Houston’s Sampson, FSU’s Hamilton, UNC’s Hansbrough headline 2026 class for NC Sports Hall of Fame
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, former longtime Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton and former North Carolina playing great Tyler Hansbrough are part of this year’s class of inductees to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
The hall released its 11-person class for 2026 on Monday, with induction set to take place May 1.
Sampson, 70, is a Pembroke native whose coaching stops include Washington State, Oklahoma and Indiana before taking over at Houston before the 2014-15 season. He has guided the Cougars to two Final Fours and at least 30 wins for four straight seasons, including last year’s trip to the NCAA title game.
Hamilton, 77, stepped down after last season to end a 23-year run with the Seminoles. The Gastonia native led the Seminoles to the 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title and the 2020 regular-season crown. He also led FSU to the second weekend of March Madness, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2018.
Hamilton also led college programs at Oklahoma State and Miami, as well as spending a year as coach of the NBA’s Washington Wizards.
Hansbrough closed a four-year career with the Tar Heels in 2009 as the ACC’s career scoring leader (2,872). He was Associated Press national player of the year in 2008, leading UNC to the Final Four that year and then to the national title in 2009.
The rest of the class includes: former UNC and eventual Major League Soccer player Eddie Pope; former tennis pro John Isner; former Winston-Salem State and NFL player Richard Huntley; former N.C. Central and NFL player Louis Breeden; former PGA Tour player Chip Beck; former U.S. Olympic speed skater Heather Bergsma; longtime Cary High School wrestling coach Jerry Winterton; and late high school and college basketball coach Norvell Lee.
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