Sucks to see him go. :(

He is a hell of a good coach. If anyone can bring the Hoosiers back to the top of the college basketball world, it would be Sampson.

hxxp://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2387372

Sources say Sampson replaces Davis at Indiana
By Andy Katz

ESPN.com

Oklahoma's Kelvin Sampson is expected to leave the school to become the next head coach at Indiana, multiple sources told ESPN.com.

Sampson already told OU athletic director Joe Castiglione of his plans and was scheduled to meet with the Sooner team Tuesday afternoon.

A news conference announcing his hiring at Indiana could take place as early as Wednesday afternoon in Bloomington.

Sampson replaces Mike Davis, who took over for Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight in 2000.

Heh. Poor Poor Indiana.

WHich begs the question; Who is the heir apparent to Lute Olson at Arizona now?

Heh. Poor Poor Indiana.

Why don't you enlighten me why this is not a good hire?

I know Sampson was a big name back in 2002, but then so was Davis. What has he done since?

And hasn't he been investigated for NCAA infractions. WTF?

Kelvin Sampson has baggage. He just went from second fiddle at a BCS powerhouse to life in a fishbowl. He's going to alienate the fans where he is at and will probably being in studio 4 years from now. Sampson is a name hire no doubt, but he's not a rising star name by any stretch

Rock on. Very good news for this OU fan.

And hasn't he been investigated for NCAA infractions. WTF?

Yes. This hiring is curious.

the indiana message board i visit is up in arms

If a OU fan could enlighten me, there's talk of 550 violations against the school, and a 0% grad rate. Is this true? Are they bad violations?

Now i take these numbers with a grain of salt, because i dont know how accurate any "fans" could be about this stuff, but i hope non of that would come to IU

I really like Sampson's track record. He win's alot of games. Always has, and probably always will.

Another question. Will any OU recruits follow coach sampson? I looked quickly on rivals, and saw 1 5 star guy, and 4 4 star guys commited to the Sooners. 4 of them are local, but im curious, because he have 2-5 openings depending on transfers

Ha! WSU cast off Sampson years ago. We were tired of his shenanigans! The Coug AD just waltzed into his office and said, "Get outta here, ya bum." So he fled to the midlands.

Yeah, that's how it happened.

[/revisionist history]

Johnny93g, nothing more than phone calls IIRC.

Hopefully this is true as it'd mean John Beilein will most likely remain at West Virginia.

Ha! WSU cast off Sampson years ago. We were tired of his shenanigans! The Coug AD just waltzed into his office and said, "Get outta here, ya bum." So he fled to the midlands.

Yeah, that's how it happened.

[/revisionist history]

WSU could use Kelvin Sampson right about now....:)

Well, while I am surprised by this hire (since his name was completely absent from the rumor mill), I think IU made a good hire. Good record, good recruiter, and very respected in the basketball world (from all I have heard). IU could have done much, much worse (read: Stevie Alford).

lol stupid Indiana

Mike Davis will be in the Sweet Sixteen as a head coach before Indiana is.

Heh. Poor Poor Indiana.

WHich begs the question; Who is the heir apparent to Lute Olson at Arizona now?
Mark Few.

lol stupid Indiana

Mike Davis will be in the Sweet Sixteen as a head coach before Indiana is.

lol stupid St.cronin

maybe he deserves at least a day on the job before the bashing starts

Hopefully this is true as it'd mean John Beilein will most likely remain at West Virginia.

Now we will probably get to hear about him going to Oklahoma for the next week or two. :)

Now we will probably get to hear about him going to Oklahoma for the next week or two.
I hear Quinn Snyder's available.

Heh. Poor Poor Indiana.

WHich begs the question; Who is the heir apparent to Lute Olson at Arizona now?
Very good news for this Arizona fan. Nothing scared me more than having Kelvin in our future. For replacing Lute, who knows? He's probably going to keep coaching another 5-6 seasons at this rate. When he does leave, whomever the hot mid-major coach with Western ties will get a look - as will Steve Kerr if he's interested.

The point is it won't be Kelvin and that's a very good thing.

Mark Few.

If Mark Few hasnt left by the time Lute Olson has retired, he isn't going to be leaving.

And Arles, as a UCLA fan, I pray to GOD that Arizona would hire Steve Kerr as HC.

I hear Quinn Snyder's available.


That's never going to get old, is it? :D I'm pretty sure we've got at least 3 more seasons of "I hear Quinn Snyder's available."

I've heard that Larry Eustachy isn't happy with the quality of Conference USA coeds and wants to get back into the Big 12...

:D

If Mark Few hasnt left by the time Lute Olson has retired, he isn't going to be leaving.
I'm not so sure about that. The next 2-3 seasons will be critical in that regard - can Gonzaga get over the hump and get to a Final Four or better, and when does Lute decide to step down?

Few seriously considered the Washington job 4 years ago when it was a program in the dumps. Why wouldn't he seriously consider one of the premier jobs in the country at Arizona? I'm not saying it's a sure thing that he'd take the job, but you have to think Arizona would strongly consider him and if so, make a big push to get him. And Few would be dumb not to strongly consider it. He could move on to a program with even higher prestige and give himself a greater chance at a National Championship and at the same time hand over the Gonzaga program to one of his buddies on the staff there.

I've sent Oklahoma my resume.

I've sent Oklahoma my resume.

You'll just leave for Maryland after several seasons of not being able to make it past the Sweet Sixteen...

:D

I'm not so sure about that. The next 2-3 seasons will be critical in that regard - can Gonzaga get over the hump and get to a Final Four or better, and when does Lute decide to step down?

Few seriously considered the Washington job 4 years ago when it was a program in the dumps. Why wouldn't he seriously consider one of the premier jobs in the country at Arizona? I'm not saying it's a sure thing that he'd take the job, but you have to think Arizona would strongly consider him and if so, make a big push to get him. And Few would be dumb not to strongly consider it. He could move on to a program with even higher prestige and give himself a greater chance at a National Championship and at the same time hand over the Gonzaga program to one of his buddies on the staff there.

Pitt's Jaime Dixon could be a candidate by then. He flirted with ASU this season, before getting a raise there and he has West Coast ties and coached at Northern Arizona.

Glad this means IU won't be stealing HWSNBN.

I think this is a good hire. I am not sure if this is a great hire but of course time will tell. Sampson is going to put a very good defensive team on the floor sometimes to the detriment of the offensive end of the court. I am curious to see how well he recruits the state of Indiana. The one of the knocks against Davis was his inabilty to get the top talent from the Hoosier state. I seen Davis supporters say that the top in state talent were directed away from IU by Knight loyalist at the high school level. I think he took OU basketball as far as it was going to go. Here is a part of his resume:

• 8 straight 20-win seasons (only seven other coaches have equal or longer current streaks)
• 26.0-win average over last 5 years
• Has won more Big 12 games than any coach in the conference's history
• 12 consecutive postseason appearances (11 at OU) with 11 NCAA Tournament showings (10 at OU)
• 2001, 2002, 2003 Big 12 Tournament titles
• 5 Big 12 Tournament championship game appearances in last 8 years
• Conference's best Big 12 Tournament record (17-6)
• 147-21 (.875) record at Lloyd Noble Center and 65-5 (.929) mark over last 70 home games
• Big 12 record 37-game home winning streak (2001-03)
• No. 3 final AP ranking in 2002 and 2003
• No. 12 final AP ranking in 2000 and No. 13 in 2001
• 1995 and 2002 national coach of the year
• Coached All-Americans Eduardo Najera (3rd team in 2000) and Hollis Price (1st team in 2003)

Pitt's Jaime Dixon could be a candidate by then. He flirted with ASU this season, before getting a raise there and he has West Coast ties and coached at Northern Arizona.

Jamie has West Coast in him and might be looking to move back if a big job Like Arizona opened up but he isnt looking to move any time soon. Dixon made it appear he was flirting with ASU, but he wasnt. He just wanted a raise and used ASU to do it. He was one of the lowest paid coaches in the big east. Also when he was first hired as the head man at Pitt, Pitt asked him not to hire an agent, that changed this year as he hired an agent and guess what the advice was to do :)

You'll just leave for Maryland after several seasons of not being able to make it past the Sweet Sixteen...but OWNING Texas.

:D

Fixed it for you.

Jamie has West Coast in him and might be looking to move back if a big job Like Arizona opened up but he isnt looking to move any time soon. Dixon made it appear he was flirting with ASU, but he wasnt. He just wanted a raise and used ASU to do it. He was one of the lowest paid coaches in the big east. Also when he was first hired as the head man at Pitt, Pitt asked him not to hire an agent, that changed this year as he hired an agent and guess what the advice was to do :)

Yeah... I agree. He was using ASU for negotiating leverage, in my opinion. Still, I think the next time a high proflie Pac 10 job comes open, he will be in the mix.

I'm not so sure about that. The next 2-3 seasons will be critical in that regard - can Gonzaga get over the hump and get to a Final Four or better, and when does Lute decide to step down?

Few seriously considered the Washington job 4 years ago when it was a program in the dumps. Why wouldn't he seriously consider one of the premier jobs in the country at Arizona? I'm not saying it's a sure thing that he'd take the job, but you have to think Arizona would strongly consider him and if so, make a big push to get him. And Few would be dumb not to strongly consider it. He could move on to a program with even higher prestige and give himself a greater chance at a National Championship and at the same time hand over the Gonzaga program to one of his buddies on the staff there.

