Days are numbered for Kelvin Sampson

The notice goes on to state that Sampson "Acted contrary to the NCAA principles of ethical conduct … failed to deport himself in accordance with the generally recognized high standard of honesty …by providing the institution and the NCAA enforcement staff false or misleading information; and … failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance within the men's basketball program."

Indiana University has addressed the issue, and is not content that their head coach may no longer be employed if the allegations are proven to be true.

"We are extremely disappointed in these new allegations regarding coach Sampson," said Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan. "To say the least, we view these allegations with grave concern and will cooperate fully with the NCAA as they adjudicate these charges."

Indiana representatives have until May 8 to address the issue. They then have to appear before the Division 1 Committee on Infractions on June 14. Sampson’s contract states that if there is any reason to believe that he has violated any NCAA regulations, he should be treated with the necessary disciplinary action.

In May of 2006 Sampson supposedly made impermissible phone calls to recruits. He was also present at a 2-day camp and made illegal contact with a prospective recruit. Sampson is not the only one who will deal with charges; his assistants Jeff Meyer and Rob Senderoff are also being accused of ignoring Sampson’s illegal recruiting methods.

Sampson is currently under a 7-year deal worth over $7 million that expires in 2013. As of now, his job is secure on a day-to-day basis. IU athletic director Rick Greenspan will make the final decision on what to do with Sampson. However, university directors have to be careful, as there has been no concrete evidence as of yet but merely allegations. IU does not want to end up with a lawsuit for taking the wrong action. Past NCAA coaches such as Bob Knight and Jim O’ Brien sued their universities claiming that the actions taken against them at the time were not lawful.

If Sampson is fired, who will take his place? Rumors have been circulating that since Bobby Knight is now on the market he would be the best candidate for the job. These are just rumors, but it should be noted that Knight has not ruled out the possibility of returning as the Hoosiers head coach. Many also wonder whether or not Knight was aware of the notice of allegations ahead of time, which is why he decided to quit his job at Texas Tech just two days before it was released. Well there are no known certainties, the decision of what to do with Sampson will undoubtedly affect the prestigious reputation that Indiana’s athletic program has had for so long.