The Houston Cougars held the Florida Gators in check for much of the 2025 NCAA national championship game, but ended up losing 65-63 in heartbreaking fashion. The Cougars were up by as much as a 12-point lead in the second half of the game,

It’s never easy to close the book on a season, especially when you're so close you can almost feel the scissors in your hand.

After the Cougars couldn't hold a 12-point lead vs. the Gators, time may have run out on Kelvin Sampson, 69, winning a title

The Houston Cougars had a great chance to win their first NCAA men's basketball title on Monday night but they coughed up a lead late in the second half and then failed in mind-boggling fashion to a get shot off on their final possession before losing to Florida, 65-63, in San Antonio.

After his Houston Cougars didn't get a shot up before the final buzzer in the NCAA title game loss to the Florida Gators, head coach Kelvin Sampson reflected on the wild finish.

Sampson was born on Oct. 5, 1955, making him 69. He was the fourth oldest coach in this year's NCAA Tournament, as only St. Johns' Rick Pitino (72), Tennessee's Rick Barnes (70) and Michigan State's Tom Izzo (70) are currently older than Sampson.

Apr 7, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson reacts against the Florida Gators in the first half in the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Kelvin Sampson coached at IU from 2006-08 and was later hired at Houston in 2014. His Cougars are in Indianapolis for March Madness. Sampson had little time for questions, but did have a passionate response about the game time vs. Purdue. INDIANAPOLIS ...