Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) dribbles the ball during the second half of an NCAA men’s college basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025 in Houston, Texas. | Oscar Herrera/The Cougar

No. 4 Houston basketball clinched a share of the Big 12 conference regular season title for the second straight year with a vengeful 69-61 victory over No. 10 Texas Tech in Lubbock on Monday night

The Cougars improved to 24-4 and a remarkable 16-1 conference record, extending their conference road winning streak to 13 games. 

Junior guard Milos Uzan scored a career-best 22 points and made three 3-pointers in his 11th straight outing making a shot from beyond the arc.

“This team has so much belief in me, and I feel like I can knock down any shot during the game,” Uzan said.

Graduate forward J’Wan Roberts also added 16 points with a career high 10 made free throws.

After being down as much as 10 with just under four minutes remaining, Texas Tech went on a late 8-2 run and cut the lead down to just three at 62-59 with 1:12 remaining. 

Houston called a timeout, but Uzan once again delivered in the clutch, draining a crucial 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired to give the Cougars a 65-59 lead with 45 seconds left.

”Milos controlled the game,” Roberts said. “He let everyone know that we can win in this environment.”

UH shot 50% from beyond the arc (6/12) and made 19 out of their 23 free throws (83%) to get it done in a hostile road environment. 

Tech just made six out of their 30 3-point attempts and certainly missed senior guard Chance McMillian and junior forward Darrion Williams in that category, who were sidelined.

“That crowd and that old Red Raider quarterback (Patrick Mahomes) that showed up had to be worth at least 10 points,” coach Kelvin Sampson said.

Halfway through the second half, UH took their largest lead of the game at that point, 50-44 after a layup from graduate guard Mylik Wilson, forcing a Texas Tech timeout. 

The Cougars continued to grow the lead and it reached up to a game-high 10 points after a made free throw from Roberts.

The sixth year leader had a couple of crucial layups late and made his presence felt to reach a comfortable advantage.

Sophomore forward Joseph Tugler started the scoring for Houston with the first four points.

The Cougars got out to a 6-2 lead before Texas Tech tied it. This matchup was expected to be tight and it went back and forth throughout the first half. 

After being down 19-16, Houston went on a 7-0 run and took a 23-19 lead after a tough layup made by Uzan plus the foul. 

Redshirt junior guard Emanuel Sharp hit huge back-to-back threes before Houston took a five-point lead. Eventually, the halftime score was 33-30 in favor of the Cougars. 

Uzan was the leading scorer with 12 points and UH made 4/7 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Texas Tech was just 20% from three (3/15) and 33% overall from the field. 

The Red Raiders tied it immediately after the break, but UH took back the lead and grew it back up to five on a second-chance triple from Uzan. Tugler had a thunderous dunk four minutes in as the Cougars maintained their advantage. 

Up next, UH looks to outright win its second straight Big 12 title at home against Cincinnati Saturday, March 1, at 3:30 p.m. 

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“No. 4 Houston men’s basketball clinches share of Big 12 title with win at No. 10 Texas Tech” was originally posted on The Cougar

Houston freshman Prentice Sanders II hands off the baton to freshman Sahfi Reed during the Men’s 4×400 Meter Relay at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitation, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

The men’s 4×400-meter relay team, which included three freshmen, Sahfi Reed, Prentice Sanders III and King Taylor, as well as senior Trey East III, won at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitational with a time of 3:09.05. This time set the meet record and a Yeoman Fieldhouse record, and the relay team now has the fourth-fastest time in the country as Houston track opener their indoor season Friday.

Additionally, Houston totaled nine first-place finishes, seven second-place and eight third-place finishes.

The freshman continued to impress as Kali Magana opened the day up for Houston with a win in the women’s 600-yard race. Magana’s time was 1:25.36, the fifth fastest time in program history.

Emily Pharris claimed victory in the women’s 1-mile run with a time of 5:01.26.

