Coach Sampson Interview Transcript

A story will run in Tomorrow's IDS about our interview with Coach Sampson on September 26th. Here is a full transcript of the interview.

What is the difference coming to a school like Indiana with a rich tradition and high expectations for the basketball program? "You see those rings right there? They were at Oklahoma. I think the difference is the pride that the people here take in basketball tradition. At Oklahoma we were high level. Oklahoma is really, really good. I'm sure if you look at stretches of time Oklahoma was better than Indiana. You are talking about an Oklahoma program that for 12 years was ranked in the top-20 (teams). That means that they never had down years. That's our goal here - consistency. Everyone here is excited about the new guys, but these new guys don't know how to play yet. Earl and Rod, can you imagine if they were back how good we would be early? Last year we were not good early. I'll admit it, we played in some of those early games last year and we didn't have out of bounds plays. I didn't even know who the new players were last year because they were all new to me. Someone asked me about the incoming freshmen - they were all freshmen to me. I never coached D.J. White a day in my life. This year we have guys back. Those guys were in practice last year. So when I say 'O.K. lets do our two minute shooting drill.' Last year I'd say 'I'm going to show you a drill, explain it, demonstrate it what we call the two minute shooting drill and how we do it.' You practiced for three hours and you look back and you talked for two and a half hours of it because you had to explain every single drill. You had to walk through everything. This year is not as long. The goal for the program is to be consistent. We want to be consistent in everything we do."

How important was Eric Gordon coming to IU in rejuvenating this program? "The thing about Eric and the recruiting process is that there wasn't a lot of recruiting. He had to decide if he wanted to come here. I knew Eric because we recruited him at Oklahoma. I actually remember going to see him at North Central when I was the coach at Oklahoma, so when I came here it wasn't like I didn't know him or he didn't know me. So the recruiting process was really on them. They had to decide if this is what they wanted to do. When he decided to come here, I think it excited all the people who love Indiana basketball. The thing I like most about Eric Gordon is that as good of a player he is, he is a better person. He's a good teammate and an easy person to coach. Humble, quiet and almost unassuming. It's refreshing the way he goes about his work. He works his tail off. If I told him to run through that wall, he'd say 'coach, can I get a running start?' Those are the kind of kids you want to coach."

More of us media types playing it up? "Yeah, that's what you guys do. It wouldn't be any fun if there wasn't anything to it. I don't ever think about it unless someone asks me about it."

With Matt Painter having success at Purdue and the recent success here, do you think it's a good thing to have the rivalry increase in terms of recruiting battles and so forth? "It has to. Indiana and Purdue are going to target in-state kids. In-state kids are going to more than likely be excited about those two schools. It's not me and Matt, it's Indiana and Purdue. It was like that ten years ago and it's going to be like that ten years from now. As long as the two schools are in operation, they are going to recruit against each other - it's a fact of life. We recruit against Purdue a lot and we recruit against Ohio State a lot. We recruit against Kentucky a lot. That's because we recruit kids from the same area. When you recruit kids, you are going to recruit against somebody. I think this is a talent-rich area. There are a bunch of really good player's year in and year out within a 200 mile radius."

The process in recruiting at Indiana is different than at Oklahoma because you have more selling points in terms of tradition... "I bet Oklahoma would argue that. Everyone thinks their school is the best. There is great basketball everywhere. People tend to be territorial with it. I think the Big 10 is a great conference, so is the Big XII, so is the ACC, so is the SEC, so is the Big East - there is great basketball everywhere."

How difficult is it to sell tradition to high school athletes who were not even alive when IU last won a championship? "I think you have to put it in perspective. Their parents understand it more. Every kid we are recruiting right now was born in 1990. The last time Indiana won a championship was in 1987. That's why I think the new facilities are really going to help. It is a different era with kids. A lot of people want progress, but no change. I don't think you can have progress without change. We want to keep improving, getting better. To do that we have to recruit. If you always do what you've always done, you will get what you've always got. There are a lot of things around here that have been the same for a long time. The athletic facilities are the one area where we are the furthest behind."

How important is it to have new athletic facilities? "This is an incredible place to go to school, but our athletic facilities are not anywhere close to being on the same level as the University. It's great to sell tradition, but it's nice to have a practice facility. Not upgrade the locker room, how about a new locker room? It's the same locker room we've had since 1971. We share a weight room with 22 other sports. A film room, a player's lounge - it's what the other schools have. Do you have to have it to win a championship? You have to have it to recruit the kids to win a championship. I shouldn't say you have to have it, but it helps to have it that's for sure. But we are getting that. I am really proud of President Herbert and now President McRobbie is supporting these new facilities. I can't say enough good things about Rick Greenspan. Administrators are either inhibitors or facilitators. Our administers here are facilitators. They are trying to help our coaches, and I am not just talking basketball. Indiana has to get better, they have to get with the times. You have to figure out what these other schools are doing, because we are recruiting the same kids they are. A lot of these schools have great players, but they don't have great tradition like we do. It tells you what's important with these kids."

How much involvement will you have in the design of a new stadium when it and if it occurs? "I am more interesting the new facilities we are building than the stadium. I am not sure that I will be around here to see a new stadium. My biggest push here was for new facilities. I didn't want to do it for the coach, they need it for the basketball program. The basketball program needs new facilities. Unless you are in this business, you may not understand the importance of it. When you bring a kid on campus and he just left Michigan State or Ohio State and he comes here and sees where we lift weights - he may make his decision on that they have better weight rooms than we do or the coaches offices. A lot of fans don't care about that, but they aren't recruits and they don't recruit. The smallest thing may be the reason a kid chooses your school."

What are your thoughts about student seating at Assembly Hall? "The problem for student seating in Assembly Hall is that there is not an area that doesn't have season ticket holders that have been season ticket holders for a long time where you can put the students. One of the things we did this year was clean out the south endzone. Everyone in that endzone will be students, from top to bottom. The thing that hurts the student seating more than anything else in my opinion is the long-time season ticket holders in certain areas. There is no way to move them. The design of the building is screwed up, there is no other way to say it. When people ask me if I like Assembly Hall. Heck yeah I like Assembly Hall. We were 15-0 in that building last year, I love it. We have 19 home games this year. Because of the fan support in there, we have the chance to be 19-0. Our fan support gives us a chance. There is no easy solution. Am I happy with what we have, no. I wish we could have 8,000 students on one side, screaming and going crazy. I think Mr. Greenspan is doing the best he can because he has his hands tied behind his back. It's not that he doesn't want to - he and I have sat down and talked about this for hours. The people who pay good money where do you put them? The bottom line with athletics is revenue - you've got to make money."

We are going to wrap up with a few, quick questions so people can get to know you better.

Favorite place to eat in Bloomington? "My kitchen table. I hardly ever go out." (Note: Sampson said he lived in an apartment by himself when he first got here, so he went to Yogi's many times. The Taco Salad was his favorite.)

Favorite Musician? Marvin Gaye

Favorite Movie? Remember the Titans, Gladiator, Braveheart

Letterman or Leno? He said he doesn't watch TV, but would choose Letterman because he is from Indiana

Read any good books lately? "Always reading books." Currently he is reading The Real All-Americans by Sally Jenkins.

Best team in the Big Ten heading into the season? Michigan State "Because they have everyone coming back. Preseason doesn't matter. It's where you are at the end of the season"