There's plenty of blame to go around in this world. Milli Vanilli blamed it on the rain. Michael Caine blamed it on Rio. Now Indiana University is blaming it on Kelvin Sampson.
Responding to NCAA allegations on Sept. 29, the school played the blame game with former coach Kelvin Sampson and his assistants for "any perceived delay in identifying impermissible calls," according to the (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Journal Gazette. IU was responding to a "failure to monitor" charge after meeting last June with the NCAA's Committee on Infractions in Seattle.
Sampson was already sanctioned for earlier allegations of letting his fingers do too much walking while at the University of Oklahoma. Mr. Blue Shirt was named National Coach of the Year by The Associated Press in 1995 but left OU in 2006 to coach the Hoosiers. He resigned in controversy and received a $750,000 buyout from Indiana in February.
In addition to the "failure to monitor" charge, Indiana is facing four other charges involving Sampson and a former assistant, including allegations of impermissible phone calls and dishonesty, according to USA Today.
"Indiana University could not have prevented the intentional wrongdoing committed by the former coaches, and appropriately discovered, investigated and self-reported these violation," the school reportedly said in its response.
Sampson, now working as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks, played defense.
"In no way did I ever hide or withhold information from Indiana University's compliance department," Sampson said in a released statement, according to the Journal Gazette.
"I vehemently deny the inference that I made and concealed impermissible calls. The NCAA has never alleged that I initiated any illegal phone calls to recruits while serving as the head coach at Indiana. I always provided Indiana with everything they requested, including all documents and phone records."
All sides are waiting on the NCAA's final verdict, but no timetable is set, the Journal Gazette reported. Chicken-Fried News intern Bucky, who remembers Sampson's sweet commercials for Degree Deodorant during his OU tenure, is sweating this one out.
