Dakich still living the dream

When Dan Dakich assumed the role of director of basketball operations at IU two seasons ago, neither he nor anyone else could have predicted the mountains and valleys to come within the next few months.

He jumped from his position at IU to assistant coach, to head coach, to radio show host in a span of less than two years. It was quite a change.

“I was unsure if I wanted to go back to Indiana after talking to (Kelvin) Sampson because I had been born and raised in the state,” Dakich said. “But in terms of the University, the program and after talking it over as a family, it was a no-brainer.”
Dakich’s rich history with the IU basketball began in fall 1981, when the program was coming off of its second national title in just six years.

Dakich led Andrean High School to the state championship game a year prior.
Although the Fighting 59ers lost in heartbreaking fashion at the free-throw line, Dakich treasures this hardwood experience the most, placing it above things such as helping coach the 1992 IU team to the Final Four as an assistant and beating North Carolina in the 1984 NCAA tournament as a player.

The North Carolina game is what he might be remembered for most by Hoosiers fans. Limiting future NBA great Michael Jordan to just 13 points, Dakich said the fan hype regarding that game didn’t come into fruition until years later when Jordan solidified his name as possibly the greatest player of all time.

“It was a great win, but we weren’t celebrating like it was an upset because we expected to beat them,” Dakich said. “Michael Jordan wasn’t Michael Jordan yet, and we were Indiana.”

Dakich’s four years under coach Bob Knight were full of those types of moments both on and off of the court.

“If you talk to most people who played under him, you’ll find that we were already good kids with good parents, but I think there isn’t anyone better at preparing you for the situations you’ll face later in life,” Dakich said.

When Knight offered to let Dakich remain on the staff as a graduate assistant, he immediately accepted, remaining with the Hoosiers until 1997. That year, Dakich assumed the coaching job at Bowling Green, leading the Falcons to their highest win total in more than 50 years.

The ups and downs began in winter 2007, after Dakich returned to IU as director of basketball operations and assumed the interim head coaching spot after Sampson’s firing. After a first-round loss to Arkansas in the 2008 NCAA tournament, Tom Crean replaced Dakich.

Now host of “The Dan Dakich Show” on ESPN Radio 1070 in Indianapolis, the former IU player and coach couldn’t be happier.

“It’s great,” he said. “A friend of mine from college was the program director at 1070, and we had talked about the possibility before.”

Despite the turmoil he faced on the Indiana sidelines just more than a year ago, Dakich’s radio career has provided another way for him to remain active in sports.