Davis named interim coach

At 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, the turmoil surrounding the IU basketball team ended when Mike Davis was named interim head coach by athletics director Clarence Doninger. John Treloar was named interim associate head coach. \nDavis, who has been the Hoosiers' assistant coach for the past three seasons, said he received a call from Doninger Monday night and was offered the temporary coaching job. He said he couldn't turn it down because of his relationship and commitment to the players.\n"I'm extremely happy, but I'm sad about the way it happened," he said. "I wish I could have been head coach under different circumstances."\nDavis, who recruited a majority of the current Hoosiers, said he feels a strong obligation to lead the team this season.\n"I don't want to be known as the guy who walked away from Indiana University," he said. "The Indiana basketball program is bigger than anyone."\nDavis said Knight, whom he regards as a good friend, told him in a telephone conversation that he supported Davis staying with the team. Davis said he hopes to remain a part of Knight's life.\n"I will be indebted to Coach my whole life," he said. "He's the reason I'm here and my relationship with him will never cease." \nDoninger said the decision to hire Davis and Treloar was easy.\n"Both Mike and John were in the mix for me from the beginning," Doninger said. "I was looking for continuity."\nDavis, who headed recruiting under Knight and brought freshmen Jared Jeffries and A.J. Moye to IU, said this resulted in a special bond with the team.\nAlthough Moye was contemplating a transfer the past few days, he stood alongside his fellow teammates when Davis was named to the post. He said he will play for the fans and people who stood beside Knight.\n"I'll dedicate my career to Coach Knight," Moye said. "I learned more in the two weeks I played for him than during my whole high school career. We lost the greatest coach of all time. It's tough to carry on."\nMoye said he was still shaken from recent events and admitted he might not ever recover from what has transpired. Jeffries said he hopes the team continues to come together in the next few weeks. \n"We have a really good team and we support each other a lot," he said. "Our feelings right now may never go away, but we're here for ourselves and the fans."\nTreloar agreed that the fans are key to this basketball season. Doninger offered Davis and Treloar the position of co-interim head coaches, but Treloar declined the offer and instead opted for the associate coaching position. \n"It's Mike's turn," he said. "He's the right guy to help those kids get through this time of hardship they're going through. It's been a very difficult situation for the kids and that has been my and Mike's focus. These kids don't need to worry about this. They want to be playing ball and going to class."\nJunior forward Kirk Haston said he is confident the basketball program will move forward quickly with Davis at its helm. \n"For me, it's a happy day," Haston said. "It's going to be different, but not very far off from what we've had the past few years."\nBefore settling in Bloomington, Davis, an Alabama native, played for the University of Alabama, lettering four times and finishing in the Crimson Tide's top 25 in scoring with 1,211 points. He then played briefly with the Milwaukee Bucks. \nFrom 1991-95 Davis worked as an assistant coach under Treloar for the Wichita Falls (and later Chicago) Texans of the Continental Basketball Association. From 1995-96, Davis served as an Alabama assistant coach. He joined Knight's staff in 1997.