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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sampson’s fate hangs in air

Michael Marot Associated Press

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana could have a new men’s basketball coach when the 15th-ranked Hoosiers travel to Northwestern on Saturday.

School officials met Thursday to consider the future of embattled coach Kelvin Sampson, who has been accused by the NCAA of five major recruiting violations over improper telephone calls to high school players. The university was reviewing the allegations and had set a deadline for today for a report and recommendation on action.

University spokesman Larry MacIntyre and members of the board of trustees denied reports Indiana had decided Sampson’s fate and would make assistant coach Dan Dakich the interim head coach.

“I don’t believe the athletic director has even given the recommendation to the president yet,” trustee Patrick Shoulders said Thursday afternoon.

Another trustee, Philip Eskew Jr., told the Associated Press he had been notified by e-mail that Indiana would have an announcement on Sampson’s status today but did not have details.

MacIntyre said late Thursday afternoon nothing had yet been scheduled but called an announcement likely.

“We have some plans, but we don’t have a definite time and we don’t have the OK to go ahead yet,” MacIntyre said.

The team met with athletic director Rick Greenspan on Thursday night. Almost the entire team left en masse after the meeting about 7:45 p.m. and declined comment as they got into their cars and left the parking lot.

Meanwhile, university officials and athletic department officials spent the day reviewing their options.

At Assembly Hall, Sampson spent the morning in his office, presumably looking at tape of Northwestern before leaving the building at about 2:15 p.m. About 45 minutes later, players arrived for a team meeting. Athletic department spokesman J.D. Campbell said players were there for a compliance meeting that had been scheduled on the Hoosiers’ off-day.

Last week the school released the NCAA’s report that accused Sampson of providing false and misleading information to university and NCAA investigators about the phone calls and failing to promote a high standard of honesty and an atmosphere of compliance in the Sooners’ program.

Sampson has said he never intentionally provided false or misleading information to NCAA investigators.