Former Washington State University men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson is a leading candidate for the Brooklyn Nets’ vacant coaching position if Phil Jackson does not take the job, sources told ESPN.com and Yahoo Sports.
Sampson, 57, is in his second year as assistant coach of the NBA’s Houston Rockets. He spent the previous three years as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Sampson posted a 7-6 record as interim coach of the Rockets this season when Kevin McHale took a leave of absence to be with his fatally ill daughter.
Sampson coached the Cougars from 1987-88 through 1993-94. Sampson guided the Cougars to the 1992 National Invitation Tournament and the 1994 NCAA tournament. He was named coach of the year in the Pacific-10 Conference in 1991-92.
Sampson and his staff ran afoul of NCAA recruiting rules at Oklahoma and Indiana. Sampson resigned under pressure at Indiana in 2008.
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