Transcript
@NoConfForOldMen: Welcome folks to another special off season edition episode number 82, the no conference for old men podcast today, where three old guys have a special guest in current university of Houston men's basketball, chief of staff and friend of the podcast, Lauren Sampson joining us for a bit of Q and a since Lauren's been here on the podcast before we want to be sensitive with our time. I won't go through Lauren's bio again, but needless to say, she's part of Cougars men's basketball is what we'll call Royal family that has led us it to our current incredible heights. Welcome to the podcast, Lauren, and thanks so much for taking time out from your busy schedule today.
Lauren Sampson: Thank you for having me.
@NoConfForOldMen: No, it's been fantastic and it's been too long since we didn't have a chance to get you on last year. So why don't we dig right into some of the questions that we've gathered for you.
@NoConfForOldMen: You know, as the basketball program has really grown under you and your family stewardship and kind of the responsibilities have obviously grown over time as the programs really, really just exploded in recent years. When we last spoke, I think your title was director of operations for the men's basketball team, but now you've been promoted to chief of staff, which is I'd say a much more appropriate title given how involved you are with really everything related to the program, but maybe you can educate us as well as the fans as to kind of how your role has evolved over time.
Lauren Sampson: Yeah, I think my role has evolved as college basketball has evolved. the The rules have have definitely changed over the last decade.
Lauren Sampson: And kind of our program has evolved over the last decade. Today, i was finalizing a new uniform that we're going to drop this season that I think the fans have been asking for.
@NoConfForOldMen: Nice. right. All right.
Lauren Sampson: so there'll be a new uniform this year that that will be fun. Yeah. And, you know, everything, Kellen always says the easiest way to describe what I do, everything the fans see of our program usually comes through me in some sort of way.
Lauren Sampson: So everything from social media to game day to graphics to video to the uniforms to the branding to hashtags to to everything that is visible comes through me in some sort of way.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: I'm very cool.
Lauren Sampson: And so that's just the easiest way to say what I do.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. So fair enough.
Tom Lidiak: Any hints on what the new unit might be?
Lauren Sampson: no
Tom Lidiak: hints. Okay. All right. All right.
@NoConfForOldMen: fair enough
Tom Lidiak: That's what I thought, but it's worth a shot.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. So I'm curious, you know, you talk about how all the rules have changed, especially over the last decade. It's, it's been the, the biggest decade of change. I think we've seen it in college athletics and, you we read about n NIL and and things like that. Does that come into play in your role as you work with the kids?
Lauren Sampson: Yeah, definitely. Landon and Lincoln Cougs does such a phenomenal job. And, you know, the one thing about that space is, you know, blink and it changes.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: Right. I mean, as soon as you feel like you have a grasp on what that the rules are and the mechanics of it and and. We have an idea of, OK, we understand what it is. Inevitably, it changes.
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah
Lauren Sampson: And so. My job is to make sure that i can keep between the kids, the staff, the parents, we're all kind of rowing the same direction.
Lauren Sampson: And that I'll just kind of help make sure that no balls are dropped in that realm. But Landon and that group do such a great job of making sure that we're getting the deals, that we're we're making sure that we're making sure that our numbers are getting done. But I'll make sure and fill in the gaps and just make sure that all the the kids and the deals and and what's getting done is getting done and making sure the kids are in the right places. So I'll fill in where is needed. i lovingly say that half my job is duties as assigned.
Lauren Sampson: And so I'll fill in.
.0Bill Walker: Right.
Lauren Sampson: He had a runny nose. He always played with a runny nose. So I would have tissues and I always wore a jacket on the road on the bench because I would tissues.
Lauren Sampson: And so during timeouts, I would be like running up to him and like he would blow his nose and hand it back to me. And that was my role on the bench.
Lauren Sampson: The refs would look at me and be like, is that what your job is now?
Tom Lidiak: Thank
Lauren Sampson: And I'm like, i this is my
Tom Lidiak: you.
@NoConfForOldMen: Whatever's needed.
Lauren Sampson: i'm
@NoConfForOldMen: i mean, honestly.
.0Bill Walker: Geez, I hope that merited a bit of a pay raise.
Lauren Sampson: Listen, I tried to put that you know down something and dad just looked at me, he was like, what is wrong with you? No.
@NoConfForOldMen: Ha ha ha ha ha.
Tom Lidiak: assistance
Lauren Sampson: That, you know, like, again, what what is needed, right? Like, I always feel like, you know, my mom was such a great, she was a school teacher. And she had a kid that when she was a a a second grade school teacher, and she had a a kid who was struggling to, to read.
Lauren Sampson: And so she taught herself how to play the guitar, so that she could help this kid learn how to read. And so that has always like struck in my head, like, you just you you you know, you if if a boat is, you know, so bringing on water, you figure out a way to plug that hole.
Tom Lidiak: moon
Lauren Sampson: And so that's how I really feel like that's my role with the program is you figure it out.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: I'm a self-taught graphic designer, like early on in the program, like if if I feel like something's lacking, I will figure it out.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And so that is what I will do.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, I mean, it's funny, because you're... you always seem to downplay your role yet You know, I've had a chance to interact with you a few times since you've been so gracious and, and take my son and I around to, to walk through the facilities, but your role is truly the glue the program. I mean, you, you are involved, you know as you go into some details, it's like, Holy cow, you are involved in every aspect of the program.
@NoConfForOldMen: So it's a, it's really incredible.
Lauren Sampson: You know, you give me a couple of times, know, I've got some out of band plays underneath my cap. So I know my role, I know my role not.
Tom Lidiak: but
@NoConfForOldMen: There you
.0Bill Walker: Yeah. Nice.
Tom Lidiak: Ha ha ha.
Lauren Sampson: That will never be my role.
@NoConfForOldMen: go.
Tom Lidiak: but
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
.0Bill Walker: Well, I guess I was going to kind of jump on to to Steve's question toward the end. And you may have already covered it, but but. I was thinking about the NIL and the revenue sharing as well and with the players and, you know, kind of how that's evolved over the past few years and, and, you know, what, what your role may have been, especially as, as, you know, the, not only the model, but the, just the sheer amounts of, of money have, have changed, have, have grown and, and shifted.
