So surely Indiana talked to Dan Dakich during the Kelvin Sampson investigation just to let him know where it was going, right? Well …

Terry Hutchens of The Indianapolis Star reports today the first time IU talked to Dakich about the situation was 11 AM Friday, hours before the announcement of Kelvin Sampson’s forced resignation. At the time Dakich was putting a scouting report up for the team a few hours before practice.

“I truly did not know what I was being called up there for,” Dakich said. “I thought, ‘Maybe this is my last time here. I really don’t know.’ “

Hutchens reports what we’ve heard: An anonymous donor plunked down $550,000 to move negotiations along, allowing the $750,000 buyout. Hutchens also reports Sampson was planning to fight resignation as late as Thursday night, but IU “had a plan to deal with Sampson if he chose not to resign”. Athletic Director Rick Greenspan knew the school had a 2 pm deadline for Friday, so we assume, reading that, the school was planning to suspend him.

But then the donor’s money came in, mid-morning Friday, and it changed everything. Negotiations re-started, and Hutchens says they struck a deal at 7:45. IU announced Sampson’s resignation at 9 that night.