NCAA News Wire
Dickey steps down as Houston coach
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Houston Cougars head coach James Dickey resigned Monday due to private family matters.
ESPN.com reported that Houston Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson is being targeted as Dickey’s replacement.
Sampson was fired from Indiana in 2008 and hit with a five-year show cause by the NCAA after being caught making impermissible phone calls. He has since worked as an assistant in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks and Rockets.
Dickey had a 64-62 record in four seasons at Houston, including a 20-13 mark in 2012-13. The Cougars were 17-16 this season, including a 3-4 record against Top 25 teams.
“This has been a difficult decision to make,” Dickey said in a statement released by the school. “I continually preach to my players about being an everyday guy, and the balance of your personal and professional life is a major part of it. With that being said, I have a family matter that requires my time and energy, and I will regretfully step down from my current position at the University of Houston.”
Dickey holds a career record of 217-196.
“I am extremely grateful for Coach Dickey’s contributions to our basketball program and our Athletics Department, both on and off the court, and his decision to step down comes with great heartache for all involved,” said Houston vice president for intercollegiate athletics Mack Rhoades. “Coach Dickey is not only a great person and coach but a great mentor for all of our student-athletes and entire staff. He made so many of us in our department better.”
