Make or Break Part I

Mike's words speak for themselves. Here's a transcript of tonight's interview on WISH-TV. Part I was exactly 5 minutes and heavily edited.

Anthony Calhoun: Mike Davis like you've never seen him before coming up.

Scott Sander: The coaching world can be high pressure, but no coach in college basketball is feeling the heat right now like IU's Mike Davis. He knows well this could be a make or break season for him. 24 hour News 8's Anthony Calhoun joins us. You had an exclusive interview with the Hoosiers' bench boss.

Anthony Calhoun: That's right Scott. You know I have been covering Mike Davis since he took the Hoosiers' Head Coaching job back in 2000. But this is the most candid interview I have ever had with the coach. What you are about to see is a coach who knows whats expected of him. He's open, honest and makes it very clear that he knows he is fighting to keep his job.

Video of Mike over the last few years was shown with Bowie's "Under Pressure" playing in the background. AC did a voice over... "A coach with his job on the line. A coach who hasn't made it to the NCAA Tournament in 2 years. A coach who's facing scrutiny many couldn't handle. But IU coach Mike Davis says he's ready for the challenge.

Mike Davis: I don't feel pressure when um when I go home at night knowing that we have DJ White, Marco Killingsworth and Ben Allen and those guys on our Basketball team you know. You only feel the pressure when you've got to work a miracle um to win a game

AC: And that is exactly what Davis felt he had to do the past 2 seasons. But this year expectations are high for the Hoosiers. IU is ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2002. You recently said in the Indianapolis Star and I quote... you said um "we have a group of young guys and older guys, talented guys. I'm as happy as I have ever been." That true? You really happy here?

MD: I am. This is the best team I have ever had here. Um I thought the first 3 years we overachieved.

AC: Davis has just 3 seasons left in a 6 year deal that pays him over $800,000 a season. Its a contract that has seen him produce only 1 trip to the NCAA Tournament, one to the NIT and one losing season. In March, IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan made it very clear that Indiana would keep Davis for at least one more year but it would not tolerate a repeat of the past 2 seasons.

AC: How do you approach going into the season knowing that you have the pressure that you are under from Rick, but also the demands he has given you, you know, to put out a better outcome at the end of the season that has been done the last couple of years to remain here.

MD: Rick's not putting any pressure on me, he's not putting any demands on me. He's just saying what is expected out of Indiana Basketball. Um but again it's not personal when you have a good team. And would would I be disappointed if we didn't play well this year and have a really good season? Everybody should be disappointed.

AC: So what exactly does Davis need to do this season to keep his job?

Rick Greenspan: I won't sit here today and say that there is a litmus test. I I won't do that. I won't say that x number of wins or x games into the tournament. What I am saying is I want to see us return to a high level of competitive standard.

MD: It's all about winning. It's all about winning. And and and that is what we have to do. And if I can't win 22, 23, 24, 25 games here. Um if we can't perform at the level that um I think we should perform at. Rick Greenspan doesn't have to tell me anything. I mean I'll go tell him.

AC: A 2 year NCAA drought makes the scrutiny of Davis justified, but he argues that some of the criticism may not be fair. One consistent gripe Davis' his play calling.

AC: They'll say that Mike Davis is an great recruiter, but an X and O guy, he's not that guy.

MD: You know um you try to discredit me from saying that I'm not an X and O guy but there was a lot of coaches around the country that called me about my offense. When we played for it all with less talent than everyone else our offense was pretty good. We had Jared Jeffries. You know your Xs and Os are only as good um about who's who's your O and who's your X. You understand what I am saying? I mean that's your X and O. I love offense um I love defense.

AC: Last season his team played the toughest schedule in the country and did with a lot of young players. But this year, no more excuses.

MD: When you say excuses, excuses and facts are two different things.

AC: But I think you have to admit the last couple of years there have been issues, call them facts, call them excuses, whatever you want to call them. Schedule has been one of the issues and young players have been one of the issues. But are you saying this year we got the schedule under control and I got my players in place to maybe not say go to the Championship Game of the NCAA Tournament but to put out a better product thats been on the court the last couple of years.

MD: Well the product that been on the court last year was was a good product it was just young. It was really really young.

AC: A coach who's fighting to keep his job finds himself at peace knowing that he has the players to get the job done. But he's also realistic.

MD: I love Indiana. I love my team and um if my bosses came to me and said hey Mike, we, I think we need to go in another direction you know I would be disappointed, who wouldn't be? You know but um I would always support Indiana no matter what. If I'm here 10 years or 1 year I'm I'm going to support the program.

AC: Sunday night in Part II of Make or Break is a story all IU fans have to see. Coach Davis addresses all the rumors like the Auburn job and he tells me what he thinks about IU fans plus we talk about how he lost Lawrence North's star, Greg Oden. It's a story you will only see on 24 hour News 8.

Scott Sanders: Compelling conversation AC. We'll be watching for Part II