He was considered the backup to the UCLA job because the admin was unsure if he could handle the pressure at a bigtime job. Replacing a HOF coach like Lute is much harder then following John Wooden 30 years later

Jamie has West Coast in him and might be looking to move back if a big job Like Arizona opened up but he isnt looking to move any time soon. Dixon made it appear he was flirting with ASU, but he wasnt. He just wanted a raise and used ASU to do it. He was one of the lowest paid coaches in the big east. Also when he was first hired as the head man at Pitt, Pitt asked him not to hire an agent, that changed this year as he hired an agent and guess what the advice was to do :)

Jaime Dixon's wife's parents are bigtime SC alums and most of the famil lives out here. If offered the UofA job, I'm sure he wouldnt turn it down. Pitt fans were convinced that Howland wasn't going to leave them either and look at how things turned out.

Glad this means IU won't be stealing HWSNBN.

Don't you worry your pretty little head, he'll be gone before you know it... :D

Johnny93g, nothing more than phone calls IIRC.

Although, Indiana has to be on the lookout for penalties traveling with the coach...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2387372

The university self-imposed a two-year probation from July 1, 2005 to July 1, 2007; reduced scholarships from 13 to 11 for 2005-06 and 13 to 12 from 2006-07; reduced the number of phone calls coaches could make to recruits; limited off-campus recruiting from July 2005 through the 2006-07 academic year; cut paid visits down from 12 to nine for this past season; froze Sampson's salary increases and postseason bonuses for a two-year period.

According to NCAA rules, if penalties are imposed by the committee of infractions on a coach that are over and above what the institution already has self-imposed, then the new school (Indiana) would have to impose those penalties or else Sampson would have to appear before the committee and show cause why the school shouldn't be required to do so.

Jaime Dixon's wife's parents are bigtime SC alums and most of the famil lives out here. If offered the UofA job, I'm sure he wouldnt turn it down. Pitt fans were convinced that Howland wasn't going to leave them either and look at how things turned out.

Na i disagree with the Howland comment. People that thought they knew what was going on undstood that he would leave for a Cali school no matter what If he got offered one. He had strong ties there and said his dream job would be in CALI. Plus he thought he could turn any program around no matter what. Just look at the schools he coached and there wasnt any reason to think he couldnt. I dont think Jamie would go to USC over Pitt because there is no history what so ever there, plus UCLA will get any kid they want over there from now on. I wouldnt think he would be in the running for the Arizona job. On top of that he is at the helm of a top 15 program that doesnt look to be slowing down any time soon.

As a side note, Barry Rohrssen recruited most of those guys, and I would wonder how Jamie would do without him. Barry has been trying to get a head job this year

Top 15? Try the greatest program.:)

Top 15? Try the greatest program.:)

You think Pitt is the greatest program?

My opinion of you just plummetted.

I thought he was talking about Howland at UCLA. :)

I thought he was talking about Howland at UCLA. :)

My bad, i should have wrote it a little bit better than i did

Crimson & Crean has a nice ring to it...

And hasn't he been investigated for NCAA infractions. WTF?

Well, that didn't take long. Get this clown out of here before he sullies IU's name further... :(

hxxp://indiana.scout.com/2/690536.html

IU Discloses New Sanctions on Hoops Staff

By IU Media Relations

Posted Oct 14, 2007

The Indiana University Department of Athletics today announced that a series of recruiting sanctions and corrective actions are being imposed on men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff.

The new limitations on recruiting efforts, which include loss of a scholarship next year, were imposed by Athletics Director Rick Greenspan after he determined that Sampson and his staff last season had exceeded certain NCAA limitations on telephone calls to prospective student-athletes or their representatives.

“We determined that the impermissible calls occurred because some staff members did not fully comply with the sanctions they were operating under,” Greenspan said. “We are addressing that problem, and we are voluntarily extending these limitations on recruiting for another season to ensure that the full effect of NCAA restrictions on recruiting is realized.”

Greenspan also announced that Sampson has voluntarily agreed to forego a scheduled $500,000 raise during the 2007-08 season, and that assistant coach Rob Senderoff will be prohibited for a year from making recruiting phone calls and from recruiting off campus. In addition, Senderoff will receive no bonus this season or salary increase next year.

This summer, the Athletic Department’s routine review of telephone records compiled by assistant coaches turned up evidence suggesting that some calls contrary to the sanctions may have been made.

Greenspan then commissioned the Collegiate Sports Practice of the Indianapolis law firm of Ice Miller to conduct a full and independent investigation.

The review, which took more than two months, determined that on about 10 occasions, an assistant coach initiated three-way calls that connected Sampson into an on-going recruiting conversation with prospective student-athletes, their parents or coaches.

In addition, the review indicated that of all recruiting calls made during the year, the majority of those that were found to be contrary to the sanctions were made by Senderoff. Only two calls were attributed to Sampson.

“Those were just a small fraction of the thousands of allowable phone calls that were made and received during this time,” Greenspan said. “However, Indiana University expects full and complete compliance with all NCAA rules and sanctions. That is why I am imposing a new round of recruiting restrictions and sanctions on Coach Sampson and his staff. I want to send a strong message that nothing less than complete compliance with the NCAA is the standard by which we operate.”

The full Ice Miller investigation report has been provided to the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions for review. Because 35 of the calls by assistant coaches were also determined to be in violation of NCAA limits on the number of times an athlete may be called, a separate report detailing these instances is being prepared for the NCAA’s enforcement staff.

“Based on all of the evidence gathered in our investigation, we have taken the action that we deemed as appropriate and have reported that to the NCAA,” Greenspan said.

My cousin was wondering who kept calling him on Skype with the name 'ICoachU@IU'.

:D

So these violations are different than the violations he had at Oklahoma? Wow.

Well, both are illegal phone calls. But different in that he did them for his new team and that the number of violations is double, instead of triple, digits.

But otherwise, same old Samscum.

Well, both are illegal phone calls. But different in that he did them for his new team and that the number of violations is double, instead of triple, digits.

But otherwise, same old Samscum.

That is what I was getting at. These were calls that were made AFTER he got to IU.

Why don't you enlighten me why this is not a good hire?

Shall I enlighten you again? :)

To do the exact same thing that you got punished for less than a year after getting put on probation is just unbelievable.

The thought I have on this, is how much else must he doing that he is not getting caught for?

I'm guessing there are very few coaches that follow the rules to a "T," but this guy keeps getting caught. Hard to believe he isn't getting away with a good bit--kind of like the guys that speed, while driving, every day and get a ticket once or twice a year. He has to be doing much worse than just toeing the line.

hxxp://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071015/SPORTS0601/310150001

Ex-IU star calls for coach's firing Related articles

By Mark Alesia and Mark Montieth
[email protected]

1:33 PM -- Ex-IU star Benson calls for firing

Kent Benson’s feelings on the latest NCAA recruiting violations committed by Indiana University basketball coach Kelvin Sampson boiled down to one question.


"What happened to the zero tolerance mandate imposed against Sampson when he was hired by the university because of violations committed while he coached at Oklahoma?

“Here we get rid of a legend (Bob Knight) who had a perfectly clean record in 30 years of coaching at Indiana University,” a seething Benson said today in a telephone interview. “We put a zero tolerance rule on him and he was gone.

“For the athletic director and trustees to allow this to happen, it’s an absolute travesty. It’s an embarrassment to the former players and the university.

“They need to do the right thing. If no tolerance means no tolerance, they should get rid of him. And (athletic director Rick Greenspan) should be right behind him.”

Benson, a three-time All-America at IU and the center on the undefeated national championship team of 1976, lives in Bloomington. A loyal supporter of the program in previous seasons, he said he doubts he’ll attend games if a coaching change is not made.

“After what’s happened today, probably not,” he said. “How can you support a program like that?”


Patrick Shoulders, vice president of Indiana University's Board of Trustees, said Monday he wasn't consulted about the penalties the school imposed on men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson, but he said he supported them and that IU was right not to fire the coach.

On Sunday, IU's athletic department announced that Sampson had violated NCAA recruiting restrictions issued to him for previous rule-breaking while coaching at Oklahoma. IU announced self-imposed penalties, including a $500,000 fine for Sampson, the loss of a scholarship for one year and recruiting restrictions.

"My first reaction was shock and having trouble believing it," Shoulders said. "Then, after some reflection, I thought it's important to keep perspective on this. It's terribly unfortunate, but the reason this university exists will certainly go forward."

He described Sampson's violations as "10 errant phone calls with no intent to violate the rule." There were also 35 phone calls made by assistant basketball coaches that violated NCAA rules.

"I hope Kelvin Sampson and others in the athletic department learn from this," Shoulders said. "I highly value our spotless reputation in terms of NCAA compliance and absolutely expect people to abide by the letter and spirit of the rules."

IU has not had a major NCAA violation since 1960.

Shoulders said he doesn't think other trustees were consulted on the matter, calling it a "presidential decision ... an administrative matter."

NCAA spokesperson Stacey Osburn declined comment, except to say that the NCAA committee on infractions has received a report from IU on the matter.

Ball now in NCAA hands for IU coach and program

The NCAA committee on infractions will again have a say on the future of Indiana University's men's basketball team in what may be an unprecedented case.

