Davis Suspension Press Conference

December 30, 2002

Indiana University Interim Director of Athletics Terry Clapacs

"Last Monday morning, following the Indiana/Kentucky game in Louisville, I received a letter from the Big Ten Conference indicating their thoughts and feelings that coach David had possibly violated one of the Big Ten rules at the end of the game, when he went onto the floor. The rule that was cited was the rule of 'crowd control' or 'inciting the crowd either with intention or without regard.'

"The Big Ten asked Indiana University to respond to the letter and under the rule, we had three business days to do so and I did that. My response went back to the Big Ten Thursday at noon. I don't think my response would surprise you. I think we had concern as well with regards to what happened at the end of the Kentucky game. As you know, we have an Athletics Code of Conduct that was adopted a couple of years ago that governs behavior for the coaches and student-athletes at Indiana University. We also knew that there were Big Ten rules that also applied as to how coaches should conduct themselves before, during, and after events.

"My response to the Big Ten was to take issue with the certain rule that was cited. I felt that if there was a rule broken, it would have to do more with how the coach and official interaction took place. I recommended that coach Davis be suspended for one basketball game and publicly reprimanded, as well as issue a letter of apology to the officials that were at the game Saturday night.

"The Big Ten had three business days to respond to that report and today I received a response from them. The Big Ten concurred with our recommendation that coach serve a one-game suspension, and he will do so tomorrow evening, and not coach our game with Ball State in Muncie. He will also send letters of apology to the officials involved.

"The Big Ten did disagree with my findings in the case, in that I really felt this was about the interaction between the coach and the official, and not inciting the crowd. I don't think he did anything intentionally to do so.

"I think this settles the matter with the Big Ten and internally with regard to our code of conduct.

"Having said all of that, I want to say to you that many of you in this room know coach Davis and have gotten to know him well over the past three or four years. I know coach Davis as a man and as a coach, and I can tell you that he is exactly the guy we want coaching basketball at Indiana University. He is exactly the image we want here at Indiana University. Like I do, like you do, and like every single Hoosier fan does, he wants to beat Kentucky and he wants to beat Purdue more than anyone else. I certainly feel that way and as coach Davis alluded to in his press conference after Kentucky, his rivalry with Kentucky goes back to his playing days at Alabama and the Southeastern Conference. Then he comes to Indiana, where Kentucky is one of our key rivalries. These games mean a lot. They are very intense. I know he wanted to win last Saturday night down in Louisville very badly. That doesn't excuse his behavior, but I understand the behavior. I fully support our coach and the University fully supports our coach. I think that is no more than an aberration that occurs because of the intensity that comes about during those very competitive moments. It's the way that he wants to win and it's the way we want him to win. It stems from the pressure that we put on our coaches as we play in those key rivalry games.

"I think this matter has gotten a lot of press and has some way affected our team. I think our team's play at Temple at some degree was a result of the fact that there had been a lot of attention paid to this matter.

"For us at Indiana, the matter is now closed and certainly closed following the game at Ball State tomorrow. I'll stop now, let coach Davis make his comment and I'll come back and answer questions. I really want to stress though that coach Davis is our coach. In my view, he is exactly the right coach for Indiana. I'm proud to be associated with him professionally, but more proud to be associated with him personally as a friend. He is the kind of guy I would like my children to grow up emulating and I bet you all feel the same way as well."

Indiana Head Coach Mike Davis

"As I said after the Kentucky game, God has blessed me to be in this position and there is no reason for me to act the way I acted. In my walk with Him, there are certain things I'm going to go through in life, and this is certainly something I am very embarrassed about. It's a part of life and a part of competition that happens in sports.

"I have a 17-year-old son and I feel like every one of these basketball players are my boys and if something ever happened to them, I'm going to step up and fight for them. At the same time though, if they do something wrong, there is a process and punishment that you have to accept. What they are witnessing right now is me doing something wrong and accepting my punishment.

"Terry has really supported me too much in this ordeal, but I really appreciate him and I've always appreciated him and his support of me as a basketball coach.

"I was listening to Digger Phelps speak the other night and he made a great comment. He said that Indiana is a great basketball team and that this situation needed to be resolved so Indiana could get back to playing basketball.

"We do have a very good basketball team, but we have lost our intensity over the last week. Today was the best practice we have had in a month. The Temple game was another game I cost this team. As a man, you have to accept responsibility and you can't put it off on anyone else. I didn't coach that game with any passion and my team played that way. I think emotionally, they go out and follow my lead and they did so at Temple.

"Coach Treloar will be the head coach tomorrow and I think he will do a great job. As I said after the Kentucky game, he will definitely coach the game next year so this will give him another game to coach before next year's Kentucky game.

"Indiana is a great university and it is way bigger than I am. I feel really bad for the embarrassment that I have caused them. This will be the last time I will apologize for that basketball game. This will be the last time I talk about that basketball game. It is a distraction for me, my family, and my Indiana family.

"There is no way that the Big Ten and all the other conferences around the country should accept the behavior of a coach like that. It won't happen again and I feel it's time for Indiana basketball to move on."

Q & A with Indiana University Interim Director of Athletics Terry Clapacs

"I just wanted to conclude my remarks by saying that the Big Ten acted fairly in this matter and there was extremely good cooperation between Indiana University and the Big Ten as we have worked through this issue in the past week. The Big Ten responded quickly and fairly. In the end, they did accept the recommendation that Indiana University advanced their way."

In communicating with the Big Ten, were other incidents such as past Bob Knight or Joe Paterno blowups with officials brought up?

"In my letter to the Big Ten, I asked them to be fair in the way the conference dealt with this matter and to consider the way the conference has dealt with incidents with college coaches on the football field and on the basketball floor."

In any way, do you feel that the Big Ten was pressured to make an example of coach Davis after how they as a conference have handled certain incidents in the past?

"I don't want to think that. I know that the Big Ten has recently been under pressure to deal more effectively with issues concerning crowd control and security. The Big Ten presidents, at their last meeting, spent almost their entire meeting talking about crowd control and behavior. We are all aware, following the events of September 11, that we need to direct a lot of attention to security issues."

What criteria did you look at to suggest the one-game suspension?

"I felt that something was going to happen. If you get the Big Ten interested to that degree, you know something will happen. They suggested a six-game suspension and a public reprimand, but I never felt this was a six-game issue. I felt that if this case deserved anything, it deserved the minimum."

Do you deal with the commissioner (Jim Delany) directly?

"I dealt with the commissioner's office, but I think that commissioner Delany was very involved in this situation."

With the fact that coach could receive up to six games, are you relieved that the punishment was just one?

"I think this is a very fair outcome, so in that sense, I am relieved. In the view of Indiana University, justice was served and fairness was applied."

Do you have any idea of coach Davis' plans for tomorrow and if so, could you share them with us?

"I can tell you what he said to me, because I certainly offered to be with him. He said that he wanted to go to Muncie tonight and be with the team and then stay throughout the pre-game and then drive back to Indianapolis. His son Mike is going to be with him, and he told me he was going to go to church. He said, "That's where I need to be." But I also expect he'll be watching the game somewhere."

Thank you all for coming down today and thank you for your interest in Indiana University and our basketball program.

Indiana University Athletics

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