Students, former faculty react to AD resignation

Any immediate disadvantage of IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan’s resignation would be worth it, said Murray Sperber, a former IU English and American studies professor and author of seven books on college sports. \n“It’s a matter of short-term pain and long-term gain,” Sperber said. “The reputation of the school is way more important than being number one. If you have a scandal, it really hurts.”\nGreenspan gave his resignation at a press conference June 26, shortly after the NCAA furthered existing sanctions against IU regarding former men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson, who was found last year to have violated a number of recruiting restrictions. Murray and a few IU students shared similar opinions about Greenspan’s decision: It is for the best and will clear the way for a new athletics director who might be able to turn the department around. \nThe same day Greenspan announced his plans to resign, the NCAA added a “failure to monitor” charge to its case against IU. The charge suggested that the University’s monitoring procedures were not adequately applied to Sampson and therefore allowed the cheating to take place.\nGreenspan denied that the athletics department failed to monitor Sampson, and the University plans to fight the allegations, IU President Michael McRobbie said at the press conference.\nGreenspan, who, along with former IU President Adam Herbert, hired Sampson, said at the press conference that his resignation was an attempt to shift public attention from him back to the players and the school’s accomplishments.\n“If my presence distracts from the proper attention of you fine folks in the media and our alumni and others to focus on the accomplishments we’ve had, then I think it’s time to make a change,” Greenspan said.\nWhen asked what effect Greenspan’s resignation may have on the IU Athletic Department, some students said it will leave IU at a disadvantage, while others said it will provide a clean slate from which to start over. Junior Andrew Bell said he was glad to see Greenspan go. \n“I think the sooner they cut ties with him, the better,” Bell said.\nWhile some IU fans may believe Greenspan’s denial that he failed to monitor his coaches is unclear, some say his first mistake was to allow Sampson to be hired in the first place – considering his past at Oklahoma, where he was also accused of cheating.\n“I understand giving someone another chance but I don’t think it was a good choice to hire him,” said incoming freshman Nick James.\nSperber was of the same opinion and said hiring someone with Sampson’s reputation and then allowing him to cheat again is proof enough of a failure to monitor.\n“It’s been a disaster from day one,” he said. “If you hire somebody with that kind of record, and then not ... monitor him – it makes no sense.”\nGreenspan’s resignation takes effect in December, and until then, IU will look for his replacement. In the meantime, Bell said he thinks the athletics department can make a fresh start and that new basketball coach Tom Crean can help. \nSperber said he thinks IU can put the allegations behind it and bounce back with a new director of athletics. \n“If they take their time and get the right person, they can turn it around,” he said.