Just two days after the excitement of the season-opening Hoosier Hysteria fan fest at Assembly Hall, IU announced Sunday that coach Kelvin Sampson had violated NCAA recruiting restrictions related to previous rules he broke at the University of Oklahoma.

The Hoosiers imposed several punishments on Sampson and the basketball program:
Sampson will forfeit $500,000 in salary.
The school will lose a basketball scholarship for one season.
Various staff recruiting restrictions that go beyond normal NCAA rules will be in place for one year.

It's unclear when the NCAA committee on infractions will consider the issue. It does not comment publicly before issuing a final report. But it has the power to call a hearing and add to the IU-imposed punishments.

IU, however, thinks it "went above and beyond" its responsibility with "very significant and strong sanctions," said Robin Green Harris, an attorney hired by IU who specializes in NCAA enforcement.

The violations included Sampson participating in "about 10" three-way phone calls with an assistant coach and a recruit. Those calls were contrary to restrictions imposed by the committee on infractions in May 2006 for recruiting violations Sampson committed while coaching at the University of Oklahoma.

Green Harris' report also found 35 phone calls made by assistant coaches that violated NCAA recruiting rules. That's the issue that got Sampson in trouble with the NCAA at Oklahoma.

IU reported those separately to the NCAA's enforcement staff as "secondary" infractions.

IU considers the self-imposed punishments as sufficient to cover Sampson's violations, as well as those of his assistant coaches.

"The rules that we broke were mistakes, but they weren't mistakes with us hitting our chests thinking that we don't have to worry about this," Sampson said. "It's a mistake, and we take full responsibility for what happened."
On Friday, 13,000 IU fans had ushered in the new season by watching the team scrimmage. The Hoosiers, with star freshman Eric Gordon, the reigning Indianapolis Star Indiana Mr. Basketball from North Central High School, are among the favorites to win the Big Ten Conference. The program is generally considered to be surging.

There was a much different tone Sunday, however, in a teleconference with reporters that included Sampson and athletic director Rick Greenspan.

"This decision was not made by the athletic director, but it has been made with considerable thought and it's a matter we will now move forward to the NCAA," Greenspan said.

IU president Michael McRobbie said in a statement that he was "very disappointed" and that "it appears that the coaching staff's impermissible actions were a result of carelessness, as opposed to any deliberate attempt to evade the sanctions."

"We play by the rules at Indiana University, and we will not tolerate any sort of carelessness and inattentiveness that might give the public cause to doubt our commitment to the rules," McRobbie's statement said.

What makes the case unique is that three-way calls don't violate NCAA rules and are generally allowed. But in this case, they violated a restriction imposed on Sampson by the committee on infractions.

While coach at Oklahoma, Sampson and his staff were found to have broken NCAA recruiting rules from 2000 to 2004. Oklahoma imposed punishments, and when IU hired Sampson in March 2006, the Hoosiers did the same.
After a hearing, however, the committee on infractions added to those punishments, saying that while at Oklahoma, Sampson "fostered an environment of deliberate noncompliance."

Among the added restrictions: Sampson wasn't allowed to initiate phone calls to recruits or be present when a staff member made such calls from May 2006 to May of this year.

The infractions committee's May 2006 report didn't specifically address three-way calls. But Green Harris said a subsequent interpretation from the NCAA "did clearly state that three-way calls involving coach Sampson would not be permissible."

Green Harris said she thinks certain factors will work in IU's favor before the committee.

One is that potential violations were discovered internally during a routine audit. Then IU hired an outside investigator (Green Harris and the Indianapolis law firm Ice Miller) and reported everything to the NCAA in a timely manner.

IU has an excellent record in NCAA rules compliance. It has not had a "major" violation since 1960.

Shall I enlighten you again? :)

Why you got bring up the past? :p

I don't remember what I said, but I'm pretty sure I posted at the time that Sampson was a terrible, terrible decision for Indiana.

lol stupid Indiana

Mike Davis will be in the Sweet Sixteen as a head coach before Indiana is.

Extensive research has turned up this.

IU's problem is that they think they are UNC or UCLA or Kansas, but they're not...none of the top-drawer coaches wanted the job when it was available, and they settled for a questionable guy in Sampson.

Davis was not a good coach and seems to have some mental issues, but Sampson is hardly the guy to bring the Hoosiers back to the glory days of Knight. Those days are long gone, and the sooner the fan base accepts it the easier it will be for a new coach to build a contending program.

IU's problem is that they think they are UNC or UCLA or Kansas, but they're not...none of the top-drawer coaches wanted the job when it was available, and they settled for a questionable guy in Sampson.

Davis was not a good coach and seems to have some mental issues, but Sampson is hardly the guy to bring the Hoosiers back to the glory days of Knight. Those days are long gone, and the sooner the fan base accepts it the easier it will be for a new coach to build a contending program.

I don't really have a dog in this, but I do think that Indiana is one of the premier basketball programs in the nation. I've had this conversation with friends from different parts of the country, and the three schools that you mentioned, Duke, Kentucky, and Indiana are the names that seem to continually come up as the best historical basketball schools.

I don't really have a dog in this, but I do think that Indiana is one of the premier basketball programs in the nation. I've had this conversation with friends from different parts of the country, and the three schools that you mentioned, Duke, Kentucky, and Indiana are the names that seem to continually come up as the best historical basketball schools.

You are definitely not alone, but I wonder if this is a generational thing...the hoosiers just haven't been a powerhouse since the early 90s. Who are the most recent NBA players they've produced? Jared Jeffries, Cal Cheaney, Alan Henderson...you have to go even farther back to come up with a star player -- Isiah Thomas? I just don't think that recruits see Indiana as something special, despite booster expectations that see Indiana on par with North Carolina and Kentucky. That makes the head coaching job there a real tough situation to get into.

I don't really have a dog in this, but I do think that Indiana is one of the premier basketball programs in the nation. I've had this conversation with friends from different parts of the country, and the three schools that you mentioned, Duke, Kentucky, and Indiana are the names that seem to continually come up as the best historical basketball schools.
Interesting - why is it that UCLA isn't in that list as well?

Interesting - why is it that UCLA isn't in that list as well?

The three schools he already mentioned were UCLA, UNC, and Kansas. So, those six schools, in my opinion are "traditional" basketball schools and the type of schools that you worry about them (no matter how much money your school has) when they are interested in hiring your head coach.

There are other emerging programs (obviously Florida, Michigan State, UConn, Syracuse, etc.) that are getting there, but I think those six have a special mystique for coaches and recruits. Kind of like USC, Notre Dame, Alabama, Oklahoma, etc. in football.

More phone call issues. It was all the assistant coaches' fault this time.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071016/NLETTER03/710160452/1196/LOCAL

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University basketball coaches made more than 100 potentially impermissible phone calls to recruits, not just the 35 that school officials disclosed Sunday as violating NCAA rules, an IU spokesman confirmed Tuesday.


The calls were made by assistant coaches, not head coach Kelvin Sampson, said Larry MacIntyre, vice president of university communications.
"We're calling attention in this report to a little over a hundred calls, 35 of which we are labeling as possible NCAA violations," MacIntyre said. "The rest we are saying may have been contrary to the sanctions (imposed on Sampson while at the University of Oklahoma), but in a lot of cases it's not really clear what they were."
The confusion exists for two primary reasons.
Cell phone records show many of the calls lasted one minute, MacIntyre said. That could indicate the call didn't connect, and thus a violation might not have occurred.
Other calls made to a recruit's house might have been intended for the player's father, who doubled as his coach. Programs are allowed to make an unlimited number of calls to coaches.
"In many of the calls, you can't say with specificity what it was," MacIntyre said. "The lawyers have gone over this stuff with a fine-toothed comb, and in some cases they just weren't sure what the calls were, and so they included them in the report."
The report submitted to the NCAA has not been released to the news media because IU says it is redacting names of prospective student-athletes, their parents and their phone numbers.
MacIntyre said the report indicated Sampson did not make any cellular calls during his sanction period, which expired in May. Because of rules violations he committed at Oklahoma, he had been prohibited by the NCAA from phoning IU recruits.
IU officials said Sunday, however, that during that period, phone records show Sampson participated in 10 three-way calls, with a recruit and an IU assistant coach, which is not permissible.
Assistant coach Rob Senderoff made most of the more than 100 calls in question. IU has banned Senderoff from calling recruits or taking recruiting trips through July. Assistant coach Ray McCallum, like Sampson, did not make any of the calls, the report said.

This caught me totally off guard, like straight from left field...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3243325

WSU could use Kelvin Sampson right about now....:)

Bad advice Bug, bad advice

I wouldn't be surprised to see the university fire Sampson by the end of the week and install Dan Dakich as interim coach.

In fact, I'd sort of like that scenario.

Or, you know, I hear that Bob Knight is currently unemployed. :P

This would solve his sudden retirement mystery...

Dear Indiana,

We warned you.

Sincerely,
The rest of the Big 12

I bet the idiots over on the Scout boards who were defending this idiot are out in full force today...

I was against this hiring from the start. What an asshat. I still don't understand why they hired him...

Good riddance.

More from the Indy Star.
hxxp://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/SPORTS0601/802130516

NCAA: Sampson misled IU about calls


By Mark Alesia

Indiana University men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson "repeatedly" provided "false or misleading information" to the school and NCAA investigators, according to a list of five major violations the NCAA is alleging against IU.