The Cougars achieved their first sweep of the meet in the men’s 60-meter hurdles as senior Jamar Marshall Jr. won the event with a time of 7.70, which was the second fastest time in program history and the nation.

Junior Anthony Trucks took second with 7.86 in his Houston debut and sophomore Jairius Burton finished the sweep with a personal best of 7.88.

Junior Kaycee McCoy won for the first time as a Cougar in the women’s 60-meter hurdles with 8.42.

Houston had another sweep, this one in the men’s 200-meter with East III’s first-place finish and personal best time of 21.19. Reed came in second and Taylor was third.

Houston started their field victories with junior Turey Stoudmire winning the men’s high jump with a mark of 2.10m.

The Cougars swept the women’s pole vault as freshman Eygenia Panagioto took the top spot with a height of 3.95m, the fifth-best value in school history.

Freshman Kaylee Daniel took second and sophomore Laney Kucera was in third.

The Cougars closed the evening with sophomore Cordell Nwokeji winning the men’s shot put as he had a mark of 17.94m on his first attempt.

Next, Houston will compete in the Ted Nelson Invitational vs Texas A&M on Jan. 24-25 in College Station, Texas.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Houston track and field begins indoor season with record breaking performance” was originally posted on The Cougar

Houston forward Ja’Vier Francis (5) leaps into the air to block Notre Dame guard Matt Allocco (41) during the first half of their Players Era Festival game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, in Las Vegas, Nev. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

On a late night in Las Vegas, Nev. Houston men’s basketball bounced back and won 65-54 over Notre Dame to secure their first victory of the Player’s Era Festival on Nov. 27.

Graduate forward J’Wan Roberts also tied Houston forward Fabian White Jr. for the most wins in UH history with 121. 

“J’Wan Roberts is a special kid and a special player,” coach Kelvin Sampson said. 

UH was led by junior guard Emanuel Sharp with 17 points, with 14 of them being scored in the second half.

The Cougars got out to a fast 6-0 start, trying to erase any memory from their previous night’s loss to Alabama. 

The Fighting Irish tightened the gap, but Houston took control with an eight-point lead at 21-13 thanks to a pull-up jumper from redshirt sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux. 

The Cougars stayed in the driver’s seat even after a late in first half push from Notre Dame. They had the momentum going into halftime after a 3-pointer and turnaround jumper from Arceneaux. 

UH led 39-31 halfway through due to an impressive 13 points off the bench from Arceneaux, who shot a perfect 6/6 from the field in the first half. 

Junior point guard Milos Uzan had a strong bounceback in the first half after struggling vs Alabama, with eight points and seven assists in his hometown of Las Vegas. 

The Cougars had a better offensive performance in the first 20 minutes shooting 59% from the field. 

The Fighting Irish cut the lead down to just one at 45-44 early in the second half with a 7-0 run.

Houston responded with a layup from Roberts and a three from Sharp to bring the lead back up to five. 

The Cougars defense stepped up their intensity, as Notre Dame was held without a field goal for over eight minutes. 

Graduate guard LJ Cryer was able to score a mid range jumper followed by Sharp which brought the lead to 54-45. 

Roberts then attacked the rim and drew the and-one on a bucket which got the momentum back to Houston and increased the lead to 56-47 with under four minutes to go. 

Sharp put the game away in style on a three pointer from near the halfcourt logo that extended the lead to 10 at 59-49. 

Uzan finished it off on a fadeaway mid range jumper. The Vegas native ended up with a strong performance of 10 points and 10 assists, which was UH’s first double double of the season. 

Houston led the entire way as the Cougars forced 12 turnovers which led to 13 second chance points. 

“Our defense won the game. Good teams win games even when the ball isn’t going in,” Sampson said.

UH will look to build off this victory on Saturday in their final game of the Players Era Festival against San Diego State at 6 p.m. 

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Houston men’s basketball wins in late night game against Notre Dame” was originally posted on The Cougar

Lily Huynh/The Cougar

Houston men’s golf is in the midst of its fall break before it starts the spring season at the Border Olympics at Laredo Country Club on Feb.17-18, 2025.