.0Bill Walker: Yes.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: When NIL first launched, we were coming out of the final four, our first final four, which is my favorite flex that I can say, you know, our first final four in 21.
Tom Lidiak: I'm
Tom Lidiak: sorry.
Lauren Sampson: But we were we were coming out of that final four and Kellen and I lived a block from each other because we just don't feel like we have enough time together. we lived a block from each other.
Lauren Sampson: we we didn't feel like as brother and sister we had enough quality time.
.0Bill Walker: Nice.
@NoConfForOldMen: There you go.
Lauren Sampson: we needed the I now moved very far away from them, so I live like 30.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
@NoConfForOldMen: Oh, did you hear?
Lauren Sampson: I moved far away. Kellen actually moved closer to my parents, ironically.
@NoConfForOldMen: Okay.
@NoConfForOldMen: Oh, wow.
Lauren Sampson: And I moved further away. He would walk to my house and he would knock on my door and he would walk around my dining room table and we would be brainstorming in i because we knew we got out of the bubble in April and then and n NIL was going to launch that July 1st.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: And it was, you know, hair on fire, oh God, what are we going to do?
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: And every Zoom that we could find of ADs and special interest groups and you know businesses and everyone we could think of across the country, we were getting on to learn best practices, what everyone was doing.
Lauren Sampson: And so we were picking everyone across the country's brains on what what was getting ready to hit us across the face. And what we quickly realized was, oh, God, we're not ready.
@NoConfForOldMen: Thank you.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: And the first evolution of it was is we really, really, really got to focus on these kids' but brands, right? Like that was what NIL was going to be about. And so we you know we were really focused on – on you know getting these kids brands and you know that first year, if you go back and look at our graphics, you know we made sure on that that Elite Eight year, every graphic had our kids' Instagram handles. On every graphic that we posted, it had their Instagram because we were like really focused on growing their individual Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook handles. We were so focused on that. And we were, what are we what is this space going to be? And we were...
Lauren Sampson: And then we quickly realized, yeah, that's not what this, we need a collective.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: And, you know, and now it's been, it the program has evolved so much that national brands court us now. But it has become such an evolution.
Lauren Sampson: And now you have revenue sharing and and, you know, the level that we're at now, it is,
.0Bill Walker: Yep.
Lauren Sampson: you need to get x amount above the revenue share, right? The revenue share is your baseline. Everyone that we recruit against has the revenue share. That's the baseline.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yep.
Lauren Sampson: What can you do above the revenue share? And that that's the arms race that we're competing with.
@NoConfForOldMen: Okay.
Lauren Sampson: And that's...
@NoConfForOldMen: So let me ask you,
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. And it just, as you said, it continues to change. Right. And there's a new rate. It seems like there's a new wrinkle every off season, right with it.
Lauren Sampson: There's always new wrinkles.
@NoConfForOldMen: And so what do you tell the fan base out there that wants to help out in some way, right? Even in their, their little way. I mean, if you look at historically, it was around concepts of like build it and they will come right.
@NoConfForOldMen: Whether it's a facilities arms race and, you know, the, the new arena or the the Guy V.
Lauren Sampson: Ooh.
@NoConfForOldMen: Lewis Development Center and and making contributions there. Has it changed to a point where really the name of the game is contributing to somehow contributing to, to let's say, the AD's excellence fund targeting basketball that will help kind of generate the funds for revenue sharing?
@NoConfForOldMen: Or is it some other, you know, what do you tell fans that want to help?
Lauren Sampson: Yeah, I think all of the above. i think if you look at the way we schedule, the way we schedule is really targeted at NIL. We're doing the final touches on our non-conference schedule, so that should be coming soon. i know that that's always a really exciting summer drop.
Lauren Sampson: And so that should be coming soon. We're really aggressive in that space with a a look towards the n NIL space. So if you can even look at how we scheduled last year, where you look at Vegas, you look at the Florida State game, you look at the Arkansas game, you look at the Auburn game, all of those were with eyes towards NIL.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And that's a way that we're not trying to, those are all NIL games, right? Right. Those all have and NIL payouts components. that Those are NIL games. that that is You have the excellent fund, the NIL. Everything is NIL now. When NIL first came, you know the group of five teams, we were a little bit behind the curve because the power five schools had done the arms race first.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yep.
Lauren Sampson: a couple years prior, right? So all those schools had done the arms race. And so then when and n NIL came, they then could go really donor heavy into the n NIL space. Whereas we couldn't, right? Because we were the we were in the midst of that.
Lauren Sampson: And so we we sat down and said, okay, who we knew we had to set up our collective really different. And so we set up Lincoln Cougs to be really a authentic marketing organization.
Lauren Sampson: agency. And that actually set us up to be really, really successful because we set Linkin Cougs up to be what NIL is supposed to be, which is marketing.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: Right. Which is what. And so then when last summer, when a lot of the new NIL guard wells got set up and you had the clearinghouse and you've kind of seen a lot of a lot of the deals that weren't getting approved and and all of that.
Lauren Sampson: Well, our deals were being approved because we were set up to be a marketing agency. Like we were if you look at all of UH athletes, Instagrams and all that, it looks like.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: infomercials a little bit. And it was because Lincoln Coombson, we were set up as a marketing agency, mainly because we had to be out of the gate.
Lauren Sampson: We knew, and that was really, you know, Landon, myself, Kellen, we knew really quickly as soon NIL came, we sat down and we looked at our books and we realized, oh, we know what we are.
Lauren Sampson: We aren't an SEC school. We aren't a Big Ten school.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yep. OK. Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: We know that we are still really, really dependent on our donors because of the Americans' media package, that we are still really dependent of our donors to help us subsidize our operating budgets, that we cannot move all of these donors into the n NIL space like maybe some of these other schools.
Lauren Sampson: That's not what we can do. And so we set Lincoln Cougs up to be a marketing agency. And that has helped us. and And that's just where we've continued. But Lincoln Cougs has been valuable to us.
