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BLOOMINGTON – Kelvin Sampson released a statement on May 26, 2006, the day he was hit with sanctions for telephone recruiting violations.
“I have learned an invaluable lesson, and I hope that this reinforces to other coaches the importance of every aspect of NCAA compliance,” he said.
Less than two years later, Sampson’s failure to follow his own advice cost him his job.
Sampson resigned as Indiana’s basketball coach on Friday after he and the university reached a $750,000 buyout agreement, $200,000 of which will come from athletic department funds and the remainder from an anonymous donor. Sampson, in turn, agreed that he would not file a wrongful-termination lawsuit against Indiana.
Assistant Dan Dakich will take over as the interim coach.
“I have made the very difficult decision to leave my position as head coach of the men’s basketball team at Indiana University,” Sampson said in a statement. “While I’m saddened that I will not have the opportunity to continue to coach these student-athletes, I feel that it is in the best interest of the program for me to step aside at this time.
“I wish my players and coaching staff nothing but the best for the remainder of the season. They are all truly incredible people. As I have previously stated, I welcome the opportunity to go before the Committee on Infractions in June. I look forward to getting back on the basketball court in the very near future.”
The agreement came at the end of a week-long investigation headed by IU athletic director Rick Greenspan.
“I am pleased we are able to part ways in a matter that serves the best interest of Indiana basketball and our university,” Greenspan said in a news conference in front of nearly 50 reporters late Friday in the Hoosier Room at Memorial Stadium.
While no players were made available for comment, some made a statement by not showing up for practice Friday afternoon. Big Ten Player of the Year candidate D.J. White and five others did not practice.
“They are good young men coming off of two superb wins (against Michigan State and Purdue) and dealing with something that was really in no way their responsibility,” Greenspan said.
Greenspan addressed the possibility of a player boycott for today’s game at Northwestern.
“I assume there is that chance,” he said. “I won’t pretend to speak for our players. Like any student-athletes, they develop a strong affinity for a coach. That’s a tribute to coach Sampson.
“They’re also young men that are respectful of Indiana University, the opportunity to play basketball here and the opportunity to still have a very special season. It’s my expectation that as they heal emotionally, and as they re-familiarize themselves with the coaching staff in slightly different roles, that they’ll perform at a high level.”
Hired to restore IU to national prominence, Sampson’s alleged actions have the school staring down “major” violations for the first time since 1960. Sampson’s resignation might ease the blow when the school goes in front of the NCAA for a hearing in June in Seattle.
The NCAA, in a letter the school released on Feb. 13, alleged five potential “major” violations. Among them, the NCAA alleges Sampson “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.”
Later that evening, Sampson said he never intentionally provided false or misleading information to the NCAA.
Two days later, Greenspan, university counsel Dorothy Frapwell and faculty representative Bruce Jaffee were assigned to run the week-long investigation.
Greenspan said the buyout “helps the team, players and university heal quicker.”
Sampson was hired on March 29, 2006, with an NCAA ruling pending from his tenure at Oklahoma. He received a seven-year contract, with a base salary of $500,000. He was scheduled to make $1.1 million in his first year and $1.6 million each of the next six.
Asked about the charges at his introductory news conference, Sampson said, “I think if you look back at the compliance over our programs over the last 19 years as a major-college head coach, we never had an issue with NCAA rules, nor will we again.”
In May, the NCAA ruled Sampson and his staff made 577 impermissible phone calls from 2000 to ’04 while at Oklahoma. Sampson was banned from making recruiting calls or participating in off-campus recruiting for a year.
One of the other sanctions prohibited him from taking part in three-way calls.
In October, Indiana announced self-imposed sanctions for Sampson and his coaching staff. The penalties stemmed from, in part, Sampson taking part in at least 10 three-way calls.
Among the penalties, IU lost a scholarship and Sampson gave up a $500,000 raise.
A few months later, he lost a lot more.
lpope@jg.net
