On Friday, Indiana and Kelvin Sampson agreed on a buyout (an anonymous alum put up $500,000 towards the $750,000 total), and Sampson steps aside.
Off the top of our head, this is the third power conference job to open up in February, which is kind of amazing. Hey, here's a thought: Sampson to LSU!
LSU and Texas Tech are the other two schools where coaches departed early, with the Tigers firing John Brady and Bob Knight retiring at Texas Tech. Dave Odom announced his retirement at South Carolina but will finish out the season.
There are more to come, as always, but some of these could get interesting. Bruce Weber is under pressure at Illinois, and Leonard Hamilton may feel some heat at Florida State. Paul Hewitt has a new boss and a losing record, and you never know how those things will work out. Some guys just like to clean house.
There was talk of a player mutiny, but that seems to have faded, as everyone attended practice under Dan Dakich (Dakich was the guy who shut down Michael Jordan in his final college game, albeit with a lot of help).
This mess, unfortunately, continues the devolution of basketball in Indiana. Indiana has had a good year thus far, but it was built on cheating, and that's just so anti-Hoosier. High school ball has not recovered from the junking of the inclusive state tournament.
For IU, Bob Knight's time wound down with, basically, failure as Knight's personality compromised his recruiting. Mike Davis was highly erratic, and Sampson, well, Sampson is an established cheater.
So who do they get? Well, it has to be someone clean, probably someone young, someone coming up. Preferably someone who understands the traditions of Indiana and the state at large. It wouldn't help if he had been through a similar situation. Hmmm...Hoosier-savvy...saving a shattered program...intense and rising star....hmmm...this just screams: SCOTT DREW!
If he can bring Baylor back from the hell that the bastard Dave Bliss consigned it to, given the players he'll inherit, the huge tradition at IU, and even the proximity of family, he's the perfect candidate. He'll even bring the Rocky theme music (seriously. It drives his players nuts).
- Sampson Accepts a Buyout as the Hoosiers Remain in TurmoilSampson gone, but IU mutiny in the air
- Buyout for Sampson
- Report: Sampson out as Indiana coach
- Scandal may repel IU donors
- No gray area here: Sampson a cheater
- Dakich brings baggage to interim coaching position
- Sampson is out, but Indiana's woes just beginning
- Sampson takes buyout in wake of allegations
- Dakich takes over as interim coach
- IU Nation has a lot to be embarrassed about