Published: July 04, 2008 08:25 pm            

CHANLEY: Greenspan had to step down

For many the recent resignation of Indiana University athletic director Rick Greenspan was a welcome sight. For others a question of why did he have to go arises.

Either way it arouses a lot of conversation around the water cooler.

I have written before so yes I am in the “he had to go” camp. Let me first preface this article with the fact that I am an IU graduate, letterwinner (football manager), season-ticket holder in both football and men’s basketball and Indiana fan since the time I was 7 years old when I attended an Indiana basketball game as the guest of then IU President, Dr. Herman B. Wells.

It just happened that my father farmed the farm owned by Dr. Wells.

As many of you know, I was shocked and appalled by the hiring of Kelvin Sampson as the Hoosiers’ men’s basketball coach a couple of years (but what seems like an eternity) ago.

I stated so.

In fact I quit giving money to the university because I could not support such a coach. I was told by many, “just give him a chance.”

To their credit they now say pass the crow.

I do credit President Herbert with a great influence in the hire of Sampson. Greenspan went along with the deal and had every opportunity to correct the dismal hire.

At every turn, the IU-Greenspan arrogance got in the way.

Let me explain.

Remember when Sampson was hired, one of the first statements out of the athletic department was — we have the right to terminate Sampson should he be sanctioned by the NCAA.

Sampson was sanctioned by the NCAA, and IU stood by its hire.

Why didn’t IU fire Sampson at that time?

The reason of course is arrogance.

Better said, it would have been quite an embarrassment to fire him before he coached his first game. It would have been admitting that the university had made a horrible hire and IU was not about to do that.

The second chance at correcting its mistake — and here is where Greenspan becomes a major player — was last October when the new allegations arose.

Why wasn’t Sampson fired immediately?

IU chose to give Sampson another slap on the wrist — no pay raise and a few more recruiting regulations.

I find it interesting that IU officials gave him a few obstacles when he had ignored the ones given him by the NCAA.

The reason Sampson was not fired immediately was once again arrogance as well as the fact that winning was more important than anything else. The “I hope it does not affect our season” mentality prevailed.

Greenspan had the opportunity to make a statement good for the long haul by firing Sampson, and yes he could have gone a step further by taking a self-imposed penalty of NO postseason for this season.

Remember Ohio State?

The first season under Thad Matta, Ohio State took the aforementioned penalty even though it had a 20-win season. The NCAA went pretty light on the Buckeyes.

Instead, another opportunity missed.

Of course, the storm came in February.

By that time, IU was up against the wall so to speak. It had passed on several chances and now had to do something.

It amazes me that university officials came out with the spin that they were surprised to find Sampson had lied to them as well as to the NCAA.

Excuse me but most of us knew it all along.

Once again, IU had the chance to self-impose a penalty of NO postseason tournament. Once again Greenspan chose to play it out.

Why?

The obvious reason is IU placed winning (the school actually was thinking it had a chance to win the NCAA tournament last season) ahead of common sense and doing the right thing.

The number of opportunities that Greenspan had to correct the mistake and do the right thing is mind-boggling.

He at no time did that.

I believe that had IU fired Sampson early in the process and taken a self-imposed postseason ban last October or even in February, the NCAA would have gone lightly on the university.

Does anyone want to argue otherwise?

Does anyone want to argue that had IU done so it would not have been best for it in the long term?

Instead in each instance, arrogance and shortsightedness prevailed.

The result is of course the NCAA found a way to hammer IU and it is not over yet.

Dave Chanley is a teacher at Silver Creek High School, where he has served as both the head boys’ and girls’ basketball coach. Contact him at dchanley@wclark.k12.in.us.

        

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