Indiana AD Rick Greenspan Resigns

Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan announced today that he is resigning, effective at the end of the year, in the wake of additional NCAA charges against the school's basketball team.

The NCAA said today that former coach Kelvin Sampson, whom Greenspan hired, committed five major recruiting violations, and that the school failed to monitor the basketball program.

Greenspan's statement said:

"This has been a very difficult time and I am aware that I have become the focus of criticism which will continue to distract Indiana University from its core educational mission. Consequently, I believe a new person will be in a stronger position to lead IU Athletics moving forward and it is in IU's best interests for me to stand down.

You can rest assured that I will work with great diligence and effort on behalf of our student athletes and coaches over the next six months. They deserve nothing less. Without question, I am extremely disappointed in the new charges brought by the NCAA Committee on Infractions against Indiana University that were released today. I disagree with these charges, particularly since the NCAA Enforcement staff did not reach this same conclusion after their original, in-depth investigation. Nevertheless, the new charges must and will be answered."

The biggest question about Greenspan -- who hired Sampson despite Sampson's history of flouting NCAA rules and then did nothing to prevent Sampson from continuing to flout those rules -- the biggest question is how he managed to keep his job this long. This resignation is long overdue.

Previously on FanHouse:
Dick Vitale Explains Why Indiana Should Fire Athletic Director Rick Greenspan
Indiana Should Fire AD Rick Greenspan, Too