How do you feel now, IU?
sandcrabs February 18th, 2008
Kelvin Sampson has put his butt in a sling…again. Too many phone calls to recruits…again. Lied to the NCAA and the institution who employs him…again. He came to IU with the same violations that were found at OU. He received his punishment and that should have been that. Instead, Sampson apparently did not learn from his mistakes. Who’s to suffer? More on that later.
NCAA bylaw 13.1.3.1 states “Telephone calls to a propspective student-athlete [or the prospective student-athlete’s relatives or legal guardians(s)] may not be made before July 1 following the completion of the prospective student-athlete’s junior year in high school (subject to…exceptions…); thereafter, staff members shall not make such telephone calls more than once per week.”
Sounds clear enough. The aforementioned exception (13.1.3.1.2) states “In men’s basketball, an institution is permitted to make one telephone call per month to a prospective student-athlete (or the prospective student-athlete’s relatives or legal guardians) on of after June 15 of the prospective student-athlete’s sophomore year in high school through July 31 of the prospective student-athlete’s junior year in high school. An institution is permitted to make two telephone calls per eweek to a prospective student-athlete (or the prospective student-athlete’s relatives or legal guardians) beginning August 1 prior to the prospective student-athlete’s senior year in high school. An institution is permitted to make on telephone call per week to a two-year or four-year college prospective student-athlete (or the prospective student-athlete’s relatives or legal guardians).”
Phew! Lengthy also pretty clear. But wait, there’s more!
13.1.3.1.6 states “Once an institution reaches the applicable limit on telephone calls to a prospective student-athlete (or the prospective student-athlete’s relatives or legal guardians) for a particular time period (e.g., one per month, one per wekk, two per week), the instituation may not initiate an additional telephone call during the same time period, eve if no direct converstaion occurs during the additional call (e.g., voicemail message).”
On top of this, Sampson was prohibited from personally taking part of any calls to recruits for a period of 1 year back in 2006. Somewhere in all this mess is where Sampson continued with the violations. While debating on whether or not these rules are silly should be reserved for another time, the heart of the situation is this man’s integrity and honesty. Make not mistake. Kelvin Sampson is one hell of a coach. He’s a great tactition and still relates well with today’s student-athlete. However, it takes more than that to be successful at this level. Continuing with these actions after being forbidden in participating sets a bad example to those whose lives are being formed at such an impressionable age.
I will put this as succinctly as possible. Kelvin Sampson should be terminated immediately and not allowed to coach for several years… at least. The very heart of this are his actions and refusal to follow the rules. These bylaws were put in place as a means for kids not to be harrassed with coaches constantly badgering them to attend their institution. However, who really suffers for these indiscretions? The kids. Sampson will undoubtably land somewhere else much as he did at IU. If the NCAA wants for their sanctions to have teeth then penalties need to follow a coach and not just be left at the institution where they occurred. The current Indiana underclassmen and possible future student-athletes will feel the penalties much more than Sampson will. He will be sitting on his millions biding his time on the golf course or the lecture circuit. Does anybody think something like this would ever happen under a certain recently retired red sweater wearing coach? I think not. (yet another future discussion) I’m thinking that the General’s antics weren’t really so bad.
