After an incident following No. 13 Houston’s loss Saturday at No.9 Alabama basketball, coaches Kelvin and Kellen Sampson have apologized to Alabama.
Kelvin Sampson is Houston’s head coach. Kellen, his son, is an assistant coach for the Cougars.
Alabama (7-1) beat Houston, 83-82 at Coleman Coliseum.
Following a JD Davidson put-back dunk in the final minute, Houston (8-2) missed a 3-point attempt and the subsequent tip-in was blocked by Davidson. Houston believed that there was a goaltending and wanted a review.
Houston players and coaches followed officials as they left the court to make their case for a review. Videos posted on social media showed players and staff knocking over chairs and a trash can on the way off the court.
One of the staff members seen on video was assistant coach Kellen Sampson. Kellen took to Twitter to apologize for his actions.
At the conclusion of yesterday’s game, I allowed my emotions to bubble over. I sincerely apologize to @AlabamaMBB and their fan base for my actions. I understand my role as a coach and my reaction was not indicative of a leader of men. I will be better moving forward.
— Kellen Sampson (@kellenmsampson) December 13, 2021
Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne posted a Tweet on Sunday saying Kelvin Sampson called and apologized to himself and Alabama coach Nate Oats.
Just received a call from @CoachSampsonUH, someone I’ve known since I was in high school. He sincerely apologized for how things ended after last night’s game in Coleman. He also called @nate_oats. Thanks Coach Sampson for reaching out.
— Greg Byrne (@Greg_Byrne) December 13, 2021
After an incident following No. 13 Houston’s loss Saturday at No.9 Alabama basketball, coaches Kelvin and Kellen Sampson have apologized to Alabama. Kelvin Sampson is Houston’s head coach. Kellen, his son, is an assistant coach for the Cougars.Alabama (7-1) beat Houston, 83-82 at Coleman Coliseum. Following a JD Davidson put-back dunk in the final minute, Houston (8-2) missed a 3-point attempt and the subsequent tip-in was blocked by Davidson. Houston believed that there was a goaltending and wanted a review. Houston players and coaches followed officials as they left the court to make their case for a review. Videos posted on social media showed players and staff knocking over chairs and a trash can on the way off the court.One of the staff members seen on video was assistant coach Kellen Sampson. Kellen took to Twitter to apologize for his actions. At the conclusion of yesterday’s game, I allowed my emotions to bubble over. I sincerely apologize to @AlabamaMBB and their fan base for my actions. I understand my role as a coach and my reaction was not indicative of a leader of men. I will be better moving forward.— Kellen Sampson (@kellenmsampson) December 13, 2021Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne posted a Tweet on Sunday saying Kelvin Sampson called and apologized to himself and Alabama coach Nate Oats. Just received a call from @CoachSampsonUH, someone I’ve known since I was in high school. He sincerely apologized for how things ended after last night’s game in Coleman. He also called @nate_oats. Thanks Coach Sampson for reaching out.— Greg Byrne (@Greg_Byrne) December 13, 2021