Lauren Sampson: And that's what it has continued to be. But if you have a business, if you have anything that you can think of for a student athlete and student athletes in the and n NIL space, it is the wild, wild west. And there's so many things like like it can be a birthday and they can be a, they can come to your kid's birthday. And that is an NIL deal.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: And they can all of a sudden, you know, we had a donor ask like, hey, could we have a birthday party at Guy V. Lewis and pay? and Yeah. And have the player? Yep.
@NoConfForOldMen: very cool.
Lauren Sampson: Like, there's it's it's all of those things.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And that can be through Lincoln Cougs. And there's so many things.
@NoConfForOldMen: Okay.
Lauren Sampson: And you look at. And so that's what that's where Lincoln Cougs and all of that kind of comes into play. for us, but really kind of being creative. We're working with Twitch, which is the streamer.
Lauren Sampson: and so we're starting to kind of getting to into that and and it will be StreamU.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And so it could be 10 hours of content a day that we have to figure out.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: So trying to get my dad's head around that has been conversation.
@NoConfForOldMen: Nice.
Tom Lidiak: you
@NoConfForOldMen: Okay.
Tom Lidiak: you
Lauren Sampson: You're to see him just like walk into the background.
.0Bill Walker: Oh,
Lauren Sampson: like What is happening?
Lauren Sampson: So
.0Bill Walker: oh go ahead, I'm sorry.
Lauren Sampson: it's just, it's the era we're in is just everything is so NIL focused. Like literally there, there is not one meeting we have. There is not one conversation that is not had that NIL is not the first thing that comes out of our mouth.
@NoConfForOldMen: Interesting.
Lauren Sampson: I think I wake up in the morning thinking NIL.
@NoConfForOldMen: As long as you can pay for it, Bill.
.0Bill Walker: I don't doubt it. Yeah, I was wondering if if geriatrics like us can have our birthday parties at the Guy V. Lewis Center.
Lauren Sampson: Make an offer. Your
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah that's as long as you can pay for it bill
.0Bill Walker: Yeah, yeah, I know, I know.
Tom Lidiak: There's not not enough candles for me there, Bill.
.0Bill Walker: Yeah, that's that's actually a good point. Yeah, so so
Lauren Sampson: dog's birthday can be there.
@NoConfForOldMen: Ha ha ha.
.0Bill Walker: Well, why don't we we'll switch a little bit to the to the team itself. and yeah We just finished another great season, despite what a lot of, the the the the quite honestly, the lunatics online will complain about. But, you know, I mean, another Sweet 16 run. Yeah, we wish we would have obviously gone further.
.0Bill Walker: Everyone wishes we'd win won it all, but a great season.
@NoConfForOldMen: Bye.
.0Bill Walker: with a different with a different team makeup. Two five-star freshmen, Kingston and and Chris, that that played a ton. yeah We also had Isaiah yeah on the team. just Just a different team makeup this year with with younger, or this past year, with younger players. I'm curious, and you you touched on it, obviously, with the team.
.0Bill Walker: runny nose management.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: Hehehehe.
.0Bill Walker: but but But I was curious how how your you know your your involvement with the with the players was was a little bit different this past year as as maybe as opposed to the past where yeah the the players you know came through the program, I guess aside from Jarris Walker, but you know where it was more of a veteran team every year and just what your role was in in terms of kind of caring for the players and and taking care of them.
Lauren Sampson: I, you know, i lovingly, they always call me, they refer to me as Lowe. I'm Lowe, which was very confusing the last two years because we also call Milos Lowe's.
@NoConfForOldMen: Ha ha ha ha.
Tom Lidiak: Ha ha ha ha ha.
Lauren Sampson: So you never knew who you were going to get when you yelled out Lowe.
@NoConfForOldMen: Ha ha ha ha.
Tom Lidiak: Ha
Lauren Sampson: Me or Milos running towards you.
@NoConfForOldMen: Ha ha
Lauren Sampson: But, you know, my job is I'm the fun Samson. I am the scary Samson to everybody else except for these players.
@NoConfForOldMen: ha ha.
Tom Lidiak: ha ha ha.
Lauren Sampson: Jeff Conrad always laughs that I'm the scariest Samson everyone else except for the player the players.
@NoConfForOldMen: ha. Ha ha ha ha. Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: always That's their favorite thing is that everyone else is scary of me except for them.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: When I text them, it's always going to be fun stuff or nonsense stuff or they can come and, you know, bitch about something or, you know, girl problems or, you know, Khalifa was so funny this year and, you know.
.0Bill Walker: Thank you.
Lauren Sampson: you know, girl tickets and we've we're we're gonna have to massage some ticket locations because we will be over invited.
Tom Lidiak: you
Tom Lidiak: Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.
.0Bill Walker: Nice.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: Just always entertaining for me. You're not mad.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: I gotta think through this.
.0Bill Walker: I can imagine.
Lauren Sampson: So funny. But, you know, it's such
Lauren Sampson: it's just it's such a a It's such a joy, to sincerely, to work with all these kids and these families. I mean, one of my my my favorite thing about this program is that there is not a home game that we don't have a former player's parent at our game.
.0Bill Walker: Thank you.
Lauren Sampson: Whether it is Fabian White's parents who are who are season ticket holders still.
@NoConfForOldMen: Wow. Mm-hmm.
Tom Lidiak: Oh, wow.
Lauren Sampson: Jamal's parents come back to at least one game a season. Jairus' parents will make a game every season. Marcus' mom will text me a couple times a year. Malik's mom, Tajay's mom. It's such a great...
Lauren Sampson: family that has been created, that these parents of these kids, even when they've graduated and they're gone and they're playing elsewhere all over the world, these parents still feel so connected to this program.
Lauren Sampson: that I think that is such the secret sauce, that it's so much bigger than just the current, that we've remained connected and that these families, I just got a picture or I just got a text from Milo's sister.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: that they're in Vegas and he had a great game and he, Milo's and his niece took a picture and they were doing the go Cougs and, and Milo's his sister said, we miss you.
Tom Lidiak: Hmm.
Lauren Sampson: Like that is such a wonderful, so, you know, Kingston's mom or I'm sorry.
