Greenspan says Sampson will coach team until further notice

After the University received a list of five major violations committed by IU men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff, IU fans took to message boards and blogs, almost unanimously calling for Sampson’s job. Some fans began discussing potential replacements before any action is taken by the NCAA or the University against Sampson.\nSampson’s contract with the University can become void if he violates NCAA regulations, but the University has yet to exercise that right, said IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.\nIn the press conference, Greenspan and Associate Athletic Director of Compliance Grace Calhoun addressed the allegations sent to the University from the NCAA and also Sampson’s future with the program.\nGreenspan said Sampson will continue to coach the team until further notice. Sampson met with the team Monday morning to talk about the allegations made public and how the team will continue on its quest to win a Big Ten Championship. But Greenspan said he was not privy to the details of the meeting.\n“Kelvin is coaching our basketball team,” Greenspan said. “The relationship a coach has with his players and how they react to this is (as) unpredictable as 10 20-year-olds can be.”\nThe contract Sampson signed with the University on April 20, 2006 states that Sampson could be suspended without pay or terminated if he violates any NCAA regulations.\n“If the Employee is found to be in violation of any NCAA regulations, the Employee shall be subject to disciplinary or corrective action set forth in the provisions of the NCAA enforcement procedures, including suspension without pay or termination of employment for significant or repetitive violations,” the contract states.\nThe University will continue its investigation as it prepares to send a response to the NCAA within 90 days. IU is scheduled to appear in front of the NCAA Infractions Committee on June 14.\nGreenspan stressed that the University will not rush to judgment but will instead wait until all the facts are collected before making recommendations to IU President Michael McRobbie.\n“On major issues of personnel and budgetary issues and some others, my position is almost always to make a recommendation to the president and, in many cases, the ultimate decision rests with the president,” Greenspan said.\nGreenspan hired Sampson in March 2006 while the coach was under investigation by the NCAA for making 577 impermissible phone calls during his tenure as head coach at Oklahoma.\nThe University restricted Sampson from traveling off-campus and making phone calls to recruit prospective student-athletes during his first year with the Hoosiers. It was during this time that Sampson and his staff committed more impermissible phone calls, prompting an NCAA investigation after the University self-reported the violations last October.\nThe NCAA report sent to the University said 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.” \nThe University has 90 days to reply to the report, but questions will still remain about Sampson’s future in Bloomington. However, Greenspan said Sampson will continue to coach the Hoosiers until further notice.\n“I expect him to coach tonight and I expect him to coach in the foreseeable future,” Greenspan said. “We have work to do. While we’re going to be expedient – which I think is what is expected of us – we’re also not going to rush to judgment and have a faulty conclusion.”