Coach Kelvin Sampson provided "false or misleading information" to Indiana University about calls to recruits, the NCAA report finds. - Matt Kryger / The Star

The "notice of allegations" sent to IU president Michael McRobbie on Feb. 8, and obtained by The Star today through a public records request, alleges that Sampson knowingly violated telephone recruiting restrictions and then lied about it. The restrictions were imposed because of the coach's NCAA violations while at Oklahoma.

Sampson "failed to deport himself … with the generally recognized high standard of honesty" and "failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance within the men's basketball program," according to the allegations. The cover letter was signed by David Price, NCAA vice president for enforcement.

IU has until May 8 to provide a written response. The letter says it's anticipated IU will be required to appear June 14 in Seattle at a hearing before the Division I Committee on Infractions.

According to Sampson's seven-year contract, signed in April 2006, if IU fires him for "just cause" it would owe him nothing beyond his regular compensation through that month. Among the definitions of "just cause" in Sampson's contract is "a significant, intentional, repetitive violation of any law, rule (or) regulation" of the NCAA.

Another definition is "Failure to maintain an environment in which the coaching staff complies with NCAA ... regulations."

The contract says IU is allowed to use its "sole judgment" to determine if Sampson's conduct "reflects adversely upon the university and its athletic program."

Major violations of NCAA rules, as opposed to "secondary" violations, can carry punishments including postseason ineligibility.

IU has a strong record in NCAA compliance, with no major violations since 1960.

School officials were not immediately available for comment. A statement is expected this morning.

Assistant coach Jeff Meyer, who was involved in several of the allegations, issued a statement today through an attorney.

“In my twenty-nine years as a college coach, I have tried to maintain a reputation for integrity, fairness and good sportsmanship – values shared by Indiana University and the NCAA," the statement read. "I regret that I may have made mistakes that are causing my and IU’s conduct to be examined by the NCAA."

Sampson - now there is a coach that is all class. I learned that last week.

OK, now that I've got my smug "you got what you asked for" comment out of my system - how do the Indiana fans think this will go down? From reading the above article, it doesn't look like there is an assistant to throw under the bus this time around.

As the article states, IU has a well-deserved reputation for running a clean program. I would hope that continues once Sampson departs. I'm all for having a good UI/UI rivalry, but preferably it can be a healthy one with a underlying level of respect between programs. That isn't possible with the current regime (basketball only, not a statement about the school at large).

I think Sampson is (and should be) gone. Greenspan, the AD, may be in trouble too, since he is the one who brought this scumbag in. I only hope Sampson is fired before tonight's game. I think a self-imposed postseason ban this year is appropriate.

From the Bloomington Herald-Times. I think anything short of saying Sampson has been fired was not going far enough. :(

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FEB. 13, 2008

NCAA serves notice on IU of potential “major violations” in basketball recruiting

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Indiana University today (Feb. 13) disclosed that it has received formal notice from the National Collegiate Athletic Association that allegations of potentially ‘major’ recruiting violations have been raised against men¹s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson and two assistants.

The five allegations were outlined in a letter to IU President Michael A. McRobbie from David Price, the NCAA’s vice president for enforcement. Also cited in the letter for alleged violations were assistant coach Jeff Meyer and former assistant coach Rob Senderoff.

Many of the allegations are based on two self-reports of impermissible telephone calls the university filed with the NCAA in October. The university and three individuals cited were all given until May 8 to file formal written responses. The NCAA’s Committee on Infractions will consider the responses during its June 14 meeting in Seattle, Wash., and then decide if the allegations are substantiated and if penalties should be imposed beyond those that the university imposed on itself in October.

Those penalties included a second year of restrictions on recruit contacts tighter than is permitted by the NCAA, loss of a basketball scholarship for 2008-09, and Sampson voluntarily agreed to forego a $500,000 salary increase.

Responding for Indiana University, Athletics Director Rick Greenspan said IU is taking these new allegations by the NCAA very seriously. “We are extremely disappointed in these new allegations regarding Coach Sampson,” Greenspan said. “To say the least, we view these allegations with grave concern and will cooperate fully with the NCAA as they adjudicate these charges.” NCAA staff initiated a “preliminary inquiry” after IU notified it that the university’s own investigation had documented more than 100 impermissible telephone calls that were made to prospective student athletes during the 2006-07 season, some of which violated NCAA rules.

At the recommendation of attorneys from Ice Miller’s Collegiate Sports Practice in Indianapolis, the university reported some of the telephone calls as being secondary, or minor, violations in part because there was no evidence of “a purposeful plan to circumvent the sanctions.”

After reviewing IU’s self-report and conducting additional interviews with people not associated with Indiana University, the NCAA has categorized the allegations as potential “major violations” of its rules.

The NCAA staff interviewed several potential recruits and their family members who for a variety of reasons had been unavailable to talk to IU’s investigating staff or who could not be reached at the time.

This incident makes me wonder what I have wondered in the past - at what point will the NCAA be willing/able to levy more punishment on coaches? Sampson does this at Oklahoma, leaves, and Oklahoma is left holding the ball. Now the same will happen at IU. Yeah, he loses his job, but that seems minor compared to what the University potentially goes through.

This incident makes me wonder what I have wondered in the past - at what point will the NCAA be willing/able to levy more punishment on coaches? Sampson does this at Oklahoma, leaves, and Oklahoma is left holding the ball. Now the same will happen at IU. Yeah, he loses his job, but that seems minor compared to what the University potentially goes through.

Each university is supposed to have a compliance department to make sure everything stays on the straight and narrow. They're just as responsible for letting it happen. Those phone records are available to look at by the university compliance staff. The staff likely took things for granted under Knight because he stayed within the rules. They're acutally have to do their job now.

Another good example is Roy Williams at Kansas. Over the course of a few years, the compliance staff shrunk to only one person because the university didn't bother to rehire new compliance staff when the old ones left. As a result, KU is on probation because they didn't properly monitor the situation and allowed rules to be broken.

hxxp://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/genrel/021308aaa.html

NCAA Notifies Indiana Of Allegations Regarding Men's Basketball

Feb. 13, 2008

Bloomington, Indiana - Indiana University today (Feb. 13) disclosed that it has received formal notice from the National Collegiate Athletic Association that allegations of potentially "major" recruiting violations have been raised against men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson and two assistants.

The five allegations were outlined in a letter to IU President Michael A. McRobbie from David Price, the NCAA's vice president for enforcement. Also cited in the letter for alleged violations were assistant coach Jeff Meyer and former assistant coach Rob Senderoff.

Many of the allegations are based on two self-reports of impermissible telephone calls the university filed with the NCAA in October.

The university and three individuals cited were all given until May 8 to file formal written responses. The NCAA's Committee on Infractions will consider the responses during its June 14 meeting in Seattle, Wash., and then decide if the allegations are substantiated and if penalties should be imposed beyond those that the university imposed on itself in October.

Those penalties included a second year of restrictions on recruit contacts tighter than is permitted by the NCAA, loss of a basketball scholarship for 2008-09, and Sampson voluntarily agreed to forego a $500,000 salary increase. Responding for Indiana University, Athletics Director Rick Greenspan said IU is taking these new allegations by the NCAA very seriously.

"We are extremely disappointed in these new allegations regarding Coach Sampson," Greenspan said. "To say the least, we view these allegations with grave concern and will cooperate fully with the NCAA as they adjudicate these charges."

NCAA staff initiated a "preliminary inquiry" after IU notified it that the university's own investigation had documented more than 100 impermissible telephone calls that were made to prospective student athletes during the 2006-07 season, some of which violated NCAA rules.

At the recommendation of attorneys from Ice Miller's Collegiate Sports Practice in Indianapolis, the university reported some of the telephone calls as being secondary, or minor, violations in part because there was no evidence of "a purposeful plan to circumvent the sanctions."

After reviewing IU's self-report and conducting additional interviews with people not associated with Indiana University, the NCAA has categorized the allegations as potential "major violations" of its rules.

The NCAA staff interviewed several potential recruits and their family members who for a variety of reasons had been unavailable to talk to IU's investigating staff or who could not be reached at the time.

The specific allegations cited in the NCAA letter are:

1. That Sampson, Meyer and Senderoff failed to comply with sanctions imposed on Sampson for impermissible recruiting calls he made while he was a coach at Oklahoma. Those sanctions followed Sampson to IU when he came here in May of 2006. Sampson and Senderoff are alleged to have jointly participated in telephone calls at a time when Sampson was prohibited from being present or taking part when staff members made recruiting calls. Senderoff and Meyer are alleged to have made about 100 calls that exceeded the sanction limits. Senderoff resigned his position Oct. 30.

2. That Senderoff and Meyer placed "at least 25 telephone calls" to nine potential recruits that exceeded NCAA limits even if no sanctions had been in place.

3. That Sampson "acted contrary to the NCAA principles of ethical conduct when he knowingly violated recruiting restrictions imposed by the NCAA Committee on Infractions," and that he "failed to deport himself in accordance with the generally recognized high standard of honesty normally associated with the conduct and administration of intercollegiate athletics by providing the institution and the NCAA enforcement staff false or misleading information," and that he "failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance within the men's basketball program and failed to monitor the activities regarding compliance of one or more of his assistant coaches."