.0Bill Walker: The
Lauren Sampson: Yeah. Kingston's mom will text me and it's just, it's even though it was just the one year with, you know, Chris's mom will text me we You know, these connections were authentic and they were real and we're such, you know, we'll go on and be the their biggest cheerleaders.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. I mean, it's a tribute to what you've built that, you know, the and family.
.0Bill Walker: culture.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: e
@NoConfForOldMen: Would want to keep in touch. Right. Uh, it says a lot cause that's, that's a kind of a rare formula, right.
Lauren Sampson: You know.
@NoConfForOldMen: For any program.
Lauren Sampson: You can't coach the way that we coach unless there is authentic care behind it. Because they're not going to take it, right?
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, agreed.
Lauren Sampson: You're not going to take that kind of coaching if they think that you're just being an asshole.
Tom Lidiak: No.
Tom Lidiak: Yep, exactly.
Lauren Sampson: It doesn't work.
Tom Lidiak: Yep. Do you think... And, Lauren, do you think yeah you know Coach Sampson has taken a lot of a lot of lessons from his father being a high school basketball coach? you know when When you coach high school kids, you know you really have to have that relationship with the kids, you know especially in in smaller communities.
Tom Lidiak: you know Kelvin probably watched one of the best do it you know when he was growing up.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: Yeah, we went. My grandfather had his jersey retired this past April. They waited until our season was over to do it. And my grandfather has passed, but they they retired his jersey. And so we all flew back to Pembroke.
Lauren Sampson: And so many of his players came back as well.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: and I don't think it was intentional. And so they they wanted just my dad to get up there and speak. But my dad allowed all of his former players to get up there and speak.
Lauren Sampson: And the stories that they were telling of my grandfather and my grandfather, his style was not my dad's style. My dad's style was way closer to my grandmother.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: My grandfather was as way more gentle.
Tom Lidiak: fifty
@NoConfForOldMen: Interesting.
.0Bill Walker: Nice.
@NoConfForOldMen: Okay.
Lauren Sampson: way more gentle.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: But what my dad got from my my from Papa Ned was the the care, the care.
Tom Lidiak: he
Lauren Sampson: the you know He picked up all of his players on the way to practice and he was the one who took them home. And if they didn't have something to eat, he was the one making sure that they you know had you know a meal in their body if they didn't have something.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yeah, agreed.
Lauren Sampson: And that the authentic, I care of you about you as a human, that That component, and I don't, you can't lose that. And it doesn't and and you can't lose that in the n NIL space.
Lauren Sampson: and You can't lose that as the program has grown and as big as it has gotten and the media and all.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: They're human beings. And that can't be forgotten.
.0Bill Walker: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And we are, we are, we We are cheering them on as much now as we ever have. And what's so great now is, you know, we just had camp in June and Devontae Pollard is one of the you know coaches in our camp.
Lauren Sampson: And you look and there's so many of our older are or our players that have been in the past, players that we had at Oklahoma or are bringing their kids to camp.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yeah. That's
Lauren Sampson: And so it's just really rewarding and fun and the the journey we've been on.
.0Bill Walker: Nice.
Tom Lidiak: yeah yeah
.0Bill Walker: Well, you, you are sorry, Tom.
Tom Lidiak: go it no let's go Go ahead, Bill.
.0Bill Walker: yeah you To kind of piggyback off of caring for the players and your involvement with the players, obviously three just got drafted and one should have been drafted, at least in my opinion. And I think The other three could, in my opinion, easily have been drafted a little higher. That aside, did did you have a role in in helping prepare all, you know not only all four, but but obviously you know yeah the you know Khalifa you know
.0Bill Walker: signing? and and did you did What was your role in terms of maybe helping prepare the kids for the draft and and that process?
Lauren Sampson: I have very little with the players per se, but we do do a lot with kind of behind the scenes. A lot of the franchises will reach out and and kind of pick our brains and want to know about the kids, especially off the court and who they are and and all of that. So I'm in contact with kind of everyone that is looking at these kids.
Lauren Sampson: And so there's a lot of questions.
.0Bill Walker: Got it.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
.0Bill Walker: Right.
@NoConfForOldMen: hope that.
.0Bill Walker: Yeah. Big investments for the teams.
Lauren Sampson: Big investments. They want to know. They want to know.
.0Bill Walker: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And especially the female, you know, i'll I'll definitely have a different perspective.
.0Bill Walker: Yeah, that makes sense. it makes perfect sense.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, so, mean, Lord, you know, you've kind of outlined earlier on around yeah the culture that's been built, how extensive it's been in terms of even as the program's gotten much larger, that you guys are still somehow to to keep things grounded, right? Back to you know the the fundamental core values that you guys have stuck with.
@NoConfForOldMen: But it's gotten much bigger, right? It's big business and it's gotten much more complex.
Lauren Sampson: Thank you.
@NoConfForOldMen: The roles that each of you have to play has become broader, right? In essence, the team's gotten bigger, right? The money has gotten much larger as well.
@NoConfForOldMen: And my guess is the stress is much higher. as well. And you've got but where it's basically, again, the Samson family is, is running the entire show and you guys are together seven by 24. So a balancing act is always tough. so I'm, I'm curious, I asked you this two years ago, but now it's, it's even bigger, you know, how do you go about kind of balancing a family from work and how are you able to kind of compartmentalize those things?
.0Bill Walker: She moved away.
Lauren Sampson: Yeah, I moved.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, that's true.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
@NoConfForOldMen: She moved further away. That does help.
Lauren Sampson: I moved. I think
@NoConfForOldMen: i agree.
.0Bill Walker: nothing
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: no i You know, I do think I lovingly say i think what we do for a living is the most Native American thing about us. It's the most Lumbee thing about us. It's very tribal.
Lauren Sampson: It's very cultural for us. it it It really is. It's how Kellen and I were raised. That's what we did growing up.
@NoConfForOldMen: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: Practice was killing a nice babysitter, you know. My first memories in life were going on road trips at Montana Tech in Washington State. My dad would... would take me on the road at Montana Tech.
