Transcript of Greenspan Press Conf. (2-22)

[peachbasket]

Reports are that several players did not show up for practice today....

Greenspan: I think it is accurate that some of the players were not there at practice. I believe practice was at 3:30. The team has a standard walk-through this evening and leave 10:00 AM to fly out to Northwestern. I don't have a full accountability check since I am here but it is my understanding that most or all the players are there for the walk-through.

Can you characterize the meeting you had with the players last night and were they concerned or talking about boycotting?

Greenspan: I met with a group of players, I believe mid-afternoon yesterday, at their request. Then I met with almost all of the players again, an hour or two later. I expressed to them my feelings about the situation. I expressed to them my thoughts about the unenviable position that they are in, being really good young men coming off two superb wins and then dealing with something that was in no way their responsibility.

I have great respect for the challenges and adversity faced by Indiana basketball players. Not just this year but throughout. There is tremendous pressure on these young guys. Almost all the time they represent us well. I tried to give them encouragement in a time I know they were very frustrated and very concerned.

Can you explain why you decided on Dan Dakich since Ray McCallum was Kelvin's top assistant?

Greenspan: One of the great benefits we have had on our staff is a staff of outstanding experience. Both Dan and Ray have considerable head coaching experience, Ray at two institutions, Dan at Bowling Green. I felt it was the right choice. Ray is an outstanding coach. Ray maintains both a phenomenal relationship with our players. He is a coaching technician and importantly, both with Dan and Ray, we don't have any concerns expressed to us in any way with the allegations, the NCAA issues and I know for both of them that is important for the public to understand.

What was the outcome of the seven day investigation? What conclusions did you draw from that?

Greenspan: I spent a lot of hours reviewing material, testimony, speaking to attorneys, speaking to advisors, spending time with Dottie Frapwell, Bruce Jaffee. It was helpful. It was informative and I shared an oral report with the President

Can you share that report with us?

Greenspan: No.

What are the chances some players might boycott the game tomorrow?

Greenspan: I think there is always that chance and I won't begin to speak for those players. Much like any student-athlete, they develop a strong affinity for a coach and that is a tribute to Coach Sampson. I think they are also young men that are respectful. When I say respectful, they are respectful of Indiana University, the opportunity to play basketball here, the opportunity to still have a very special season. It is my expectation as they heal emotionally and as they refamiliarize themselves with the coaching staff in slightly different roles, that they will perform at a high level.

If the players do boycott will there be penalties with the university like suspensions?

Greenspan: That is so hypothetical, I won't go there.

The players that did not attend practice, were they upset that Coach Sampson was let go or were they upset that Ray McCallum was not his replacement?

Greenspan: I think you would be better served asking them that question to be honest. I am not going to speak for the players. As I said I met with them on two different occasions and I meet with them often and I consider those conversations to be between me and those students unless they care to share it.

How much do today's actions help eliminate action by the NCAA down the road?

Greenspan: I am going to let my lawyer here answer that one.

Robin Green-Harris: We can't speculate on what the Committee on Infractions is going to do in terms of sanctions. We continue to believe that the sanctions that were imposed in October as part of our reports are appropriate. We are going to look at that as we respond to the notice of allegations to see if there are other sanctions that should be imposed but we continue at this point in time to believe that the ones imposed were appropriate and that (opinion) did not have a bearing on what happened this week.

Coach Meyer was named in the allegations, was there any thought to disciplining him?

Greenspan: We took a look at all of our coaches, took a look at all of our activities, actions and that was all part of the strong charge that the President gave me a week ago on Friday. So we took a look at all of those actions and made a determination that we felt Coach Meyer should continue and be a part of our team.

Do you believe your own job is in any jeopardy?

Greenspan: I don't know. Nobody has told me that.

Why the buyout settlement versus suspension towards termination?

Greenspan: I think it was a decision that was reached quite honestly in both parties best interest. What I mean by that is there was not a great appetite on either party's part to be involved in potentially contentious litigation. I think this helps the team, the players, the university heal quicker and I think it gives Coach Sampson an opportunity come the hearing in Seattle in June to make his case as he sees fit in terms of those charges that have been presented against him.

When was the first time you asked Kelvin Sampson for his resignation?

Greenspan: I can't give you the timetable. I can but I won't. We have had discussions throughout this entire time period about a lot of things and as you can imagine they have been challenging because in addition to discussing NCAA issues and employment issues, we have also been deeply engaged in trying to maintain a sense of normalcy with our basketball team. To our coaches credit and more important to our players credit, they did that in two very difficult games in wins against Michigan State and the other school. Again I think that is a tribute to our coaches, a tribute to our players, that they were able to maintain that focus.