4. That Senderoff "acted contrary to the NCAA principles of ethical conduct when he knowingly violated recruiting restrictions imposed by the NCAA Committee on Infractions," and that he "failed to deport himself in accordance with the generally recognized high standard of honesty normally associated with the conduct and administration of intercollegiate athletics by providing the institution false or misleading information."

5. That Sampson and Meyer engaged in an impermissible recruiting contact during a two-day sports camp held at Assembly Hall on June 30 and July 1, 2007, and that Meyer provided the potential recruit with an impermissible benefit - at least one T-shirt and drawstring backpack.



Here's a PDF of the allegations:

hxxp://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ind/genrel/auto_pdf/allegations

Each university is supposed to have a compliance department to make sure everything stays on the straight and narrow. They're just as responsible for letting it happen. Those phone records are available to look at by the university compliance staff. The staff likely took things for granted under Knight because he stayed within the rules. They're acutally have to do their job now.

Another good example is Roy Williams at Kansas. Over the course of a few years, the compliance staff shrunk to only one person because the university didn't bother to rehire new compliance staff when the old ones left. As a result, KU is on probation because they didn't properly monitor the situation and allowed rules to be broken.


But weren't they self reported by Indiana? I agree that this is more of an institutional thing and more than Sampson are probably involved. But like Wade said what happens is Sampson finds another job, the people thrown under the bus don't, and basically the athletes and fans of the program ultimately get screwed.

But weren't they self reported by Indiana? I agree that this is more of an institutional thing and more than Sampson are probably involved. But like Wade said what happens is Sampson finds another job, the people thrown under the bus don't, and basically the athletes and fans of the program ultimately get screwed.

Kansas was self reported as well. Roy had already left for North Carolina. Self reporting is much like a guilty plea in court. However, if the violations are blatent enough, if doesn't matter if you self report. The program is still going to get hammered for letting it happen.

Stupid Indiana.

Am I the only IU guy who would love to have Dan Dakich as coach? God, he was an incredible dork as a player, but I love his hard-nosed, defense-first style.

Or in the same mold, I wonder what Michael Lewis is doing these days...

Ping: st. cronin

Suck it. ;)

ETA: Holy fuck, dude! You have almost 14,000 posts!

Very dissapointing to see all this. Coach Sampson needs to be fired. It really hurts because this year's team could go far.

Sampson - now there is a coach that is all class. I learned that last week.

Worry about the class of your own coach. 3rd Big Ten win the other night. Congrats!!!

If this gets Devin Ebanks to come back to Rutgers, I'll be pretty happy.

If this gets Devin Ebanks to come back to Rutgers, I'll be pretty happy.

As a Mizzou fan, I'm excited about it as well for recruiting purposes. DeMarcus Cousins, a top 5 player in the class of 2009, is down to Indiana, Mizzou and UAB. With Indiana out because of NCAA violations, Mizzou would be in a two horse race to land one of the best players in the class of 2009. I'm rooting for the NCAA to lay the hammer to Indiana. :)

Ebanks joining us for 08 would give the class a Top 25 ranking, I assume. Mike Rosario (McD's AA) is a stud, and pairing him with Ebanks would be huge. Even if Sampson isn't fired (which is why Ebanks would leave), I don't think the NCAA would allow him to go there since he was at the center of many of the illegal calls. I don't know for sure, but I read that is how it could play out.

Am I the only IU guy who would love to have Dan Dakich as coach? God, he was an incredible dork as a player, but I love his hard-nosed, defense-first style.

Did you miss the last three years when he ran the BGSU program into the ground?

Word on campus today (among the admin staff) is that the university is in negotiations with Sampson to mutually terminate his contract, possibly as early as tomorrow.

That's what I read on the Scout boards. Hopefully, this time tomorrow he will be history.

I make no claims about the reliability of my sources. Our administrators, just like administrators everywhere, always want to believe that they're more in the loop than they actually are. :)

Needless to say, the good ol' boy network has been on fire today as folks try to needle information out of one another.

As a Mizzou fan, I'm excited about it as well for recruiting purposes. DeMarcus Cousins, a top 5 player in the class of 2009, is down to Indiana, Mizzou and UAB. With Indiana out because of NCAA violations, Mizzou would be in a two horse race to land one of the best players in the class of 2009. I'm rooting for the NCAA to lay the hammer to Indiana. :)

I always assumed Cousins was a lock for Kentucky

I always assumed Cousins was a lock for Kentucky

Kentucky is currently listed as 'low' interest. Last I heard he's not even considering them. Cousins was initially considered a big lean to UAB because Mike Anderson had recruited him for some time there. With Anderson now at Mizzou, Cousins is considering Mizzou because of the coach, but I think he's still leaning towards UAB because it's close to home. Indiana was another consideration, but the probation likely will kill that interest.

Indiana Avenue between Third and Fourth streets will be closed from 2-4:30 p.m. today to accommodate TV satellite trucks in town for coverage of Michael McRobbie's 3 p.m. press conference.

After 4:30, one lane of traffic will be open on Indiana and IUPD officers will direct traffic.

Earlier:

Indiana University President Michael McRobbie will conduct a news conference at 3 p.m. today to announce his response to the NCAA’s “notice of allegations” against Indiana men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson.

Following his statement, McRobbie will take questions.

According to the Hoosier Scoop blog, “It appears unlikely that Kelvin Sampson will address the media today, as was originally planned.”

The news conference will be held at the IU School of Law’s moot courtroom.


This news just broke locally. I assume this is to announce that Sampson will be stepping down.

I hope to hear that Sampson is stepping down and Isiah Thomas has been announced as the new head coach for Indiana.

Go Bucks!

I hope to hear that Sampson is stepping down and Isiah Thomas has been announced as the new head coach for Indiana.

Go Bucks!

Hahaha!

I would very likely have to shoot myself in the face if that happened.

According to Scout, there will be a seven day investigation, with a recommendation expected by next Friday. I can't believe this guy hasn't been fired yet. I am close to giving up on IU basketball... Do the right thing, guys. Fire the bum. Stop dragging things out.

I hope to hear that Sampson is stepping down and Isiah Thomas has been announced as the new head coach for Indiana.

Go Bucks!

How 'bout Randy Wittman?

According to Scout, there will be a seven day investigation, with a recommendation expected by next Friday. I can't believe this guy hasn't been fired yet. I am close to giving up on IU basketball... Do the right thing, guys. Fire the bum. Stop dragging things out.


While I rarely hear things of value on ESPN radio, I heard something that made sense during my lunch break. Ohio State screwed themselves when they fired their coach without due process which cost them millions of dollars. This investigation could save Indiana a large amount of money, although at a cost of the hit to their reputation at least temporarily.

While I rarely hear things of value on ESPN radio, I heard something that made sense during my lunch break. Ohio State screwed themselves when they fired their coach without due process which cost them millions of dollars. This investigation could save Indiana a large amount of money, although at a cost of the hit to their reputation at least temporarily.

To be honest, that was the best thing that happened to Ohio State (getting rid of O'Brien). I'm sure the money was recovered during last year's tournament run. Thad Matta has been a blessing.

I hope to hear that Sampson is stepping down and Isiah Thomas has been announced as the new head coach for Indiana.

Go Bucks!

That would be delightful.

Hypo: Indiana keeps Sampson on board with the intention of firing him after the season. They make it to the final four, will the fans still be calling for his head? Do fans hold winning in higher esteem than ethics? I know what most people will say, but I believe otherwise...

Hypo: Indiana keeps Sampson on board with the intention of firing him after the season. They make it to the final four, will the fans still be calling for his head? Do fans hold winning in higher esteem than ethics? I know what most people will say, but I believe otherwise...


I don't care if he wins it all. He should have been fired days ago.

The word is that Sampson's contract doesn't allow for him to be fired without an investigation (like the one announced yesterday) of the allegations. That's just the legal reality.

That said, I have no doubt that he'll be fired next week. He's got zero support in Bloomington, on campus or within the university community. IU fans will not support a cheater.

The word is that Sampson's contract doesn't allow for him to be fired without an investigation (like the one announced yesterday) of the allegations. That's just the legal reality.

That said, I have no doubt that he'll be fired next week. He's got zero support in Bloomington, on campus or within the university community. IU fans will not support a cheater.

If that is the case then whoever allowed that clause to be in HIS contract should be fired as well.

Thanks J. O'Brien

Signed,
Indiana Fans

If that is the case then whoever allowed that clause to be in HIS contract should be fired as well.

I heard that it was more a matter of him not being able to be fired "with cause" without the investigation. If he was immediately fired, he would be due the rest of his money, but if they do a 7 day investigation he can be fired with cause and not recieve any more money.

I heard that it was more a matter of him not being able to be fired "with cause" without the investigation. If he was immediately fired, he would be due the rest of his money, but if they do a 7 day investigation he can be fired with cause and not recieve any more money.

Right. This is actually what I meant. The investigation is to officially establish "cause" so that we don't end up paying him the balance of the contract.

hxxp://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=7904939

It appears that Sampson is out. Thank god.


Hoosiers to finish season without Sampson

Posted: Feb 21, 2008 11:53 AM EST
Rich Nye/Eyewitness Sports

Bloomington - Indiana University is making plans to finish the basketball season without Kelvin Sampson. The coach of the Hoosiers is not expected to be with the team when they play at Northwestern Saturday.

A source close to the situation tells Eyewitness Sports that officials from the IU administration have met with assistant basketball coach Dan Dakich about taking over the basketball team as interim head coach for the rest of the season.