Lauren Sampson: I would go on the road at Washington State. Kellen would go on the road. we were It's my favorite thing that we're now teaching Maisie and Kylan, and we take them on the road. and And we are teaching them the crazy psychotic superstitions that we all have that I'm i'm so sad that we're teaching them that and we can't help it.
Lauren Sampson: they know that you only get to keep coming as long as you win. and if you lose, you can't go again until the other. was So it's amazing.
Tom Lidiak: That's like the uniforms is what I hear. Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: What really is so true. Like it's,
Tom Lidiak: We'll never we never wear the baby blues anymore, right?
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And I looked at him and I said, you know, we're never wearing baby blue again. And he just stared at me. I'm like, it's over. And so much has been invested in the baby blue. And I was like, I'm willing to go with the inverse.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: I'm willing to do the white.
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: And then when we won, he was like, thank God. arm
Tom Lidiak: yeah
Lauren Sampson: how we roll. I don't know what to tell you. But she knows, i mean, she looked at Kylan because he went to Arizona, what not this past season, but the year before.
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah
Lauren Sampson: And she looked at him and was like, i don't know if this is the right one, Kylan, because if you lose, you're done. And so when we won, i mean, she was like chest bumping him.
Tom Lidiak: if
Lauren Sampson: I mean, he was four
Tom Lidiak: but
Lauren Sampson: I mean, we're so crazy.
@NoConfForOldMen: That's cute.
Lauren Sampson: Like, it's crazy.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: And we're passing, you know, this psychosis to the next generation.
.0Bill Walker: Thank you.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
@NoConfForOldMen: That's awesome.
Lauren Sampson: But this is this is this is the Samson way. But we don't, we we vacation together like crazy people.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, we see it on social media.
@NoConfForOldMen: It's great. okay
Lauren Sampson: Like not, like we're boring.
Tom Lidiak: But, Lauren, going back to superstitions, you know, baseball players have a lot of, you know, superstitions and rituals. And I know your coach, your dad, you know, was a baseball player. I was wondering if some of that came from, you know, baseball because baseball, eight they have they have tons of those. Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: So many, so many. i don't go I go home the same way if we're like if we're winning. i go home the same way. And then if we lose, I then have to find another way to go home.
.0Bill Walker: nice
Tom Lidiak: Well, you haven't had to find different ways too much the last few years, you know?
Lauren Sampson: I know.
@NoConfForOldMen: for that.
Lauren Sampson: And so so this year we lost three in a row. I mean, I'm like Googling other ways. like, oh my God, is there another way? there there's like going through neighborhoods.
Lauren Sampson: were doing construction We were on like a good winning street and they were doing construction and I'm like yelling at the guy. I'm like, listen, I know i have to go this way.
@NoConfForOldMen: change on that
Lauren Sampson: i understand that there's a ditch. I don't, I have to do this. i like And I convinced the poor guy, the guy who had like a UH t-shirt on and he was like, I understand.
Tom Lidiak: No.
Lauren Sampson: And he like let me go.
Tom Lidiak: That's awesome.
@NoConfForOldMen: Oh, that's great.
Lauren Sampson: like i like told him who I was.
Tom Lidiak: that's that's awesome
Lauren Sampson: He was like, I got it. And he like let me go.
Tom Lidiak: sir
Lauren Sampson: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
.0Bill Walker: Hey, whatever works.
Lauren Sampson: I like, and he was like, we got it.
Tom Lidiak: see
Lauren Sampson: was like, i'm we have a big game. need to
Tom Lidiak: see
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: No, we're not. I mean, like the same socks and the the earrings. We're native, obviously. And so when you go into battle, a lot of it's like with the jewelry and stuff.
Lauren Sampson: So my mom always wear, we always wear our powwow earrings. And so we're really particular about like which ones we wear.
@NoConfForOldMen: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: it's It's the whole thing.
@NoConfForOldMen: Nice.
Lauren Sampson: We're very particular.
Tom Lidiak: That's great.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, that's great.
Lauren Sampson: and we're passing the crazy down.
Lauren Sampson: I mean, Maisie then, she wore, she the the West Virginia game this year was a weeknight game and Maisie and Kylan, because they have school, can only go the weekend games. And so Tanya, Kellan's wife, some of her friends were coming over to the house to meet her before they went to the game and they were wearing baby blue. And Maisie looked at them and they were like, what are you wearing?
@NoConfForOldMen: You're not supposed to wear a baby bird.
Lauren Sampson: Like she was at them, they were wearing the blue on and she was like, what can we, we lost. to Why are you wearing? and Tonya had explained to her, no, no, no, the team's wearing the white, but it is the blue game. It's fine.
Lauren Sampson: and is firmly secure in the next generation.
@NoConfForOldMen: That's great.
@NoConfForOldMen: Wow. Wow. I love it. I love it.
Tom Lidiak: Hmm.
@NoConfForOldMen: So why don't we pivot to to kind of this upcoming season. And after three seasons in the Big 12, you guys have been number one, number one, and then number two in the conference with Yiddin.
Lauren Sampson: yeah The letdown year, number two.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, all that down here, number for two.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
@NoConfForOldMen: Oh, my gosh.
Tom Lidiak: me
Lauren Sampson: I need everyone to breathe with me.
.0Bill Walker: Yeah. Yeah. the the The year that the year that has everyone screaming the sky is falling and and on suicide watch.
Lauren Sampson: me
@NoConfForOldMen: That's crazy.
.0Bill Walker: Yeah, utterly insane.
@NoConfForOldMen: i mean i mean, it's been just such an elite run for the program. And it's really surreal for us old time kooks, right? Because as we all know, right, we had two decades in the desert, right?
@NoConfForOldMen: So even now, it still feels unreal, the success that you guys have brought.
Lauren Sampson: We're going to have a PowerPoint program where we're going to have everyone walk back to Hawthine's days and we're all just going to breathe.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
.0Bill Walker: Yeah, exactly.
@NoConfForOldMen: Oh, my gosh.
Lauren Sampson: All the new folks, we're just going to, let's do a walk back. Let's remember where we came from.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: Yeah, there's there's some there's some U of H grads. All they know is winning e of H basketball. they That's all they know you know, the ones that are in their mid-20s and late-20s.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. The younger, the younger man. Yeah. but But it's it's interesting, as Bill had kind of mentioned earlier on as well, the profile of this past season's team was very different, right? With heavy, heavy reliance on freshmen, true freshmen, right? Not registered freshmen, actually true freshmen.
