Dakich’s tenure as head coach comes to abrupt end

It’s nothing personal, but it still has to hurt.\nDan Dakich’s short tenure as the head coach of the IU men’s basketball team came to an end Wednesday as Tom Crean was introduced as the 28th head coach in IU history. \nAfter the resignation of Kelvin Sampson in the program’s darkest hour, Dakich tried to direct the team towards a Big Ten championship and a deep run in March. Instead, the team struggled down the stretch, losing in the first round of both the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.\nThe final act of his interim stint was to dismiss sophomore guard Armon Bassett and junior guard/forward Jamarcus Ellis from the team for violating team rules.\nDakich did not return messages left on his home phone by the Indiana Daily Student, but IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan addressed the decision of not removing the interim tag from Dakich and retaining the former player and assistant coach. Dakich played for the Hoosiers from 1981 to 1985 and served as both a graduate assistant coach and an assistant coach for 10 years following his graduation from the University.\n“Obviously, Dan is a competitive guy,” Greenspan said. “Dan, I will say, was disappointed and very understandably so. He grew up in Indiana, played at Indiana and was an assistant coach for a long time at Indiana and came back and helped us during a challenging time.”\nGreenspan praised Dakich for serving the program under such difficult decisions, saying Dakich had his full support during the whole process.\n“I will say something and I think it is really important to be said,” Greenspan said. “The job that Dan did in a very difficult position, up to and including the dismissal of those two young men, was done with my knowledge and my support, and I love Dan Dakich for doing what I think is choosing a harder right than an easier wrong.”\nThough Greenspan said Dakich did a good job given the circumstances, the Blue Ribbon Committee charged with naming a new coach went in a different direction.\nFormer Hoosier player Wayne Radford, a member of the committee, said the committee looked for the best candidate for the job, regardless if the coach was a member of the IU family or not. Radford cited his best friend and former Hoosier Mike Woodson as an example. Woodson, the current coach of the Atlanta Hawks, could have been considered by the committee, but in the end, Crean rose to the top of the list.\n“Well, whether it’s Dan or several other former players,” Radford said, “my best friend in the world is Mike Woodson. Mike and I grew up together, played together here at Indiana. My son calls him Uncle Mike. Again, you have to look at Indiana Nation – what was it that the committee was trying to assemble that President Michael McRobbie wanted?”\nAfter taking over for Sampson, the University re-worked Dakich’s contract guaranteeing him employment on the coaching staff or within the athletic department for next season. Greenspan said Wednesday he didn’t know what Dakich will do, but said he will support Dakich in any decision he makes.\n“I have absolutely great respect and admiration for Dan Dakich, and if Dan wants to stay here, Dan knows he can stay here,” Greenspan said. “If Dan wants to pursue another position, be it a head coaching position or an assistant coaching position, I will do whatever I can to help him.”\nStaff writer Michael Sanserino contributed to this report.