Indiana will now inherit a great coach. Good Luck to Coach Sampson.


Sampson takes Indiana job

By Justin Harper
The Oklahoman

NORMAN --- Players have confirmed to The Oklahoman that head men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson will leave the school to become the new coach at Indiana.

Sampson met with players at around noon in Norman on Tuesday to tell them the news.

"We got a text message sent out that we had a meeting at noon. Coach walked in and told us he's making a tough decision," said OU center Longar Longar. "Well, he made it over the weekend when he was offered the Indiana job. He said he's taking it."

"It was real silent in the room. Coach Sampson has done a lot of great things for 12 years here. So, none of us saw this coming."

Sampson will replace Mike Davis at Indiana. Davis replaced Bob Knight in 2000.

Sampson was 279-109 during 12 season at Oklahoma. Sampson was 11-11 in NCAA Tournament play, making the 2002 Final Four, where OU lost to Davis and Indiana.

The Sooners lost in the first round of this year's NCAA Tournament to Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Sampson leaves with OU set to meet with the NCAA infractions committee next month about improper phone calls to recruits. Sampson and his staff violated both the amount of times recruits could be called, as well as calling high school juniors, which is against NCAA rules.

Additional sanctions could still be levied against Oklahoma and Sampson.

I don't think anyone expected him to remain forever. There would probably be more of an uproar down here if Bob or Sherri were to leave. The OU Men's BB team has always been sort of the third wheel or the stepchild that doesn't have the unconditional love of the favorites (FB tean and Women's BB).

Indiana is a top school and an excellent opportunity. OU should find someone that will help take the program up a level, though the NCAA sanctions could make that hard.

Are there any division 1 men's basketball teams with a female coach?

Yeah, I heard on the Sports Animal today, someone mention the prospects of Sherri becoming the men's coach. I doubt she'd leave her winning program though.