@NoConfForOldMen: And it was still in elite year, but you could also tell, you know, especially given...
Lauren Sampson: Oh, they were young. So young.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, I mean, the the culture of the program and and the the schemes that coach runs, especially defensively, know, it's a tough ask for a true freshman, right?
Lauren Sampson: was different. It was different.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, to actually know the plays well enough to to play with the physicality. They're still young, right? So even we had huge success, we could still tell that, you know, there were rotation changes.
@NoConfForOldMen: you know slowness on rotations defensively and things like that that that coach had to lift through. Then we pivot you know after this season and the makeup of this team is radically different from last year's team.
Lauren Sampson: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: it's yeah It feels a lot more like what we're used to seeing.
Lauren Sampson: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: And so we wanted to kind of get your perspective, right? Was that a conscious effort? Is that kind of a learnings from this past season to say, hey, no, you know given what we want to do we need grown men, right?
@NoConfForOldMen: Or you know much more experienced right players to be able to play the way we want to play. Is that somewhat accurate or...
Lauren Sampson: Yeah, I think so. i I think it was a couple of things. One, it was, this is a really similar size-wise, at least, if you look at the makeup of the Florida team and in 25, where it's you kind of kind of do the waves of big man.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yep.
Lauren Sampson: right, where you can almost cycle them out with Delrico and Brayden and JoJo and Erathon.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And it's so we're so big up front that that's really going to allow JoJo a bit more freedom.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: We're not going to be, you know, every time that whistle blows that we have in the last two years.
Tom Lidiak: Even though the last 10 games – last 10 – yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: That feels phenomenal.
Lauren Sampson: How great was that? But he finally got into, you know, we we forget that that kid hasn't, the entire time JoJo's been here, he hasn't had a summer.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: This is the first summer he's had.
@NoConfForOldMen: I know.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
@NoConfForOldMen: Always been injured.
Lauren Sampson: This is the first summer he's had.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: And it has been such a joy to watch him this summer.
Tom Lidiak: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: I think your dad said, like, at like the last 24 months, he's either been a boot or on a crutch for, like, 18 of the 24 months, something like that.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And so it's been a joy.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
.0Bill Walker: Thank you.
Lauren Sampson: He's never been able to work on his offensive game. because that's that's what you do in the summer right is you work on your offense he's never had the opportunity to this is the first time that he's ever gotten to you know work on it and so that has been such a focus this summer and so i think he's gonna shock some people which is gonna be you know where all of a sudden he's gonna you know ki stretch forward i'm just kidding with
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: Wow.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, yeah. We're looking for more
@NoConfForOldMen: time. Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: Realistic.
.0Bill Walker: Hmm.
Lauren Sampson: He's going to new Fabian. All going to be popping threes. but But he's going to have an offensive game.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And then you have Arafon, who is so advanced on the offensive side, more advanced than I think people going to be ready for.
@NoConfForOldMen: Interesting.
Lauren Sampson: Like, it is...
@NoConfForOldMen: Wow.
Lauren Sampson: And there was that bison that was resting.
Tom Lidiak: Oh, yeah.
.0Bill Walker: Yes, yes, I saw that.
@NoConfForOldMen: and
Lauren Sampson: That is Aerithon playing basketball, where he kind of lulls you into like this false sense of security. and then all of a sudden you are in the air.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
@NoConfForOldMen: Wow.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
@NoConfForOldMen: Okay.
Lauren Sampson: So, so big.
@NoConfForOldMen: Fascinating.
.0Bill Walker: but he
Lauren Sampson: I'm not
.0Bill Walker: that that if If he sends someone flying that high and that far, that that might that might merit a you know a couple of flagrant twos.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: going to lie to you. John has been put to work so far this summer.
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah
Lauren Sampson: John Houston.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: but Because he's the nicest kid you've ever met off the court.
@NoConfForOldMen: Wow.
Lauren Sampson: Oh my God, he's such a doll. Like he's so wonderful and he's so sweet and gentle off the court.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: know
Lauren Sampson: And then on the court, you're like, that guy he was guarding just got air. like
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah
.0Bill Walker: Wow.
@NoConfForOldMen: wow
Lauren Sampson: But he has such soft hands.
Tom Lidiak: That's, yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah yeah
Lauren Sampson: Like on the offensive side, he's such soft hands.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: And then you have Delrico, who is the transfer from Kent State. We call him Reek. And he is a Kelvin Sampson prototype.
Lauren Sampson: And what is so great about him is he played for one of my dad's old assistant coaches. Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: Rob Cinderoff, right?
.0Bill Walker: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: i can't state yeah
Tom Lidiak: Yep.
Lauren Sampson: And so he is such a Kelvin Sampson lab player. He's wonderful. And then you have Braden west or britain East, who was a camper.
@NoConfForOldMen: ester
Lauren Sampson: He he was in camp.
@NoConfForOldMen: Wow, yeah.
Lauren Sampson: He was a, and and and not only was he in camp, he was a like a paid camper. Like he just signed up for camp.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Wow.
Lauren Sampson: Like he walked into day camp, not not elite camp, not team camp, but day camp and showed up and,
@NoConfForOldMen: Uh-huh.
@NoConfForOldMen: Wow. What a story.
Lauren Sampson: he He was in day camp. He was on Ryan Elvin's team, Ryan Elvin and and Brother's team. Jamal Shedd was his coach.
@NoConfForOldMen: Okay.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: He ended up being recruited and played for Coach Brooks at Lamar. And when he hit the portal, his his mom kind of told Coach Brooks, you know, who we wish would call was Houston.
Lauren Sampson: And couple days that he was in the portal went by, and then Kellen reached out to Coach Brooks.
@NoConfForOldMen: Wow.
Tom Lidiak: Awesome.
Lauren Sampson: Yeah. And Coach Brooks called Brayden's mom and said, guess who just reached out?
@NoConfForOldMen: Wow.