In March, the men will head to the Cabo Collegiate on March 2 through 4 before returning home to compete in the All-American Intercollegiate. They will round out the month with the Valspar Collegiate Invitational on March 24 and 25, and Thunderbird Intercollegiate on April 11 and 12, which concludes just weeks before the Big 12 Championships on April 22 through 24.

In their last tournament of the fall season, the Cougars earned a second-place finish in the White Sands WVU Invitational at the Ocean Golf Club Course. This was the second top-two-team finish for the Cougars during the fall season, with the first being the season opener Argent Financial Classic. 

Junior Hudson Weibel had three straight rounds in the 60’s and finished second with a total of 16-under 200. Senior Wolfgang Glawe continued his impressive season with a UH record of 63 in the first round of Friday, and a final result of fourth with a score of 12-under 204. 

Senior Jacob Borow ended up tied for 13th with his score of 210 and sophomore Chi Chun Chen placed 25th at 214. 

Weibel, Glawe, Borow and Chen all finished with 3-under scores which gave the Cougars Sunday’s second-lowest round at 276 and their overall score of 40-under 824. 

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Men’s golf wraps fall season, looks ahead to spring” was originally posted on The Cougar

Jamal Morris (25) embraces Donovan Smith (1) during a NCAA football game against Iowa State on Sept. 28, 2024 in Houston Texas. | Gillian Wisniewski/The Cougar

Houston football, who is 4-5 looks to win three games in a row and bring their record back to .500 with a Friday night matchup against the Arizona Wildcats, who are 3-6 on the road in Tucson, Ariz. after a bye week. 

Cougars on a roll

After their second bye week, UH looks to pick up where they left off with victories in back-to-back games.

Quarterback Zeon Chriss had a big game vs No. 17 Kansas State and finished 11/11 passing to become the first Houston quarterback in school history to have a perfect completion percentage with 10 or more attempts.

Chriss was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for his winning effort. The Cougars had their highest-ranked win in seven seasons since beating No. 17 South Florida in 2017 with the 24-19 win over Kansas State.

Houston’s defense has stood out throughout the year, ranked 24th nationally after being 104th last season.

The team is making strides on special teams, with freshman punter Liam Dougherty earning special teams player of the week for his performance vs Kansas State.

Houston has also improved their running game with two rushing touchdowns in the last two games. UH has run for 1208 yards over the last seven games and ranks 23rd in rushing among Power Four schools, even with a trio of freshman running backs.

“I think they can all play at his level, and they’re doing a great job,” coach Willie Fritz said. 

A winnable game

Houston leads the all-time series vs Arizona 3-1. The teams’ last matchup came in 2018 in the form of a 45-18 win at TDECU Stadium.

The Wildcats have not won a game since Sept.28 vs Utah and are on a five-game losing streak.

Arizona is currently 2-4 at home and coming off a 56-12 beating at UCF. This game offers a great opportunity for the Cougars to make a statement win on the road.

Arizona ranks 14th in the Big 12 in total offense and defense and 13th in both rushing offense and defense.

Arizona sophomore quarterback Noah Fifita currently ranks fifth in passing in the conference, but Houston has the potential to limit them and take on a weak Wildcats defense. 

“They’ve got a super experienced quarterback and one of the best wide receivers in the country,” Fritz said. “They got multiple defensive packages, so we’ve got to do a good job of looking at our keys and clues to predetermine what we’re going to do.”

Rising expectations

The Cougars beat the top two preseason favorites of the Big 12 in the last two weeks in Utah and Kansas State.

A victory vs Arizona would propel Houston one win away from bowl eligibility with two more games left. This potential three-game win streak would also be their longest since Oct. 7-29, 2022.

With momentum on their side after two huge wins, Houston’s chances to play meaningful football in the last few weeks are legit.

Fritz has this team in a position many did not think possible at the start of the year. Houston was projected to finish 15th in the Big 12 standings out of 16 and what was rated the hardest schedule in the conference.