Dakich began this season in an administrative position with the team. He became an assistant coach when assistant coach Rob Senderoff resigned in October for his involvement in improper phone calls to recruits. Dakich is a former IU player and assistant coach under Bob Knight.

Athletic director Rick Greenspan must make a recommendation to the president by Friday regarding Sampson's future and the NCAA allegations. The program is accused of five possible major recruiting violations, and Sampson is accused of lying to IU and the NCAA about it.

The source says that by Friday afternoon, Sampson and the university will likely reach a financial settlement ending his employment, or Sampson will be suspended pending termination under the terms of his contract.

The Hoosiers play at Northwestern Saturday night. IU is still contender for the Big Ten title, just a half game out of first place.

It does not appear that Coach Sampson will finish the season with the Hoosiers.

Didn't I say Dan Dakich?

I am the shit.

IU fans will not support a cheater.


Then why'd they hire him in the first place? None of the other big-time programs were going to touch him with a ten-foot pole.

Then why'd they hire him in the first place? None of the other big-time programs were going to touch him with a ten-foot pole.

+1

It was, at the least, a very weird hire. I don't really follow college basketball, but I knew Sampson was a piece of shit. How did IU not know?

Why did they hire him in the first place? That seems to be one of the biggest questions here on local sports radio talk shows. People out here are wanting to know who/how/why let this come pass. With the reputation that IU had under The General, 100% graduation rate, zero scandle and an NCAA title now and then (the occasional chair flying across the floor and a back hand every so often evidently is acceptable though), there seems to be a strong need for accountability needed by the local media. Only having lived here for 12 years I'm still learning how deep and strong the Indiana basketball tradition is, from the littlest kids in the playground on thru to the colleges.

Apparently, IU is denying the previous report.

hxxp://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3257218

Why did they hire him in the first place? That seems to be one of the biggest questions here on local sports radio talk shows. People out here are wanting to know who/how/why let this come pass. With the reputation that IU had under The General, 100% graduation rate, zero scandle and an NCAA title now and then (the occasional chair flying across the floor and a back hand every so often evidently is acceptable though), there seems to be a strong need for accountability needed by the local media. Only having lived here for 12 years I'm still learning how deep and strong the Indiana basketball tradition is, from the littlest kids in the playground on thru to the colleges.

I think it would be disingenuous for the Hoosier faithful to wonder how it came to this. How Sampson got there is easy. Kelvin Sampson was ABMD. Anybody But Mike Davis. Remember the strong dislike (hate?) there was for Mike Davis in Indiana? Now did they want expect Sampson to be a dumb ass and do the same shit all over again? No. However the risk of getting a good coach with Sampson's flaws was a much better option than Mike Davis from all the reports I read out of Bloomington at the time.

Right. I think there was also a belief that the strong IU tradition would have a positive impact on Sampson -- i.e., he may have cheated at Oklahoma, but he wouldn't do it here.

You've also got to realize that by the time Mike Davis was canned, IU wasn't exactly a top tier job in lots of people's minds. You had an administration that appeared actively hostile to powerful coaches in a state where a great coach is treated almost like a god. You had an increasingly angry alumni base. You had a 5-year coaching gap where recruiting inside our own state had essentially dried up. (Perhaps more than anything else at the end, Mike Davis was doomed by Greg Oden going to Ohio State.)

Not exactly a plum job.

And as much as I hate to say it (but I will say it, because it was pretty well known in university staff circles -- though I'll stress that just because it was "known" doesn't necessarily mean that it's "true"), IU was very sensitive to the precedent of firing a black coach who had been relatively successful on paper. Hiring another black coach to replace him would put a damper on rumors that Davis was fired because he was black. In case you don't remember, Davis himself somewhat frequently raised the issue that he felt he was criticized unfairly in the local press because of his race -- which did absolutely nothing to endear him to the administration, the community or the alumni.

Again, I don't know how much "truth" there is in that assertion, but I'm passing it along because it was very much on the minds of those of us who work in the university and know its internal politics.

I had read about those rumors on a couple of college basketball boards I post on. I just think it is a bit of revisionist history for Indiana fans to wonder Kelvin Sampson. He was a big name coach who could return IU to national basketball prominence. Ethics were less of a priority with that hire than it will be with the next hire. That is for sure.

*shurg*

I don't know any IU fans who considered Sampson a big name coach. A good coach, certainly, but there were many voices raised at the time who thought that we'd aimed too low, Sampson's ethical baggage aside.

Personally, I objected to the ethical baggage but thought the caliber was just about right given the program's problems at the time.

And honestly, Sampson's cheating aside, he *did* return the program to at least a semblance of national prominence. The pool of realistic candidates will be vastly improved this time around. So, if nothing else, he did accomplish that...though whether or not it ends up being worth the damage to IU's squeaky clean reputation remains to be quantified.

Please see my response from back when he was first hired:

And hasn't he been investigated for NCAA infractions. WTF?

as I said at the time, most IU boosters/fans think of their program as the creme de la creme but that view is not shared by anyone else. sampson was the "biggest" name they could grab, and the fact that he was available because of his ethical misplays was not important at the time.

they should have done it right and gotten a promising mid-major coach like todd lickliter, but such a hire would have been met with howls and hysteria from the deluded boosters and fans.

mike davis was in over his head and was generally an embarassment; if jason williams didn't choke on his free throws no one would think davis can coach at all.

most IU boosters/fans think of their program as the creme de la creme

Indeed. There are plenty of IU fans that would have been disappointed in anything short of nabbing Coach K from Duke...and a whole other set who would have said that *he* wasn't good enough.

I enjoyed the Mike Davis era if for no other reason than that it taught us to better appreciate what a great program we've historically had.

if jason williams didn't choke on his free throws no one would think davis can coach at all.

It was actually just one free throw, and it would have only tied the game. Carlos Boozer got the rebound, and missed the shot that would have won the game for duke. If that free throw goes in, i think IU still wins. They were dominating in the 2nd half. Coverdale, Jefferies, Hornsby, Fife, Newton, Leach, Odle. I love that team.

My trip down memory lane is now over.

From Gary Parrish on CBS sportsline
hxxp://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10659277

" According to the sources, Greenspan asked Sampson to resign Thursday night but Sampson -- who was alleged in a report released last week to have committed five major NCAA rules violations -- rejected the request. The sources said it now appears Sampson is daring the school to fire him and that such a move would almost certainly lead to a lawsuit because Sampson still insists he is not guilty of lying to NCAA investigators or IU administrators, and that if the school was going to fire him for impermissible phone calls it should've done that when it learned of the calls in October.

Stay classy, Coach Sampson. The funny thing is that I agree with him. My impression is that the fans and adminstration weren't at all concerned with the charges until the NCAA declared them major and it looked like they might actually get punished. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

And as much as I hate to say it (but I will say it, because it was pretty well known in university staff circles -- though I'll stress that just because it was "known" doesn't necessarily mean that it's "true"), IU was very sensitive to the precedent of firing a black coach who had been relatively successful on paper. Hiring another black coach to replace him would put a damper on rumors that Davis was fired because he was black. In case you don't remember, Davis himself somewhat frequently raised the issue that he felt he was criticized unfairly in the local press because of his race -- which did absolutely nothing to endear him to the administration, the community or the alumni.

Again, I don't know how much "truth" there is in that assertion, but I'm passing it along because it was very much on the minds of those of us who work in the university and know its internal politics.

Minor correction. They didn't technically hire another black coach. Kelvin Sampson is Native American.

I think they were more concerned with going "cheap" when they hired Sampson. IU didn't want to shell out the bucks for a top-shelf coach. They thought they could get a bargain with Sampson having some baggage. He turned out to be a pretty good coach (judging from their record this year), but a man utterly without ethics.

And for the record, I wanted him fired when they first disclosed his violations. I may have been in the minority... or the KS supporters at Hoosier Nation are just much more vocal than the detractors.

It was actually just one free throw, and it would have only tied the game. Carlos Boozer got the rebound, and missed the shot that would have won the game for duke. If that free throw goes in, i think IU still wins. They were dominating in the 2nd half. Coverdale, Jefferies, Hornsby, Fife, Newton, Leach, Odle. I love that team.

My trip down memory lane is now over.

You are right...boozer was the guy who missed four free throws in that game. They blew a 13 point lead and after the game Matt Christenson "cocked his fist to punch" the official for not making a bail-out call on Boozer's putback. Christenson later was presented with an award for "exemplifying the values and honor of Duke basketball". Seems perfect to me!

Is there any college b-ball team that is more hated than Duke? Not for me.

Is there any college b-ball team that is more hated than Duke? Not for me.

Only UNC.... But maybe that is because I am NC State Wolfpack through and through!!! UNC is public enemy #1 for me and Duke is #1b...

The biggest problem with Duke from my standpoint is that it is a school in NC and has students primarily from NJ... Also while I respect Coach K alot his constant working the refs/scowling despite always having a top5 team drives me nuts...

UNC on the other hand I could go on and on about the things I dislike about the university, athletics programs, fans attitiudes, Dean Smith, etc...

Local rumor has it the interim coach may be Ray McCallum now instead of Dakich?

Reportedly, a group of players said they won't play unless it is McCallum. Now there is a rumor that Sampson will accept a buyout. Basically, nobody seems to know what is actually going on.