Lauren Sampson: Houston.
Tom Lidiak: the
@NoConfForOldMen: wow
Tom Lidiak: awesome
Lauren Sampson: And so we were it was we were it was the recruiting visit, and I was doing the photo shoot, and I was standing next to his mom, and she kind of nudged me, and she had her phone, and she kind of was got a little emotional, and she showed me the picture of him at camp.
.0Bill Walker: Nice.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: Oh, wow.
Lauren Sampson: And it was a championship team and there was dad and Jamal and and Jake Elvin and and there's Brayden and it was their championship team in our camp shirt.
@NoConfForOldMen: Wow.
Lauren Sampson: and and And she just went meant to be.
Tom Lidiak: Sweet.
Lauren Sampson: and then And then he committed.
@NoConfForOldMen: Wow. What a story.
.0Bill Walker: Perfect. Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: That's, yeah.
.0Bill Walker: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And then you have...
Tom Lidiak: And he's said he's a Houston area kid, right?
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: The Houston area kid. And then you have Corey. So Corey went senior year high school. Corey went to houston high school in Houston.
Lauren Sampson: And so we have all of these new kids, but there's all of these connections to Houston.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And there's all of these connections to us.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: So it's all of these new faces, but not brand new faces to us. There's these connections with this team, which I'm really excited about.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. yeah
Lauren Sampson: And this these fans are going to be really excited. But it's an old school Houston team.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, no, we're all excited.
.0Bill Walker: right
@NoConfForOldMen: We love the makeup of this upcoming team. and You know, of the holdovers, we obviously we expect JoJo, Chase, and Mercy to play big roles.
@NoConfForOldMen: Have you got any surprises to share in terms of what you've seen this summer of the holdovers? Anyone else going to surprise the fans?
Lauren Sampson: I'm really excited about Bryce.
@NoConfForOldMen: Nice.
Lauren Sampson: Bryce Jack, I'm really excited about Bryce.
@NoConfForOldMen: Okay. Yeah, because he registered last year, right?
Lauren Sampson: I think he redshirted last year.
@NoConfForOldMen: Because he was also coming off injury.
Lauren Sampson: he must
.0Bill Walker: Yes.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: Yeah, he was a little bit injured kind of the let la later part of his his high school career, but he, I'm really excited. He was, he's what what I'm really excited for fans to see.
Lauren Sampson: In fact, when we did our secret scrimmage against Ole Miss, which was shit show for us, he was the right
Tom Lidiak: and
Lauren Sampson: he was bright spot
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: By far. He was the bright spot that day. I mean, it got to the point where I was just like doing graphics.
@NoConfForOldMen: Nice.
Lauren Sampson: I was like, oh no.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: They brought so many donors with them. They did like an NIL thing and they brought donors and we did not think of, but they brought donors and they were, I mean, they were like chest bumping in the stands and I was just like, and I'm just like doing graphics at my, like at the score is stable.
Tom Lidiak: Oh, wow. Well.
Tom Lidiak: And this is like in late October, early November, late October, right?
Lauren Sampson: Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: Late October, mid October in New Orleans, we were in the Smoothie King arena where the Pelicans play.
Tom Lidiak: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And it was just like 30 of their donors and like us.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And I was just like.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: and And then Bryce goes in and he's like dunking and hitting threes. And I'm like, maybe we take that red shirt off.
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: we thought through
.0Bill Walker: yeah
Lauren Sampson: He was killing it. He did great. And so I'm really, he's had a whole year now. And the great thing is he traveled. So he's now been in all of these big 12 environments. He saw it all.
Lauren Sampson: And when you think about it, that's a little bit what like Emmanuel did, right? Like he came in, he redshirted, he got to see all the, you know, these, you know, division one environments.
@NoConfForOldMen: Exactly.
Lauren Sampson: And he was, He red-shooted when we were in the American, but I lovingly always say that our experience in the American was such a different experience than most schools because we were the traveling circus.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yes, yes.
Lauren Sampson: It was so...
@NoConfForOldMen: You guys always have a target.
Lauren Sampson: We were... It was... you know They were literally doing you know carnivals pre-game every time. i mean, it was wild.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. yeah
Lauren Sampson: It was like a World Cup celebration.
Tom Lidiak: Well, the lord we'll learn Kansas does that for us now.
@NoConfForOldMen: Well, yeah, you guys are there.
Lauren Sampson: So...
@NoConfForOldMen: Okay. Okay.
Lauren Sampson: I know.
Tom Lidiak: they
Lauren Sampson: It's such a good problem.
Tom Lidiak: bill bill self Bill Self asked, what are all these people doing?
Lauren Sampson: It's...
Tom Lidiak: And a kid said, coach, it's Houston.
Lauren Sampson: my favorite, and it was the most endearing thing about our fan base, our first year in the Big 12, when the Kansas fans were talking noise at us and the Houston fans went, oh my God, they know our name.
@NoConfForOldMen: Corey had not. Corey had not.
Lauren Sampson: And I was like, you guys, act like we've been here.
Tom Lidiak: Yeah. Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah
Lauren Sampson: And the Houston fans were like, oh my God, Kansas knows us.
Tom Lidiak: Oh, wow. That's funny.
.0Bill Walker: nice how how the two guards assimilated so far uh deedon and oh god i'm drawing a blank on the on our two guard you yeah had not had not yeah
Tom Lidiak: That's good.
@NoConfForOldMen: core corey had not corey had not
Tom Lidiak: Had not.
Lauren Sampson: You know, they they are firmly in Coach Sampson's eyeline, which is a very comfortable place to be.
Tom Lidiak: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: And that will have them very well prepared for
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
@NoConfForOldMen: Nice.
.0Bill Walker: perfect
Lauren Sampson: And then, you know, who will... i we lovingly have been really and and having fun with Ikenna, incoming freshman, and he reminds us so much of Malik.
.0Bill Walker: yeah oh yeah i don't yeah i always compared him to jamal
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
@NoConfForOldMen: Oh, really?
Lauren Sampson: He reminds of Malik.
@NoConfForOldMen: Of Malik? I thought Shed, but of Malik.