Currently, the Cougars are 11th and can continue to rise if they have their fourth Big 12 win in the last five games.

Their bowl hopes are still alive, needing six wins to clinch a bid. A win against Arizona is vital since they will round out their season with a matchup against another ranked and currently undefeated opponent BYU.

“Our morale was down, so we got that win against Utah, that boosted our morale. Then we came together and said we can do this,” senior linebacker Jamal Morris said. “I’m proud of the guys for the way we stuck together and understood the assignment and knowing the season is not over.”

The game will kick of at 9:15 p.m. at Arizona Stadium and will be streamed on FS1.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Week 12 preview: Houston football strives for three game win streak” was originally posted on The Cougar

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

Houston swim and dive opened their 2024-25 season in the Houston Diving Invitational and Rice Fall Splash with 26 podium finishes and 10 1st-place winners.

Freshman Lottie Cullen was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for her three first-place finishes and a pair of second-place places, including the seventh-fastest time in program history for the 100-yard backstroke.

The two-day event was split into different locations between the CRWC Natatorium for diving and the Rice Competition pool for swimming.

On day one of the Houston Diving Invitational, the Cougars placed second and third in the one-meter event.

Sophomore Michelle McLeod scored 291.65 for second, and graduate Hedda Grelz took third with a score of 279.85.

Grelz and McLeod continued their strong day with another second and third-place finish with Grelz scoring 299.25 and McLeod with 290.75.

The Cougars swept the podium in the 100-yard breaststroke, as senior Henrietta Fangli took first with a time of 1:02.8. At the same time, junior Virag Peter got second with 1:02.88 and sophomore Evelyn Entrekin rounded out the top three with 1:03.01.

Houston had two podium finishes in the 200-yard backstroke as Cullen clinched her first individual podium finish in second (1:59.92), and sophomore Elizabeth Jimenez got third with 2:01.18.

UH had two more podium finishes in the 400-yard medley relay team of Cullen, Fangli, senior Mary Catherine Jurica and junior Noor El Gendy took the top spot with a time of 3:43.59. Jimenez, Entrekin, junior Jenna Kerkman and senior Adelaide Meuter took third (3:48.27).

Gendy got first in the 200-yard butterfly (2:02.56) followed by Meuter in second (2:03.06).

Entrekin and Fangli added on in the 100-yard individual medley with second (57.77) and third (58.29).

In the 100-yard freestyle, the Cougars had two more podium finishes as junior Liya Goupil won with a time of 51.30 and Jurica got second with 51.49.

To end the day, UH got third in the 400-yard individual medley as sophomore Sydney Nethercutt swam in 4:27.72 and a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

On the second day of the Houston diving invitational, the Cougars swept the podium with McLeod who led the way in first with a score of 250.8, Grelz in second with 243.7, and freshman Caroline Roelen in third. Houston took the top two spots in team diving as well with Roelen, Grelz, and graduate Emilia Waters taking first.

Houston won the Rice Fall Splash with the highest team score of 383.5 compared to Rice’s 286.

In the 100-yard backstroke, Cullen took first with the seventh-fastest time in team history of 54.5. Jimenez also got second in the event.

The Cougars took first and third in the 200-yard breaststroke as junior Virag Peter won with a time of 2:16.5 and Fangli got third. El Gendy continued her dominance with her third first-place finish of the tournament in the 100-yard butterfly (56.41), while Meuter took second.

Houston won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:43.34 while earning second in the 40-yard freestyle relay. Goupil added another podium finish with a second in the 50-yard freestyle.

Next up, UH goes to College Station for a dual meet with Texas A&M on Oct. 24.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Houston swim and dive starts season with 26 podium finishes, Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honor” was originally posted on The Cougar

Redshirt junior middle blocker Barakat Rahmon (13) and senior outside hitter Katie Corelli (21) celebrate their success in a NCAA volleyball match on Oct. 7 in Houston. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar.