Only UNC.... But maybe that is because I am NC State Wolfpack through and through!!! UNC is public enemy #1 for me and Duke is #1b...

You guys need to get good again. I miss having great games every year with Duke AND NC State. :/

Reportedly, a group of players said they won't play unless it is McCallum. Now there is a rumor that Sampson will accept a buyout. Basically, nobody seems to know what is actually going on.

I've heard the thing about McCallum as well, but haven't seen it confirmed. He's definitely got his supporters around campus.

On the other hand, things didn't work out so well in the long term the last time we essentially let the will of the players pick the coach (i.e., Mike Davis over John Treloar).

AP is reporting that Dakic has been named interim coach and that Senior captain D.J. White, Armon Bassett, Jordan Crawford, Jamarcus Ellis, DeAndre Thomas and Brandon McGee skipped Dakich's first practice Friday afternoon. It is unknown if they will play when the 15th-ranked Hoosiers travel to Northwestern on Saturday.

Holy Crap. Bobby Knight has to be chuckling.

Holy Crap. Bobby Knight has to be chuckling.

I know I'm chuckling on his behalf.

Yep. The IU administration have looked like total buffoons throughout this whole thing. I liked the AD before this because he brought in Coach Hoeppner and seemed to actually care about football, but I think he needs to go now.

AP is reporting that Dakic has been named interim coach and that Senior captain D.J. White, Armon Bassett, Jordan Crawford, Jamarcus Ellis, DeAndre Thomas and Brandon McGee skipped Dakich's first practice Friday afternoon. It is unknown if they will play when the 15th-ranked Hoosiers travel to Northwestern on Saturday.

Not just AP. Local Indy sports was saying the same thing. They're also reporting that Sampson will accept a 750,000 buyout.

Eh. Let them skip, quit or sit for the rest of the season. The program is bigger than a few disgruntled players, and they need to accept that.

(Which isn't to say that I won't cheer for them if they come around, just that I see them as kids who have had their feelings hurt acting like kids with this stunt.)

Eh. Let them skip, quit or sit for the rest of the season. The program is bigger than a few disgruntled players, and they need to accept that.

(Which isn't to say that I won't cheer for them if they come around, just that I see them as kids who have had their feelings hurt acting like kids with this stunt.)

Exactly. Players have an impact 2 or 3 seasons past their commit date. The school will be around long past their impact dates.

If I were Dakich I would accept them back onto the team, but I would strip White of his captain status and name one of the players that didn't skip as the new captain.

If your first act as a coach is to lay down in front of a few kids that skipped practice in protest at your appointment, you might as well just throw in the towel. If I was an IU fan, anything less than a 3 game suspension for each of them would be a complete slap in the face. I'm sure White is crying himself to sleep over the prospect of losing his captaincy.

If your first act as a coach is to lay down in front of a few kids that skipped practice in protest at your appointment, you might as well just throw in the towel. If I was an IU fan, anything less than a 3 game suspension for each of them would be a complete slap in the face. I'm sure White is crying himself to sleep over the prospect of losing his captaincy.

Respectfully, reading this post I assume you are either out of touch with the world, a fan of a different Big Ten team, or an IU hater. Regardless, your proposal is beyond asinine. These kids, particularly DJ, have been put through the proverbial wringer because they listened to a coach who clearly has difficulty with truth and honesty. If they want to show some loyalty, who are we to fault them?

While a number of kids skipped the afternoon practice, reports show that everyone was at Dakitch's walkthrough that night and getting ready for tomorrow (now today). I'd say that giving these players one "Get Out of Jail Free" card for the day is about the perfect response. Now, if they had continued the boycott after one afternoon, and missed any additional practices or game time, cutting ties might have been appropriate. That didn't happen.

Respectfully, reading this post I assume you are either out of touch with the world, a fan of a different Big Ten team, or an IU hater.

That's what happens when you make assumptions.

I'm none of the above but believe those who skipped practice showed a distinct lack of character & a high degree of selfishness at best. They most definitely should be subject to disciplinary action as the rules permit. But anybody paying the slightest bit of attention also had to know that any discipline directed toward them would almost certainly be very mild at most.

While I agree skipping practice is a weak move, nobody really knows enough about why they skipped practice or what they might have been promised/told by various people, including Sampson. I assume they'll rejoin the team and the missed practice will be forgotten by everybody before too long.

My immediate response to the players sitting out was, "Can Indiana take their scholarships away?"

But, after thinking it over, this is not a professional team and these kids are not professionals. It would be nice if they acted like it, but they are probably hurting and grieving over losing a mentor, their go-to guy, and, quite likely, a father figure. They should be allowed to have a day or two to grieve before getting back to business.

Even though Sampson appears to be a slimeball, I can see how his players and he could feel that he was wrong, since everything he did was on the table months ago and seemed to have been resolved until the NCAA decided to get involved. I'd guess the players were both grieving and protesting (in the way that an 18-20 year old can) a somewhat questionable decision by the AD.

Respectfully, reading this post I assume you are either out of touch with the world, a fan of a different Big Ten team, or an IU hater. Regardless, your proposal is beyond asinine. These kids, particularly DJ, have been put through the proverbial wringer because they listened to a coach who clearly has difficulty with truth and honesty. If they want to show some loyalty, who are we to fault them?

While a number of kids skipped the afternoon practice, reports show that everyone was at Dakitch's walkthrough that night and getting ready for tomorrow (now today). I'd say that giving these players one "Get Out of Jail Free" card for the day is about the perfect response. Now, if they had continued the boycott after one afternoon, and missed any additional practices or game time, cutting ties might have been appropriate. That didn't happen.

Yeah, it now appears that the kids skipping practice wasn't as bad as the media was making it out to be. My bad for commenting on the situation without knowing the full facts.

To be fair, I think the administration did a terrible job of managing the situation yesterday. With the limited info getting out, anyone with an interest was bound to speculate, including the kids. I would have preferred if the kids had been better kept in the loop - it might have avoided anyone skipping anything...

Indiana is going the route of Nebraska in football...

j/k...sorry for the low-blow

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080225/SPORTS0601/802250367

Of course he did.

I'm not sure what kind of plan he has, but since he can afford to send at least 7.5 million texts with his settlement money, I'd tell the players to keep their phones on vibrate.

Kentucky is currently listed as 'low' interest. Last I heard he's not even considering them. Cousins was initially considered a big lean to UAB because Mike Anderson had recruited him for some time there. With Anderson now at Mizzou, Cousins is considering Mizzou because of the coach, but I think he's still leaning towards UAB because it's close to home. Indiana was another consideration, but the probation likely will kill that interest.

And we have a winner

God forbid.

I talked with my Dad (another University of Illinois guy) about the possibility of Thomas as Hoosiers head coach before they hired Sampson. I figured with his track record with the CBA and the Knicks that he was the perfect candidate to destroy Indiana basketball.

Is Alford a realistic candidate at this point? I thought I had heard his name mentioned, but I'm not sure if that reflected a real candidate or another snarky message board comment. I would guess that his Iowa track record isn't doing him any favors in landing this job, but who knows where the 10-man panel goes when all of the "reach" candidates say no.

I don't think Alford is a realistic candidate -- not after his lack of success at Iowa. Which is not to say that I'd be disappointed in Alford if that's what it came down to, but I don't think he's the "home run" the program needs with this hire.

I will say this: Alford would likely be awesome for in-state recruitment.

Neither Thomas or Alford are possibilities at this point.

With Tony Bennett's saying no yesterday and the dude at Xavier's buyout being too big, Mike Montgomery is the only name being heard around here.

I think they should get that dude from Butler.

Sounds like we are getting turned downed by multiple coaches.

I think Scott Skiles would be an excellent NCAA coach who would demand respect. I'm not sure if he is cut out for the recruiting game, but I'd take a chance with him.

Sounds like we are getting turned downed by multiple coaches.

Based on the announcement over the weekend that they would be revealing their coach prior to the Final Four, I'm guessing Indiana thought they would get Bennett.

Otherwise, they must have a fall-back candidate lined up for the gig in the event that they can't hit a home run in the first half of this week.

Montgomery makes a lot of sense, although I've heard he may be more interested in the California job given his West Coast background and recruiting connections. But isn't IU - even with a depleted roster and potential for some NCAA sanctions - a better gig than Cal? The guy who comes into this job has a chance to be the "Roy Williams/Kansas" hire. Or at least that is how I would sell it if I was IU.

Edit: and following Sampson/Dakich should be a heck of a lot easier than following Larry Brown.

I think Scott Skiles would be an excellent NCAA coach who would demand respect. I'm not sure if he is cut out for the recruiting game, but I'd take a chance with him.

word. I might be a bit biased though since he led my hometown to a state championship in the early 80's back when Indiana was one class.

Alford has a press conference in 45 minutes. The rumor here is that he has taken the job, but I think its just speculation.

Why in God's name would they hire Alford? He already failed miserably at Iowa.

word. I might be a bit biased though since he led my hometown to a state championship in the early 80's back when Indiana was one class.

I've gotten to see his coaching style quite a bit with the Bulls and I think the guy is a good teacher. I do not see him as a guy who would enjoy recruiting, but that can probably be addressed by putting together the right group of assistants. He is a tough coach - he holds people accountable - and that style presented some issues in the NBA but I think it would work well at college where the coach is king and the players are re-cycled over a four year span.

