updated 5:54 p.m. ET Feb. 17, 2006

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Mike Davis’ departure from Indiana was as sudden as his ascent to the top of Hoosiers basketball.

Just a couple dozen yards from where he became Bob Knight’s successor in 2000, Davis walked into in a crowded room and announced he would resign at the end of the season. He was still wearing a crimson Hoosiers’ sweater as he urged fans to unite behind the program.

“Don’t be sad for me. Please don’t be sad for me,” Davis said as his wife watched from the side. “This is like the MasterCard commercial. You know, it’s priceless what God has given me to be the head basketball coach here.”

The embattled heir to one of college basketball’s signature programs made his decision public with five games left before the Big Ten tournament. In six seasons, he was 109-76.

But Indiana (13-9, 5-6) has been slumping lately. The Hoosiers have lost four straight games and are just 3-7 since a promising 10-2 start that put the team in the top 10.

Indiana president Adam Herbert said he had planned to wait until after the season ended to evaluate whether the 45-year-old Davis would return as coach next year, but Davis wouldn’t wait.

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Herbert said Davis initiated discussions before the Connecticut game on Feb. 4. They met again afterward and eventually agreed on an $800,000 buyout — a hefty price for an athletics department that has run a multimillion dollar deficit in recent years. Davis was scheduled to earn about $800,000 with outside income over the final two years of his contract.

At the news conference, Herbert and athletic director Rick Greenspan extolled Davis’ successes — becoming the first coach in school history to win 20 games and reach the NCAA tournament in each of his first three seasons, leading the Hoosiers to the national championship game in 2002 and producing one of the nation’s finest recruiting classes two years ago.

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But fan unrest, unfinished business and incessant pressure led to Davis’ decision.

“Every year there’s been a rumor that coach Davis would not be here and every year I’m back,” Davis said. “I wanted it to be on my terms.”

He has long had a troubled relationship with Indiana’s fans, many of whom felt Knight should never have been fired.

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