Houston volleyball beat West Virginia 3-1 on Friday night at Fertitta Center. Their valiant effort marked their first Big 12 home win on the season.

UH jumped out to a 6-2 early lead in the fourth set and extended it to 12-6. West Virginia came back and made it close late at 19-15.

The Cougars answered with a couple of kills to stay in control before closing out the fourth set 25-20 on a kill from redshirt junior middle blocker Barakat Rahmon.

“It was really exciting. West Virginia got after it, but it was really fun to see our team compete, especially in that fourth set,” said associate head coach Caitlin Nolan-Ayeni. “The way we came out is how we need to start coming out every match. Any win in the Big 12 is a good win, so you gotta cherish it.”

The Cougars and Mountaineers went point for point to start the match. West Virginia took a 14-10 lead, but Houston was able to come back and tie it at 17.

UH went on a 6-2 run to take a 20-18 lead, but West Virginia charged back and took a 23-21 advantage.

The Cougars kept fighting and tied the set at 24, before winning in comeback fashion 26-24. UH finished the set on a 5-1 run, including two late kills from senior outside hitter Katie Corelli.

Houston got out to a quick 11-6 lead thanks to a 6-1 run to take control of the second set early, which included three straight aces from graduate outside hitter Angela Grieve.

The Cougars continued to dominate with a 15-8 lead. UH started to pile on late and closed it out 25-14 to win the second set with back-to-back kills from junior outside hitter Avery Shimaitis.

The Mountaineers had a strong start to the third set and jumped out to a 7-3 lead. Houston tried to answer back, but West Virginia added on to take an 18-11 advantage.

Suddenly, the Cougars woke up and once again answered with a 9-3 run to bring it back to just a one-point lead for West Virginia at 21-20. The Mountaineers closed it out and won the third set 25-22.

Grieve and Corelli led the way for UH with 10 and 11 kills respectively. Graduate libero Kate Georgiades also had 23 digs.

The Cougars improved to 7-7 on the season and 2-2 in the Big 12. UH will look to keep the momentum going vs Iowa State at home on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Cougars capture second Big 12 win on their home court” was originally posted on The Cougar

Houston’s junior outside hitter Avery Shimaitis (9) spikes the ball passed Ole Miss’ Payton Brgoch (4) and Nia Washington (6) during the second half of an NCAA women’s college volleyball game, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Houston. | Oscar Herrera/The Cougar

Houston volleyball traveled to Lawrence, Kan. on Sept. 27 to take on No. 9 Kansas. Even with a strong comeback in the fourth set, the Cougars fell short and lost 3-1.

UH put up their best performance in the fourth set. Houston built up a 21-17 lead and looked in good position to force a fifth set. Kansas came up clutch with a 9-3 run at the end to win the match in an extremely close 26-24 fourth set.

The Cougars went point for point in the first set. Down 20-18, Houston went on a 7-2 run to close it out and take their first and only set win with a 25-22 score.

Houston was down from the start in the second set. The Jayhawks jumped out to a lead and held it throughout. UH tried to fight back, but it ultimately wasn’t close as the Jayhawks went on a 7-1 run to win the second set dominantly 25-14.

The Cougars got off to a better start in the third set as they stayed close down 13-12 halfway through. However, Kansas once again went on a late 6-2 run to take a commanding lead. The Jayhawks won the third set 25-17.

Notables include Graduate outside hitter Angela Grieve, who recorded her 200th career block in the match, and junior outside hitter Avery Shimaitas, who finished with 12 kills. Ashlyn Bellamy completed an 11-kil, 11-dig double-double in her first collegiate start.

Houston dropped to 6-6 on the season and 1-1 in the Big 12 play. The Cougars will look to bounce back on Wednesday as they open home conference play against No. 22 TCU.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Houston volleyball’s battle tested begin to conference play” was originally posted on The Cougar

Junior defensive lineman Carlos Allen walks off the field alongside head coach Willie Fritz after losing to No. 18 Iowa State. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

In the Big 12 home opener, the Houston Cougars were once again shutout as the No. 18 and undefeated Iowa State Cyclones controlled the game, followed by a late outburst from their offense in a crushing 20-0 defeat at TDECU Stadium.