I've certainly heard worse names for Indiana than Skiles. Alford, for example ...

Yep. Let's hope it isn't Alford.

Apparently, Alford has no buyout clause, meaning he can just walk away from New Mexico.

Albuquerque newspaper reporting (http://www.abqjournal.com/news/breaking/apalford03-31-08.htm)that Alford has signed a three year contract extension.

The Journal has learned that Steve Alford has agreed to a three-year extension as University of New Mexico men's basketball coach. It will be announced at a news conference this afternoon at 3 p.m
Last summer, Alford signed a six-year deal with UNM worth around $1 million a year. The new deal will extend that contract through 2016, but a source says it will not include a raise.
Alford led the Lobos to a 24-9 record this past season and a third-place finish in the Mountain West Conference at 11-5. It was a dramatic turnaround from UNM's 15-17 record under former coach Ritchie McKay the previous season. The Lobos also tied for last in the MWC that season at 4-12.
News of the extension could help extinguish rumors about Alford being a possible candidate for the vacancy at Indiana, his alma mater.
However, the contract still won't include a buyout clause, which means Alford could leave the university for another school without penalty.
If Alford ever is fired at UNM, the school would have to pay him through the end of the 2015-2016 season.
The Journal will provide details of the extension as they are made available.

Translation: Alford used IU for leverage.

John Beilein always seems to be shopping himself around. ;)

Will the last Hoosier to leave please turn off the lights?

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/NLETTER03/80331049/1004/SPORTS

Seriously, I'm a little surprised that Dakich has the authority to dismiss anyone from a team when he is on caretaker duty for the remainder of the week.

John Beilein always seems to be shopping himself around. ;)

Heh, that reminds me: has IU contacted Petrino or Rich Rod?

Please take Sean Miller from Xavier. Xavier needs someone to run their program into the ground. Please.

Albuquerque newspaper reporting (http://www.abqjournal.com/news/breaking/apalford03-31-08.htm)that Alford has signed a three year contract extension.

The Journal has learned that Steve Alford has agreed to a three-year extension as University of New Mexico men's basketball coach. It will be announced at a news conference this afternoon at 3 p.m
Last summer, Alford signed a six-year deal with UNM worth around $1 million a year. The new deal will extend that contract through 2016, but a source says it will not include a raise.
Alford led the Lobos to a 24-9 record this past season and a third-place finish in the Mountain West Conference at 11-5. It was a dramatic turnaround from UNM's 15-17 record under former coach Ritchie McKay the previous season. The Lobos also tied for last in the MWC that season at 4-12.
News of the extension could help extinguish rumors about Alford being a possible candidate for the vacancy at Indiana, his alma mater.
However, the contract still won't include a buyout clause, which means Alford could leave the university for another school without penalty.
If Alford ever is fired at UNM, the school would have to pay him through the end of the 2015-2016 season.
The Journal will provide details of the extension as they are made available.

Whew. Disaster averted. For now.

Will the last Hoosier to leave please turn off the lights?

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/NLETTER03/80331049/1004/SPORTS

Seriously, I'm a little surprised that Dakich has the authority to dismiss anyone from a team when he is on caretaker duty for the remainder of the week.

Two thoughts come to mind. First, this is an adminstration call. Second Dakich is the backup plan if all else fails with the big name coach.

My understanding was that Basset & Ellis had stated publicly that they were going to go elsewhere anyway.

My impression is that if this is the level of dedication we're getting from the kids to the program, then it's no wonder they quit on Dakich once Sampson was terminated. (I know, I know, there are plenty of folks in Indiana who insist that this team didn't quit on Dakich, but I'm not one of them. With the exception of D.J. White, I didn't see an ounce of urgency from anyone on that team over the last month of the season. YMMV.)

Bottom line is that they can get as pissy as they want about how the Sampson situation was handled. The basketball program will go on without them, and no one will even remember they played here in five years. Players shouldn't ever be tempted to confuse their power/fame as players within the IU program with power/fame inherent in their ability to shoot a basketball.

FWIW, there are still rumors in the local media that Alford is under consideration, if not for the IU job, for some other job. Last year, the NM State coach signed an even bigger contract extension, with a big buyout less than a week before taking an NBA job.

I don't really understand why Alford (or anybody) would take the IU job, unless it had a tremendous golden parachute. It doesn't seem like a good situation there right now.

Oh, we're a good situation. All of our basketball coaches have droit de cuissage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droit_de_seigneur) in their contracts.

Oh, we're a good situation. All of our basketball coaches have droit de cuissage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droit_de_seigneur) in their contracts.

So what does this have to do with deflowering peasant virgins?

Like you'd turn down a job that let you deflower peasant virgins.

Brad Stevens FTW!

Like you'd turn down a job that let you deflower peasant virgins.

I admit, I probably wouldn't.

Tom Crean to IU?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3324439

Must be all about the droit de cuissage ...

Tom Crean to IU?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3324439

I am surprised by that. I think he is a great coach but why he would want to take this job at this time I don't know... Seems that he would only be a year or two away from another high profile job with less worry about possible sanctions...

I think that Crean is a home run hire. He was very well paid at Marquette (I want to say in the top 2-3 in a conference with Calhoun, Boeheim, Pitino, Huggins, etc.), so Indiana must be showing him some coin.

Seems that he would only be a year or two away from another high profile job with less worry about possible sanctions...

Crean was in the mix for some big jobs a couple years ago, when Self moved from Illinois to Kansas. I think Crean was actually rumored to get both those jobs at different points, plus maybe another one which I have forgotten. Definitely a kick in the nuts for Marquette fans.

As a Big East fan, I'm saddened by the move (although as a Villanova fan, I should be stoked).

However, can't deny that this is a very good hire by Indiana. I was really surprised that Indiana didn't make him target #1 considering he was in their back yard.

Crean was in the mix for some big jobs a couple years ago, when Self moved from Illinois to Kansas. I think Crean was actually rumored to get both those jobs at different points, plus maybe another one which I have forgotten. Definitely a kick in the nuts for Marquette fans.

I think many wanted to see Crean have success without Dwayne Wade before he got serious candidacy for big jobs.

Sounds like a good hire and a guy who has ethics. I approve.

I have to admit that I was completely shocked by this hire. I really thought the university was aiming lower once Tony Bennett was revealed as the top candidate. Crean certainly feels like a home run.

I'm also stunned by the Blue Ribbon Committee (or whatever the fuck they were calling themselves) doing such a good job of keeping the candidate list under wraps. I mean, Crean's name wasn't even out there in the rumor mill.

Wow, that's got to be a nut-crusher for the Marquette fans I know.

Never underestimate the power of droit de cuissage.

hxxp://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3324439

Scroll down about a quarter of the way...

"If the talks with Crean had fallen through, Indiana was prepared to look at Wright State coach Brad Brownell."

Big sigh of relief from Wright State nation here in Dayton, Ohio. Hopefully we get to keep Coach Brownell for at least one more year. He's an amazing coach who will leading a top-tier program someday soon.

Oh, we're a good situation. All of our basketball coaches have droit de cuissage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droit_de_seigneur) in their contracts.

I don't know how we got off on this topic but I guess I learned something new today thanks once again to Wikipedia.

SI

Interesting. Mizzou's Mike Anderson is among the candidates being considered for the Marquette job. I don't think he'll leave at this point given that he's got a 7 player class of athletes coming in that finally fit his fult-tilt system, but it's certainly an interesting suggestion.

Crean's a great signing for IU. Hopefully, he can keep Ebanks and Holloway committed and talk Gordon into staying another year, which I think he needs to do.

hxxp://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3324439

Scroll down about a quarter of the way...

"If the talks with Crean had fallen through, Indiana was prepared to look at Wright State coach Brad Brownell."

Big sigh of relief from Wright State nation here in Dayton, Ohio. Hopefully we get to keep Coach Brownell for at least one more year. He's an amazing coach who will leading a top-tier program someday soon.

Word. Brownell definitely stepped up to the plate this year for a very ho-hum team.

As for Crean, watching him many years in the C-USA I think Indiana got one hell of a coach and Marquette may never relive the success they have had under Crean. Were they ever relevant before he got there?

Well, Al McGuire did win a national championship coaching for Marquette in the 70s ...

Any chance someone has the power to change this thread title? That's an era of IU basketball I'd like as forgotten as possible...

Well, Al McGuire did win a national championship coaching for Marquette in the 70s ...

Cool, didn't know that. Then again, Loyola-Chicago, LaSalle, and Holy Cross also have national championships, so I don't know if that will hold any weight in recruiting these days for them.

And the Kelvin Sampson era can finally be put behind Indiana. They have 3 years probation, but no further sanctions other than the self-imposed ones. Sampson is on probation until 2013. For the first three years, if he is hired by an NCAA school, he is not allowed to recruit, and the final two he is limited to half the allotted phone time.

My question is, did they do a three-way call to inform Sampson? :D

SportingNews.com - Your expert source for NCAA Basketball stats, scores, standings, and blogs from NCAA Basketball columnists (http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=490410)

Just wondering if people think that the punishment fits the crime in this case.

Just wondering if people think that the punishment fits the crime in this case.

Penalties for these things always seem light to me.

I understand the sentiment that you want to be easier on the players and school for the actions of a departed coach, but it a case like this where a school sells it's soul for a known cheat, they should pay the price.

And yet Reggie Bush's family lived in a house no questions asked...