INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson will not receive a $500,000 raise and his team will lose one scholarship for next season after violating NCAA-imposed sanctions on phone calls.
The action announced by the school Sunday was the second time in 17 months Sampson has been penalized for improper phone calls.
The NCAA banned him from off-campus recruiting for one year in May 2006 when the infractions committee ruled Sampson made 577 impermissible calls from 2000 to 2004 while at Oklahoma. As part of the penalty, Sampson was also banned from participating in three-way calls.
School officials said that while NCAA rules allow coaches to use three-way calling, the internal investigation showed Sampson violated the punishment handed down by the NCAA.
In a conference call with reporters Sunday, Sampson said he unknowingly participated in nine of 10 three-way calls a review found he was involved in during the 12-month period he had been sanctioned.
"It's very disappointing," Sampson said. "We've been dealing with sanctions from May 25 to May 25, and when it was over, we were confident that we had followed all of the rules other than one call. I was not aware the three-way calls were three-way calls other than one."
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| Indiana's Kelvin Sampson will not receive a $500,000 raise for violating NCAA-imposed sanctions. (Getty Images) |
One report from the investigation, which athletic director Rick Greenspan said began in July, has already been turned over to the NCAA's infractions committee. A second, describing what school officials believe are secondary violations for undocumented calls from the homes of assistant coaches, is expected to be forwarded to the NCAA soon.
Greenspan said assistant coach Rob Senderoff, who Sampson said was responsible for patching through the three-way calls and who school officials determined made the majority of the improper calls, will also be penalized.
Senderoff will not receive a bonus or salary increase and will not be allowed to recruit off-campus or make recruiting calls through next July.
"I am profoundly disappointed we are dealing with this matter as is coach Sampson," Greenspan said. "We hope these sanctions send a strong message."
Senderoff's job does not appear to be in immediate jeopardy since he is still coaching at practices and performing administrative duties. Sampson would not say whether additional action might be taken against Senderoff in the future.
Sampson explained Senderoff was helping recruits reach Sampson, in part because Sampson's cell phone signal made it difficult. Recruits then, Sampson said, would call back Senderoff seeking assistance.
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