Dakich to be Indiana Head Coach??

[JoeFalcon]

If he is named interim head coach (over Ray McCallum), there's a 95% chance he won't get the full-time job. The alumni will demand a bigger name. They already went down the Bobby Knight assistant road with Mike Davis and it was frustrating for both parties.

But I do not believe that Davis was an IU grad. Folks in Indiana remember the game against Jordan and Dan shutting him down. Dan bleeds IU.

I think the IU faithful can get over the "Return from Morgantown Debacle" a lot easier than BG fans.

Transfer that is a good point. IU fans seem to want "one of their own". DD is still loved for the way he played the game.

I hope I'm wrong and they do give him a chance. It would be one the great stories in coaching: "mutual decision" to leave BG after 2 straight losing seasons to a non-coaching position at Indiana to an assistant coaching position at Indiana to the head coaching job in less than one year. At the very least, he wouldn't have the time to go on Norm Wamer's show to compain about the floor at AA.

It would be a desperate move, but they're in a desperate situation right now so you never know. The current IU president has close ties to Myles Brand, so the Knight connections might not carry as much weight as they otherwise would.

[OptionQB]

CNNSI Truth and Rumors via the St. Paul (MN) Press:

-Foregone conclusion that Sampson will be fired
-IU doing investigation just to play CYA b/c of OSU's trouble with O'Brien
-Dakich WILL be the interim head coach
-SCOTT SKILES will be named head coach once the season is over

[Globetrotter]

I believe that Dan will eventually be IU's coach. Just not this time. He is in a perfect position to stick around with the new coach and eventually take over as HC.

[NYFalcon]

Heard on radio that Sampson will not coach another game at Indiana. Press conference set for tonight or tomorrow morning (based on weather in Bloomington) to announce that DD is the interim coach for the rest of the season.

[BGorDeath]

From SI.com:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/b ... index.html

[JimmyZ11381]

I'm very happy for Dan. I hope that Indiana makes a serious run in the NCAA tournament so that he will get fair consideration for the job at season's end.

[hammb]

Good luck to him.

I think he's a decent coach and could have a good finish to the year. I cannot see them hiring him long term unless he's incredibly successful to finish this season. Despite his IU ties I think there are a lot of IU alums would refuse to accept a guy with his dismal last 5 years at BG.

[San Diego Falcon]

Let's hope he can pull off a Steve Fisher.

[Flipper]

Steve Fisher...isn't he the guy who turned a blind eye to the huge number of NCAA infractions that eventually destroyed Michigan basketball? If Indiana wanted that they should have just kept Sampson...

[TG1996]

Good luck to him.

I think he's a decent coach and could have a good finish to the year. I cannot see them hiring him long term unless he's incredibly successful to finish this season. Despite his IU ties I think there are a lot of IU alums would refuse to accept a guy with his dismal last 5 years at BG.

I think if they have a decent finish to the year, and the NCAA comes down hard on the program re: scholarships and postseason, Dan might stick a couple years, at which point he can be reevaluated and/or IU can go after a coach for the future. I can't imagine them getting any name coaches or rising stars the fan base is all calling for with sanctions weighing the team down.

That said, good luck to DD!

(As for the Steve Fisher thing, I'd rather see them go one and done in the NCAA's... makes my job easier. )

[hammb]

Good luck to him.

I think he's a decent coach and could have a good finish to the year. I cannot see them hiring him long term unless he's incredibly successful to finish this season. Despite his IU ties I think there are a lot of IU alums would refuse to accept a guy with his dismal last 5 years at BG.

I think if they have a decent finish to the year, and the NCAA comes down hard on the program re: scholarships and postseason, Dan might stick a couple years, at which point he can be reevaluated and/or IU can go after a coach for the future. I can't imagine them getting any name coaches or rising stars the fan base is all calling for with sanctions weighing the team down.

That said, good luck to DD!

(As for the Steve Fisher thing, I'd rather see them go one and done in the NCAA's... makes my job easier. )

Good point about NCAA sanctions. If they are put under any sort of probation or scholarship limitations you're right that they'd have a tough time finding a big "name" coach.

[Warthog]

Good luck to Dan.

Imagine going from unemployed to your dream job in the span of about 8 months. Wow.

[BGorDeath]

Imagine going from unemployed to your dream job in the span of about 8 months. Wow.

Good things happen to good people.

[TG1996]

Just for posterity's sake (and because I want to join the "told you so" crowd... ), I wrote this in an email on Oct. 15...

"So... do you realize Dakich might be a phone call or two away from being IU's interim coach?"

[Dayons_Den]

If they do get sanctions I would think that might increase his chances of outliving an INTERIM title through the remainder of the season.

He could be named Head Coach and given a longer leash because they will be on probation for a number of years. It is hard to get a "name" coach to come to a school that is losing scholarships and such, thus making Dakich a good candidate to lead his Hoosiers with the understanding that some lean years may be ahead. It would take someone in Dan's situation to endure something like that.