While coasting along Rt. 70 towards Columbus on Saturday afternoon I passed a sign inviting me to have a cozy break in the drive.

It was the Steve Alford All-American Inn calling my name; tucked away in the Hoosier hills was the landmark and it’s the kind of history that has Mike Davis raving mad.

Davis is a broken man. Since taking over the Hoosiers in 2000 he has never been able to kick Bob Knight enthusiasts to the side.

He was able to take his team within inches of a National Championship, but has never been able to shake off the naysayers.

Whether it’s because of the program’s declining stature, his failure to make the tournament or even racism, Davis has been ridiculed and put on the chopping block since he signed his name on the dotted line.

Davis has been critiqued as being a poor coach throughout his tenure, and besides for his tournament run with a virtual Knight team, he has tanked late in the season and hasn’t recruited the type of talent Indiana is accustomed to. He has watched Indiana high school stars jump ship in favor of Duke’s; and even Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Illinois just got done sticking up the bank.

Whether or not Davis is all of the lame attributes tagged to him, he has not been given a fair shot by the people or the university.

Since he has been brought in, he has not been given the respect that a head coach deserves. The fans have not only been against Davis but, in turn, have hurt the majestic aura that accompanied Indiana basketball.

To think that fans have started to wear black to games to boycott their head coach is a travesty.

What about the kids that pledged four years to come and play their hearts out for not only that coach, but the school. Hoosier fans have turned their back to not only their coach but also the players that pledged allegiance to him and, furthermore, the program that they hold the reins for.

But Davis is not the only coach pulled into this sick Hoosier situation.

Currently Iowa is in first place of the Big Ten and coached by the same Steve Alford whose name is associated with a certain Indiana motel.

This situation has worn down Davis, imagine what it is going to do to Alford and the Hawkeyes. They have much farther to fall.

It’s as certain that the sun will rise that Davis will be fired, and equally as certain is that Alford will be looked to as the next coach.

When the last coaching change at Indiana was taking place Alford made it clear that he was the coach at Iowa, but here we go again.

The Hoosier golden boy is going to be called back into action and be called from interview to interview.

Whether there is doubt in his head or not, it will creep into the head of his team.

Davis is quoted as saying about himself, “He might not be the right person for the job.”

And that maybe if Indiana is going to succeed in the future, “They might need one of their own.” No other names come to mind as quickly as Steve Alford.

While some Big Ten rivals are getting a good chuckle out of the fact that the Indiana fans have destroyed the Hoosiers this season, they are rolling on the floor imagining that Iowa could be crushed as well.

But think of the time put in by these college students towards something bigger, and it becomes a little sad.

Mike Davis is indeed a broken man, Steve Alford is indeed about to become a very frustrated man, and in the meantime, we’ll see how these two squads move ahead with or without their leaders.

Ian Gold is a senior in Communications. He can be reached at [email protected].