In terms of searching for a new coach, when do you do that, how do you go about that?

Greenspan: We will probably exhale for a day or two. Don't expect any great revelations in the next day or two. Or week or two even. We think we have a lot of season left to play with the kids that are on this team, with these coaches. To not sound trite we have work to do to make sure we are supporting them first before we get into the inevitability of rumors, second guessing about coaches in the future. Right now these young men and coaches need our support. That will come in time, it is something we understand we have to do. I don't think we have to do that today or tomorrow.

In terms of recruiting, Coach Dakich had sanctions that he picked up from Rob Senderoff, how will that affect how he is able to talk to recruits?

Robin Green-Harris: The sanctions that Coach Dakich picked up from Coach Senderoff were not specific to Coach Dakich, they are specific to Coach Senderoff. So Indiana will continue to abide by the sanctions and it will be assigned to another coach. As will the other sanctions, even those that are assigned to Coach Sampson.

Greenspan: That is consistent with our philosophy with Coach Senderoff

So it is for a position, not to Coach Dakich himself?

Greenspan: Correct.

Do you feel betrayed or bitter about all this? You gave Kelvin Sampson a second chance in his coaching career...

Greenspan: I feel a significant disappointment, first and foremost for our players. I think this is a very difficult thing for them to go through. In particular I am troubled by the impact emotionally and perhaps any other way on a young man like D.J. White. I found over the years D.J. to be a very respectful, likeable young man who endured a transition like this several years ago which I know was difficult for him. So my first answer to that is disappointment for the team. Disappointment to the fans of our university who I think have taken great pride of a long period of time of being major infraction free.

That's disappointing but sometimes out of such situations come some very good things and I think that is the only way I can feel about it. We are going to move forward. There are plenty of games to play. We have quality people that will surround this team in terms of academic advisors, team doctors and folks that aren't necessarily on the sidelines and make this work in a very good way.

How much responsibility do you take personally for this?

Greenspan: I take responsibility for all the things that go on in the athletic department, I am the athletic director.

As you look back at this hiring of two years ago now, do you find yourself shocked that you are in this position tonight?

Greenspan: I think after the last three or four years and some of the challenges that we have faced.....I don't know that I feel shocked about a lot of things any more in this business. I think disappointment is a much stronger word to describe my feelings.

You are down a man, has there been discussion about hiring another assistant coach? Damon Bailey was seen at Assembly Hall tonight.

Greenspan: I didn't know that Damon was there. Dan (Dakich) and I spent a nominal amount of time together as you can imagine with other things going on and we had a very brief discussion on it with absolutely nothing conclusive.

Is Dan Dakich auditioning for this job?

Greenspan: I don't know that I would use the term auditioning. I would say that Dan understands our expectations and that would be to do the job as well as he can. I don't think Dan is auditioning in terms of lobbying, petitioning, or those things. He didn't do that before the season began, he hasn't done it during the season. I think he has an opportunity to make something special happen out of a tough situation though.

What is your stand as far as the recruits that have signed letters of intent?

Greenspan: I don't know that it would be my message to deliver. It might be. But it will be the university's whether it be Dan or one of the assistants. I assume what you are leading to is binding letters of intent and will we release student athletes from that?

My recollection and I probably would have to ask Dr. (Grace) Calhoun, my recollection is that one or two of the recruits that signed NLIs with us, we had a provision that if there was a tournament ban or a change of coaches---that they would have an opportunity to get a release from that NLI. So I think that is a commitment obviously of honor because it was discussed before that night.

The next challenge will be for this coaching staff will be to try to reach out to those young men and provide them some sense of comfort and normalcy in an environment that is very different from when they committed. Where that goes, we will find out. I have not spoken to them so I don't know.

Was their consideration of not making a coaching change and not letting the season play out?

Greenspan: I think that decision was made shortly after the Letter of Allegations was received. I don't remember the dates but I want to say that three or four days after we received the notice of allegations, we made those public. You can check those dates. I think it was shortly thereafter that our President indicated that those allegations were both troubling and deeply concerning to him and that initiated this week long arduous process. I think the concept at that point was that we would work through this to come to a conclusion that would not necessarily be specific to our competitive season and not necessarily parallel to an NCAA timeline which has a June hearing and then 30 or 60 days later, the decision. So we made that decision shortly after the allegations were received.