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Sports editor Jim Rossow chats with former Indiana interim head coach Dan Dakich.

The former Indiana player and last season's interim head coach is out of college basketball – for now – hosting a weekday radio show on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis. Still living in Bloomington, Ind., the 46-year-old Dakich hasn't attended a game this season, instead watching the last-place Hoosiers from a distance. "I don't know if I'm comfortable going there right now." Sports editor Jim Rossow caught up with Michael Jordan's college nemesis this week to discuss the coach he replaced (Kelvin Sampson), the coach who replaced him (Tom Crean) and the coach he played for (Bob Knight).

Finish this sentence: Kelvin Sampson is ...

He's a really good coach and a fun guy to be around, but he didn't understand where he was at.

How strange was last season?

That's a book. Here's the abridged version: It was strange to me how the culture of Indiana basketball had changed since I left. It was a completely different culture and completely different environment.

You said you give your tickets to friends and family.

I want the university to do well. My ties to Indiana are more than just playing there four years. They run deep. When people see me, they expect me to be really bitter (about not being retained as coach) or they expect me to be, 'Hey, it's no big deal.' I'm not either. I'm not bitter at all. I want the school to do well.

With so many ties to Indiana, how hard has this season been to watch?

The hardest part quite frankly was when it was announced that Indiana was put on three years' probation. I never thought I'd see the day that that would happen. For me, being a former player and a former coach, that's been hard. In terms of the team, I look at things crazy. I don't feel sorry for Tom Crean because he gets to coach at the best basketball school in America, and he makes a lot of money doing it. The players get the opportunity to play at one of the greatest schools in the country, so I have a hard time feeling bad for them. I know people who are out of work and just lost their job. How can I feel bad about (Indiana)?

How long until Indiana gets back to winning basketball?

Quicker than 99 percent of other schools from the standpoint that you have history and tradition, you have great exposure and TV contracts and you have a great academic university. It's going to happen quicker than most people think. Will they be good enough to hang more national championship banners? I don't know, but they'll make significant steps that way.

What's your take on Champaign's Verdell Jones?

I think he's really improved. He's done a couple things: He's gained confidence offensively and also he's built his body up. (Tuesday) night I saw him on TV and noticed all of a sudden there are muscles where there weren't muscles before. It shocked me. I texted the weight coach and said whatever you're doing, keep doing it. I know he's a long way defensively where Tom wants him to be.

Should Bob Knight get back into coaching?

I hope so. It's such a positive for everybody: for the school, for the program which would be enhanced, for the players who would get an opportunity to get discipline in their lives. I don't know if there is a negative. But I think he's really good at what he's doing (on ESPN). He looks happy to me, he looks relaxed. While I hope he does come back to coaching selfishly, he looks happy with what he's doing.

How about yourself?

Yes. At some point I would like to. I've always been one to never look for the next job. I throw myself into what I'm doing, and right now I love what I'm doing. But I prefer coaching. The difference for me is in coaching, you were doing, you were helping, you were watching kids develop. In radio, you're talking about what other people are doing.

I assume you're talking about Indiana basketball a lot.

I get a ton of questions. If I'm complimentary, I'm viewed as a homer. If I'm negative, it's because I'm bitter. I try to be as honest as I can. One thing I won't do is to go into confidential things like Eric Gordon said (about players using drugs). As a coach you always talk to your players about what happens here stays here. I don't want to be reading about what happened on any message board.

Who in the Big Ten has the best chance of making a run in the NCAA tournament?

Michigan State looks better than anyone else. And I like Illinois. I said that on my show before the season started. Last year, they had so much bad luck. I love the job Bruce Weber does. Their toughness will carry them in the NCAA tournament.