Big 12 Coach Interviews for Bucks Head Coaching Job

Milwaukee is thinking outside the box in its coaching search.

One of the winningest active head coaches in men's college basketball is being considered for an opening at the NBA level. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Milwaukee Bucks have interviewed Houston's Kelvin Sampson for its vacant head coaching position.

Why are the Bucks interested in Sampson?

Well, he does have some experience working in the NBA, including with the Bucks. So, it's not as random as you might think. Prior to being named the head coach at the University of Houston in 2014, Sampson spent the 2008-2011 seasons as an assistant with the Bucks and then served in the same role with the Houston Rockets from 2011-14.

Sampson has done a remarkable job with the Cougars, turning them into a national championship contender year in and year out. When he took over the program, Houston had only one NCAA Tournament appearance this century (2009-10). The Cougars had a postseason drought that lasted nearly 20 years. Sampson has guided UH to the big dance in five of the past six years and earned a No. 1 seed this past season.

It remains to be seen whether or not Houston will have similar success in the challenging Big 12 Conference but they certainly have the talent, coaching, and recruiting base to be a factor. Houston will play its first season as a Big 12 member this year.

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