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The Houston basketball team fell short of its first-ever national championship on Monday night, losing 65-63 to the Florida Gators. The Cougars controlled that contest for much of the action. A late collapse ended their title pursuit.
The loss was costly in more ways than one. Not only did it put a disappointing end to a successful season, but it cost head coach Kelvin Sampson half a million dollars.
Sampson’s contract was a talking point leading into the national championship game. Most of the discussion revolved around a potential succession plan in the event of the coach’s retirement.
Many speculated that he’d call it quits after a win. A clause in his agreement states that he can name his son as his replacement when that time comes.
Houston did not win the basketball game. Their head coach has announced no plans for leaving at this point. Now, the discussion has shifted to his contract’s bonus structure.
Kelvin Sampson missed out on $500K at the national title game.
According to Front Office Sports, Kelvin Sampson made $500,000 in bonus money due to his team’s success in the postseason. That number would’ve doubled with a win over the Gators.
He seemed destined to cash in with the Cougars holding a double-digit second half advantage. Unfortunately, his team went cold in the clutch.
Houston grabbed a 10-8 lead five minutes into the matchup. They wouldn’t trail until the final minute of play. Florida outscored Houston by 14 points over the last 16 minutes. The Gators led for all of 64 seconds of gametime.
Kelvin Sampson missed out on a major payday when his team’s final offensive attempt was thwarted. He stood motionless in a state of disgust watching the Cougars turn the ball over for a fourth straight possession.
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While the $500,000 would’ve been the cherry on top of a national championship run, Sampson still earned more in bonus money than his counterpart, Todd Golden.
Golden cashed in on $400,000 in postseason earnings. Sampson had surpassed that number before the opening tip of the finale. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to secure his final payout. Now, he’ll look ahead to a decision on his coaching future.