The UH offense did not generate and failed to score for two consecutive games, the first time since 1994.

The Cougars’ defense put together a good performance and allowed the fewest passing yards and first downs in a Big 12 game for UH but did not receive any help.

“You have to play sharp and crisp and we didn’t do that. We played hard, but we didn’t play smart,” head coach Willie Fritz said. “We’re not good enough to have untimely penalties or miss a guy blocking wide and get a sack. We have to play a lot smarter.”

Houston came in with a game plan for using a quarterback platoon between senior Donovan Smith and sophomore Zeon Chriss.

Junior running back Stacy Sneed had a 37-yard rush on the opening drive to the Iowa State 38-yard line.

The Cougars could not come up with points, as the two-yard pass from Smith was short on fourth and four.

The Cyclones went on an 11-play first drive but ultimately had to settle for the 23-yard field goal from kicker Kyle Konrardy after a stop from the UH defense on their own five-yard line.

Houston trailed 3-0 in a defensive first 15 minutes at the end of the first quarter.

The Cougars’ defense continued to hold strong as they forced an Iowa State punt, which set up the offense with great field position at their own 42-yard line.

Chriss had a 39-yard run, which was called back due to a penalty.

The halftime score remained 3-0 in favor of the Cyclones.

It was a strong defensive performance from both sides as Houston had 119 total yards compared to 143 for Iowa State.

The Cougars had some success with quarterback-designed runs and Sneed on the ground with 105 rushing yards but did not reach the red zone.

On the first drive of the second half, Houston got a huge stop with the first sack of the game by sophomore defensive lineman Anthony Holmes Jr. It resulted in a missed 42-yard field goal from the Cyclones.

The Cougars’ offense opened up with a trick 16-yard run to junior wide receiver Mekhi Mews, followed by another great 19-yard run from Sneed.

Once again, the offense did not gain a first down in the opponent’s territory.

Iowa State responded with a huge 80-yard drive that resulted in a 12-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht to senior wide receiver Jayden Higgins. At the end of the third quarter, the Cyclones had a 10-0 lead.

On the next Houston drive, junior wide receiver Stephon Johnson fumbled at UH’s 47-yard line after picking up the first down.

The Cyclones took advantage and added three more on a 34-yard field goal.

UH had their most promising drive of the game, a nine-play 72-yard march, but turned it over as Smith threw an interception in the endzone.

The Cyclones essentially put the game away on the ensuing drive as sophomore running back Abu Sama III ran for a 77-yard touchdown as the lead extended to 20-0.

Houston’s offense had three turnovers and only converted one third down the entire game. Neither starting QB for the Cougars had a convincing performance.

“We’re looking for a guy to step up and be the guy. We’re giving two guys the opportunity. If one guy shows it, then he will be the guy. Until that happens, we’re probably going to keep rotating,” Fritz said.

UH will look to improve in their next game Friday at TCU.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Houston football shutout by No. 18 Iowa State, team fails to score for two straight weeks” was originally posted on The Cougar

Ryan Elvin plays in a contest against the University of Louisianna Monroe on Nov. 6, 2023. | Oscar Herrera/The Cougar

In the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Ryan Elvin helped the Houston Cougars men’s basketball team save their season. With four starters fouled out and a game where Texas A&M hit a buzzer-beater three to force overtime, it was the walk-on that made the clutch free throw to help send UH to their fifth straight Sweet 16.

It seemed like a full circle moment for the 6’1 former guard who started the last home game of his UH career. As Elvin was honored pre-game during the senior ceremony, the familiar chant, “We want Elvin,” echoed across Fertitta Center.

Elvin stays humble about his background and skill set as the underdog and hardest worker.  The recent UH graduate is well known as a Houston fan favorite. Head coach Kelvin Sampson used the word “program favorite” to describe him.

