March Madness: Houston signs head coach Kelvin Sampson to extension

April 4 (UPI) -- Houston men's head basketball coach Kelvin Sampson signed a contract extension to remain with the Cougars, the school announced Thursday.

The extension will keep Sampson with the program through the 2024-25 season. Sources told the Houston Chronicle that he will earn at least $18 million over the next six seasons. The school didn't confirm financial details of the agreement.

"I am excited to be at the University of Houston. We built this program to a point where we can compete for championships now, and I am glad our administration is on board," Sampson said in a statement. "[Chancellor] Renu [Khator], [UH System Board of Regents Chairman] Tilman [Fertitta] and [Vice President for Athletics] Chris [Pezman] have done a great job of supporting all our programs. They have given us a chance to compete for championships. That's all a coach wants.

"I am proud of our team this year. The people that matter most are the players. Everything we do is for them. We have great young men who represent this university the right way. I am excited to continue to be the coach and recruit kids that our fan base can be proud of. We are excited about the future."

Sampson previously was linked to the vacant head-coaching job at Arkansas after Mike Anderson was fired last month.

Sampson, 66, took over Houston's program in 2014. He has led the Cougars to two NCAA tournament berths in five seasons at the school.

Houston finished 33-4 this season and won the American Athletic Conference (AAC). The Cougars advanced to the Sweet 16 in this year's tournament but suffered a loss against the Kentucky Wildcats.