The Trouble with Sampson

Once again, Kelvin Sampson finds himself in hot water with the NCAA, and once again Sampson finds himself out of a job. The former OU and now former Indiana coach can't seem to keep his nose clean. The Hoosiers took a big chance hiring Sampson after the NCAA-sanction mess he left in Norman. Sure he's an enticing hire: a top notch recruiter and strategist that knows how to win games and get to the big dance. One need only look at how good the Hoosiers are this season with talented newcomers like DJ White and Eric Gordon. Yet the price Indiana is now paying for his 2 years on the job is huge. The school and it's storied tradition are taking a massive hit, as Sampson's dirty wake will have ripple effects in Bloomington for years.

The NCAA not only uncovered 5 major recruiting violations, but that Sampson also lied about it the first time these penalties came to light. It's bad enough to get caught, it's even worse to try and skirt the issue. This is a classic case of Indiana rolling the dice, and finding "snake eyes" on the table. Bobby Knight may have been a public embarassment at times and a bit of a hot head, but he was a clean coach that graduated kids. Knight was a disciplinarian and a mentor to hundreds if not thousands of young men. Sampson wasn't even around long enough in Assembly Hall to mentor anyone, not even the equipment manager.

So the question is, what type of coach would you want your son to play for? Bobby Knight? Or Kelvin Sampson or Bob Huggins? If you don't know the answer by now, I can't help you. Indiana certainly knows the answer.