“I love Ryan Elvin. I wish every team I coached had Ryan Elvin on it,” Kelvin Sampson said.

After a memorable career as a player, Elvin announced he would be joining the staff as a graduate assistant.

“Coaching is something that I always wanted to get into and played into which college path I decided to take,” Elvin said.

“It’s a blessing playing four years here and being able to be a part of some great teams, meeting all the fans, being around great players, great teammates and coaches,” the new graduate assistant said. “It’s special to start a new journey in a familiar territory and a program that made me into who I am today.”

Elvin could have gone to a Division II or Division III school and spent more time on the court. Instead, he chose to be a walk-on at UH after initially meeting with assistant coach Kellen Sampson the summer before his senior year of high school.

Elvin reached out to both Kellen and Kelvin right before the end of his playing career about his future. Elvin always desired to take on a basketball coaching role.

“When the opportunity came, we talked about it, and they offered me the opportunity to be a GA here at the University of Houston. I’m extremely thankful they did that,” Elvin said.

The Round Rock, Texas, native received plenty of advice from Sampson on how to go about his career. Sampson wanted him to enjoy the time as a player and make the most of that stage of his life.

“They said try to play for as long as possible and enjoy that because your playing career is something you never get back. You can coach for the rest of your life, but you know you only have a small window to play,” Elvin said.

When it comes to coaching advice, it becomes a different perspective.

“They told me welcome to the dark side. coach Sampson really just told me to be grateful for the opportunity,” Elvin said.

Elvin is in the middle of his graduate program, which he started last year. It worked out for him because he’s in the second half of it, which makes the classes less demanding. The program works around him, and all his classes are online. He has completed most of the program by taking advantage of the time he has after work or at the moment, where not much is going on during the weekend. He plans on completing his master’s degree in management and leadership by May 2025.

“You gotta sacrifice some time; stay up a little later in order to get everything done,” the graduate assistant said.

How would Ryan Elvin be as a coach? It’s a different role, but his job is to supplement the assistant coaches and help serve as an extra voice for Kelvin Sampson.

“I am probably not the one that’s going to do all the yelling and stuff at this stage of my career,” Elvin said. “I am a mediator sometimes. I just tell the guys this is what the coaches are trying to get through to you, and I try to get them to grasp the message.”

Overall, the move from player to coach has been smooth because of Elvin’s leadership capabilities. Being a a part of the program helped make Elvin’s transition easier, as it takes away some of the learning curve and he can just focus on coaching.

“One of the things that’s really helped Ryan is that he was so respected amongst his teammates,” assistant coach Kellen Sampson said.
“Ryan carried himself in such a way that nobody questioned his loyalties. I think Ryan has already transitioned into the coach role, and our players don’t question that he’s not their brother for life. At the same time, he’s Coach Ryan now.”

The men’s basketball program always saves a graduate assistant spot for a former player or manager. Leadership in Houston set up the opportunity for Elvin early on in his career.

“We just laid it out for him; if this is what he wanted to do, this is what the expectations would be. and he more than lived up to his side of it,” Kellen Sampson said.

UH men’s basketball made it clear they would always support Elvin in whatever he wanted to do moving forward. No matter what, he would have been allowed to come back as a graduate assistant.

“He earned that with his character, the type of teammate he was, the leader he was, he exemplified all of the characteristics of a really good coach when he was a player,” Kellen Sampson said.

Initially, Elvin was more reserved when he was younger, but now his voice is louder and he has found his footing. Sampson mentioned being authentic as a coach is how people will follow you.

“He’s really comfortable in those shoes, and he’s doing an awesome job of being himself every day, and our guys are responding to that in a powerful way,” Kellen Sampson said.

As the program looks to have another successful year and make strides in March, Elvin will continue to get a front-row seat and have a part in the magic the Cougars craft on the court.

“It’s a dream come true to get back to the program that gave me so much,” Elvin said. “I really look forward to it.”

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Coach Ryan Elvin, Cougars’ new graduate assistant” was originally posted on The Cougar