Tom Lidiak: m
Lauren Sampson: No...
@NoConfForOldMen: Interesting.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: He reminds us a lot of Malik where you see him and hes he kind of walks on his toes and he he's really, but he, and he's really, he'll he'll come and he'll, he he'll small talk with you and he just kind of really bubbly, really friendly.
@NoConfForOldMen: Nice.
@NoConfForOldMen: Okay.
Lauren Sampson: And then he'll just kind of have a killer instinct in him. But his evolution will be really fun to watch.
@NoConfForOldMen: eyes
@NoConfForOldMen: okay
Lauren Sampson: So again, it's a, real it's it's a, it's it's an old school Houston team.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, that's awesome.
Tom Lidiak: Awesome.
.0Bill Walker: yeah
Tom Lidiak: I love old school.
@NoConfForOldMen: We're looking forward to it. Yeah. Well, I think that's all the questions that we had here. Anything we missed or anything you wanted to say to the listeners before we close out the interview, Laura?
Lauren Sampson: No, my whole thing is, again, if if anyone out there has any questions about NIL, and again, when I say we wake up thinking about n NIL, we go to sleep thinking about NIL, please don't hesitate to email us because that very much is such a big part of kind of
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
.0Bill Walker: Thank you.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: the future and and what we do to build these rosters that we're so proud of and and these kids and and the future of these programs is NIL.
Tom Lidiak: Yep.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, no, anything that fans can do, I'd say we got to support this elite program that that you guys have built. And everyone wants a winner, but you know it takes takes a village, right?
@NoConfForOldMen: So.
Lauren Sampson: It takes a village. And when I also say like the creativity of it, like there are so many ways to get involved in NAL that
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Lauren Sampson: it's more than you think it is. It's more than like, well, I don't really have a business that makes sense for it. Again, someone asked me, listen, my business doesn't make sense, but my kid has a birthday coming up. what Yes.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
Lauren Sampson: And so there, you know, if you have a question or a concern, please reach out. There are creative ways that we we can find solutions.
Lauren Sampson: There really is.
@NoConfForOldMen: All right.
Lauren Sampson: Like the answer is never no. The answer is, yeah, let's figure it out.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: but
Lauren Sampson: That is what I have learned. And then I will also say there are some fun and coming from this old school program, surprising, coming down the pike. Yeah.
@NoConfForOldMen: All right. Awesome.
Lauren Sampson: In terms of us getting out of our comfort zone with NIL.
.0Bill Walker: Nice.
Lauren Sampson: That we are forcing Coach Sam to
Tom Lidiak: Good deal.
.0Bill Walker: Perfect.
@NoConfForOldMen: Okay.
.0Bill Walker: Well, let let me, let me say this real quickly to kind of conclude. We've had, we you know, we've been doing this for three years. We've had a lot of guests on and and for the overwhelming part, it's our guests who have, have drawn the most listeners and, and your, your, your first interview, appearance on the podcast was hugely well received.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah, absolutely.
.0Bill Walker: Uh, uh, your brother,
@NoConfForOldMen: Yep.
.0Bill Walker: highly, highly listened to. And we had one other, Reed Geddes, who is a fraternity brother of mine from U of H, was on and at one of the absolute best podcasts we've ever done. He told just phenomenal stories. It was incredible.
.0Bill Walker: just great. It was really highly listened to. And this, I would have to say this evening was absolutely on par with that.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah.
.0Bill Walker: This was, this was a great episode. And so I could not be more grateful that that you were on and and told us all the stories and just gave us all the information that you give.
.0Bill Walker: And so thank you so much, Lauren.
Tom Lidiak: I got to pinch myself.
Lauren Sampson: Oh, you're welcome.
Tom Lidiak: It's like, you know, we're we're actually doing this. This is, you know, I can't believe it.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. I mean, thank you so much, Lauren. You've been so supportive.
Lauren Sampson: No, thank you, guys.
@NoConfForOldMen: So, okay.
Lauren Sampson: so like Evolution of the program. I remember when we had, you know, 25 people in Hoffa.
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. Yeah.
Tom Lidiak: there's There's a picture out there circulating, taken by one of the guys on one of the websites. And yeah, it I show that every now and then to some people and they they can't believe it.
Tom Lidiak: It's like, wow, that was that was your program? you know, that was U of H's program?
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah
Tom Lidiak: I said, yep, that was the
.0Bill Walker: I was off in one of those 25.
@NoConfForOldMen: and
.0Bill Walker: Yeah, I know it.
Lauren Sampson: If you weren't there, or I don't think you would appreciate where we are now.
Tom Lidiak: and and i you know And I say over and over, i say over and over to people, I think it's i think it's the absolute best rebuild in college basketball, maybe history.
Lauren Sampson: and
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah yeah i wrote it
.0Bill Walker: Not fully. Not fully.
Tom Lidiak: I know some people say, well, look at Baylor, you know, after what happened to Dave Bliss and all that. But, i you know, when you look at where we were, i still believe it's the number one rebuild and and in college basketball history.
@NoConfForOldMen: yeah yeah i would agree with that absolutely and uh
Lauren Sampson: Listen, stubborn. We are stubborn people.
Tom Lidiak: yeah
@NoConfForOldMen: And we're we're grateful for that, right?
.0Bill Walker: Whatever works.
@NoConfForOldMen: So thank you.
.0Bill Walker: whatever works
@NoConfForOldMen: Yeah. okay so with that that's it for this episode 82 the no conference for men podcast hope you all enjoyed it and again we would really appreciate it folks would follow subscribe or collect our podcast on whatever your platform of choice is we're also available via dave campbell's college podcast network as their only basketball centric podcast we're at the goku.com youtube page for those that want to see our wrinkly old faces we yeah We appreciate the complete continued support from all. Please give us a follow on our Twitter account, NoConferenceForOldMen. Thank you all again for listening. And again, as a reminder, we are now in our off-season cadence of one episode per month, so please be on the lookout to download and listen as the next episode drops. Take care, you everyone.
.0Bill Walker: Go Cougs.
Tom Lidiak: Mm-hmm.
@NoConfForOldMen: Okay.
