Lumbee Legend - Kelvin Sampson

Kelvin Dale Sampson was born in 1955 to Mr. John Willie “Ned” Sampson (a legendary high school basketball coach of more than 34 years and member of UNC Pembroke Athletics Hall of Fame) and Mrs. Eve Sampson (who served as the director of nursing at UNCP for 25 years) – both of whom are respected local community leaders within our close-knit Lumbee community.  

 

Mr. Sampson is no stranger to hard work as he was raised by parents who had a strong work ethic. He has previously discussed laboring in the tobacco market at the young age of 12, sometimes in stifling temperatures as high as 120 degrees in a room thick with tobacco dust. The value of hard work instilled in him at a young age was easily identifiable during his senior year in high school – as he was 1st team all-conference in all three sports. He was a quarterback in football; catcher in baseball and point guard in basketball.

 

Mr. Sampson stated (during an interview with Penny Hardaway), “I always thought I would be an attorney. I majored in political science and took the law school exam and was accepted into law school at Wake Forest but my mother pulled me aside my senior year in college and said ‘Kelvin – you may want to coach one day and you are going to need a teaching certificate’ as she thought I was going to coach in high school. That just made sense to me as I always listened to my mother. So, I went and got a double major in Health and Physical Education. I did that so I could get my teaching certificate.”

 

One quote Mrs. Eve repeated often to her children was “don’t ever be defined by your limitations, be defined by your ambition.” While his mother saw a high school coaching position in his future; life had a different plan for Mr. Sampson - who would go on to become a highly successful American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach of the University of Houston men’s basketball team and a longtime figure in NCAA Division I coaching. Mr. Sampson has led multiple programs to NCAA Tournament appearances and Final Four runs during his decades-long career.

When discussing the secret to his success, Mr. Sampson has been very forthcoming regarding the fact that “we’re real stubborn about certain things, like how hard you play and compete. Those things aren’t negotiated or discussed. I can live with you not being the most talented kid in the gym. But I can’t live with you not being the hardest-working kid in the gym.” It’s that mentality that has left a lasting impression on everyone he has ever worked with.

 

Mr. Sampson’s success in high-profile college basketball has made him a source of pride and inspiration for many in the Lumbee community. He has often spoken proudly of his heritage and its influence on his life as it continues to play an important role in his personal narrative and community impact. Mr. Sampson has been described as a “big vision of hope” by Tribal leaders, when discussing his impact to the Lumbee community.

 

While Lumbee Nation will always support and encourage Mr. Sampson as he continues to pursue his dreams – his main support system revolves around his wife (Karen), his son (Kellen) and daughter (Lauren); as he understands the importance and value of a supportive family unit. “We all come from somewhere and there is no such place as a perfect place, nor a bad place. It’s what you make of where you came from.”