Embattled Sampson accepts buyout, finished at Indiana

Kelvin Sampson, hesitant about fighting for the position Indiana administrators decided he should no longer hold, accepted a buyout late Friday that officially ended his tenure as the school's basketball coach, a source told CBSSports.com.

Kelvin Sampson walks through Assembly Hall with wife, Karen, after meeting with AD Rick Greenspan. (AP)

"Kelvin realizes he's not keeping this job," a source told CBSSports.com on Friday afternoon. "He's being advised to settle rather than fight termination."

The development came in response to IU's decision to remove Sampson and start the termination process.

Indiana players were initially briefed Thursday, first in a select group of five by athletic director Rick Greenspan and then later as a team. They were delivered the final decision at a meeting early Friday and were said to be disappointed because they wanted Sampson to finish the season.

A source said most of the players have backed off a CBSSports.com-reported threat that was delivered to Greenspan late Thursday to quit if Sampson was replaced, though it remains uncertain whether all of the players will travel to Northwestern for Saturday's game against the Wildcats.

Senior captain D.J. White, Armon Bassett, Jordan Crawford, Jamarcus Ellis, DeAndre Thomas and Brandon McGee skipped interim Coach Dan Dakich's first practice Friday afternoon. It is unknown if they will play when the 15th-ranked Hoosiers travel to Northwestern on Saturday.

"I'm glad it's over. I just want to move forward and I hope the players can accept it and move forward with us," trustee Philip Eskew Jr. said. "It's just a bad time for Indiana University. I regret it. I'm sorry it happened. I'm just glad everything's over with and hope the players rally around each other and play for the school."

This all stems from an NCAA report released last week that alleged Sampson had committed five major rules violations, among them lying to NCAA investigators and Indiana officials about several impermissible phone calls. Sampson denied that he ever knowingly misled anybody and privately vowed to fight the charges.

But sources said late Friday that he was accepting a buyout of roughly $700,000 and leaving the team to be coached by assistant Dan Dakich.

Indiana is 22-4 overall, 11-2 in the Big Ten.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.