Spurs Hire Kelvin Sampson As Adviser

INDIANAPOLIS -- The San Antonio Spurs have hired Kelvin Sampson as an adviser, days after he resigned as Indiana University men's basketball coach amid allegations he committed major NCAA rule violations, 6Sports Director Dave Furst reported Thursday.

Sampson was in San Antonio's arena during the Spurs' 108-97 win over the visiting Indiana Pacers. He is expected to advise the defending NBA champions for the next few weeks, Furst reported.

Hiring advisers is nothing new for Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. He has hired several coaches in this capacity through the years.

Sampson agreed to resign from IU on Feb. 22 in exchange for $750,000. To receive the payment from IU, he must cooperate fully with an NCAA investigation into the violation allegations. The deal also prevents Sampson from suing the university for damages.

A Feb. 8 NCAA report alleged Sampson and two assistants didn't comply with telephone recruiting restrictions that had been imposed because of Sampson's previous violations at Oklahoma. It also accused Sampson of providing misleading information to investigators from the university and the NCAA, and it accused Sampson and an assistant of engaging in an impermissible recruiting contact during a two-day sports camp last year.

Sampson has said he never intentionally provided false or misleading information to NCAA investigators.

IU has until May 8 to respond to the NCAA allegations. A hearing on the matter is set for June 14.

Major violations of NCAA rules can carry punishments including postseason ineligibility.