the end of time. Even for us, Pitino is probably a bridge too far.
https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/09/27/louisville-coach-rick-pitino-ousted
You have to think Kellen would get the job, whether he’s ready for it or not. He likely keeps the recruiting classes together and keeps the current kids from transferring. Probably as importantly, he’s available. CKS leaving now would put us in a lurch since the coaching carousel has largely stopped.
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