Dakich likely interim replacement for Sampson

Hoosier fans could see a familiar face replace Kelvin Sampson’s if the IU head coach is relieved of his duties.\nSeveral media reports have tagged former IU player and current assistant coach Dan Dakich as the likely interim coach to lead the team for the rest of the season. As of press time, the University questioned the accuracy of the reports that said Sampson has left the program.\nA decision will be made Friday regarding Sampson’s future with the program, IU trustee Phil Eskew, Jr. told the Indiana Daily Student.\nDakich played for former IU coach Bobby Knight from 1982 to 1985 before joining Knight’s coaching staff for 12 seasons from 1985 to 1997. Dakich is best known for his defensive performance in IU’s historic victory against No. 1 North Carolina in the 1984 NCAA tournament. He held Tar Heel guard and future NBA legend Michael Jordan to 13 points, one rebound and one assist in his final collegiate game.\nAfter 10 years at Bowling Green, Dakich returned to IU this season as the director of basketball operations. Dakich joined the coaching staff when assistant coach Rob Senderoff resigned in the wake of IU’s self-report last October.\n“Dan is someone who can do a lot of things to help our program,” Sampson said in a press release at the time of the switch. “He has been a tremendous asset to our staff, and he offers a true sense of what it means to be a part of the Indiana basketball family.”\nIn his 10 seasons at Bowling Green, Dakich posted a 156-140 record with two NIT appearances. He said his time as head coach taught him a lot about how to run a program. \n“You overcome a lot of things here, but it taught me that we can really coach,” Dakich said to the Times Northwestern after resigning from Bowling Green. “We had more injuries than any team here. I think seven of my 10 years, we lost our leading scorer to an injury and we end up with the second-highest winning percentage and third all-time wins in school history in spite of that.”\nAnother possible candidate to replace Sampson for the remainder of the season is assistant coach Ray McCallum. A Muncie, Ind., native, McCallum won two state championships as a high schooler before playing at Ball State. \nMcCallum came to IU with 10 years of experience as an assistant coach in the Big Ten for Wisconsin and Michigan. In addition, he has 11 years of head coaching experience at Ball State and Houston, compiling a 170-149 record as a head coach. At Oklahoma, Sampson hired McCallum as an assistant before the 2004-2005 season.\n“When I was a kid, I was a basketball camper at Indiana, and now to be here working under a great head coach in Coach Sampson gives me a lot of pride,” McCallum said in a press release when he was hired. “It is also good for me to be back in the Big Ten and in one of the best basketball conferences, top to bottom, in the country.”