Indiana introduced that Mike Woodson won’t return for a fifth season on February 7 and a training search is underway for this system’s thirty first head coach.
The search remains to be in its early levels as the school basketball season stays in full swing.
Whereas not so as of IU’s curiosity or the candidate’s curiosity within the place, right here’s an up to date teaching scorching board grouped by tiers. Candidates are listed alphabetically inside every tier.
Make the decision
Scott Drew, Baylor
Drew stated no to Kentucky and Louisville final spring, so would he even entertain the IU job? The Hoosiers ought to gauge his curiosity at a minimal.
The fact is that Drew is Baylor basketball. He gained a nationwide championship in Waco, the neighborhood loves him and he can probably keep within the job till retirement. If he’s prepared for a brand new problem, a giant if, the one in Bloomington may pique his curiosity.
Dusty Might, Michigan
Might labored as a pupil supervisor beneath Bob Knight, made a Closing 4 run at Florida Atlantic College and is now having fun with success in his first season on the high-major degree as Michigan’s coach. The Wolverines are at the moment atop the Massive Ten standings.
Might is 48 years outdated and his groups play an thrilling fashion of basketball, however would he go away Ann Arbor after one season and make a transfer throughout the convention? Might selected his phrases rigorously after his journey to IU earlier this month and didn’t shut the door on any curiosity.
The ties to Bloomington are clear, however the timing may be a 12 months too late for the Hoosiers. Experiences have already surfaced that the Wolverines want to lock up Might with a brand new contract. If it doesn’t occur earlier than the tip of the season, the rumors will proceed to swirl.
TJ Otzelberger, Iowa State
Otzelberger just lately agreed to a contract extension by means of 2032 and appears nicely entrenched at Iowa State, which is having fun with great success beneath his management. Nevertheless, stories have surfaced that his buyout is probably not as prohibitive as initially thought.
He has led his group to the NCAA match in every of his first three seasons in Ames, and at simply 47 years outdated, any program seeking to make a rent this spring may have him on its want listing.
Confirmed winners
Tony Bennett, retired
Bennett retired from Virginia final fall, however isn’t too far faraway from profitable a nationwide championship. With Indiana’s sturdy monetary dedication to basketball, Bennett wouldn’t have to fret about dropping gamers for monetary causes.
Whereas it’s unlikely Bennett would have curiosity this fast into retirement, he was probably the greatest coaches within the sport during the last 20 years.
Mick Cronin, UCLA
A midwesterner now in Westwood main the Bruins, does Cronin wish to get again to his roots? He’s already led UCLA to a Closing 4 look in 2021 and back-to-back Candy Sixteen appearances in 2022 and 2023.
The 53-year-old prioritizes protection above all else and whereas his fashion of play isn’t thrilling, he’s confirmed he can attain the NCAA match constantly. Cronin’s buyout, reportedly over $10 million, is an impediment if IU chooses to pursue him.
Tommy Lloyd, Arizona
A Washington native, the 50-year-old spent 21 seasons at Gonzaga earlier than touchdown his first head teaching job at Arizona in 2021. The Wildcats have ranked within the high 15 of KenPom in every of Lloyd’s 4 seasons on the helm.
Transferring ahead, Lloyd might want to decide what sources might be accessible at Tucson within the revenue-sharing period. With its great sources, would a program like Indiana attraction to Lloyd?
Greg McDermott, Creighton
McDermott often takes the Blue Jays to the NCAA match and is among the high offensive coaches in faculty basketball. He just lately signed a contract extension, however there are stories that his buyout isn’t a serious impediment.
He’s loved nice success at Creighton, together with a visit to the Elite Eight in 2023. The Blue Jays completed within the high 12 of the KenPom rankings within the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
Buzz Williams, Texas A&M
The 52-year-old Williams made a number of Candy Sixteens and an Elite Eight at Marquette and a Candy Sixteen at Virginia Tech. He’s now in his sixth season at Texas A&M and has the Aggies competing close to the highest of the SEC.
Williams is a local of Texas, so it’s unclear whether or not he’d be seeking to go away the state. It’s additionally unclear if his candidacy would have broad attraction to the IU fanbase. Texas A&M is a below-average capturing group grinding out video games with its protection this season.
May thrive with extra sources
Brad Brownell, Clemson
Brownell was on the recent seat at Clemson for years, however went to the Elite Eight final season. He at the moment has the Tigers ranked within the high 30 of KenPom.
Whereas his document isn’t elite, Clemson isn’t a straightforward job. The college is laser centered on soccer and solely has fan help when profitable. That wouldn’t be an issue in Bloomington. Brownell would have the sources essential to constructed an elite roster every season. He’s additionally an Indiana native.
Chris Collins, Northwestern
Collins is aware of the Massive Ten in addition to any coach on this listing, having spent the final 12 seasons in Evanston main Northwestern. Collins has taken the Wildcats to the NCAA match thrice, together with back-to-back appearances in 2023 and 2024.
The argument for Collins could be recognizing his success with meager sources at Northwestern and a wager that he may win at a a lot larger degree with IU’s monetary dedication to this system.
Ascending potential stars
Mark Byington, Vanderbilt
Like Curt Cignetti, Byington jumped from James Madison to an influence 5 job and is having nice success in his first season. The 48-year-old has Vanderbilt, which completed final season 9-23, in place to make the NCAA match.
Final season, Byington led JMU to the NCAA match spherical of 32 and beat Wisconsin within the opening spherical. It won’t be straightforward to win the press convention by hiring Byington, however turning Vanderbilt into a good SEC program in a single season after it was a doormat for years beneath Jerry Stackhouse isn’t any small feat. At this level, there is no such thing as a motive to imagine Indiana considers Byington a legit candidate, however there is no such thing as a denying he has achieved probably the greatest teaching jobs within the nation this season.
Jerrod Calhoun, Utah State
An Ohio native, the 43-year-old Calhoun changed Danny Sprinkle final spring at Utah State and is having fun with success within the Mountain West convention. The Aggies are 20-3 this season beneath Calhoun and within the high 50 of KenPom.
Indiana is unlikely to succeed in Calhoun’s identify in its search, however he has gained 20 video games in every of the final three seasons and ranks among the many high up-and-coming coaches within the sport.
Grant McCasland, Texas Tech
One other Texas native, McCasland gained a junior faculty championship at Midland Faculty. He received his first Division I head teaching job at Arkansas State in 2016 after 5 years as an assistant coach at Baylor beneath Scott Drew.
After six seasons at North Texas from 2017 by means of 2023, the 48-year-old McCasland accepted the Texas Tech job in 2023 and guided the Pink Raiders to an NCAA match look in 2024. This season, Texas Tech is on monitor for one more journey to March Insanity and his trendy fashion of play that encompasses a excessive quantity of 3-pointers wins video games and is enjoyable to look at. It may very well be troublesome to persuade McCasland to depart his residence state.
Ben McCollum, Drake
McCollum gained 4 NCAA Division II championships at Northwest Missouri State earlier than accepting the Drake job within the spring of 2024. He’s had nice success in his first season on the Division I degree and at simply 43 years outdated, seems to have a vibrant future in the long run.
The query is whether or not he’s confirmed sufficient to be a severe candidate for the Indiana job. McCollum has gained all over the place he’s been. Are the Hoosiers prepared to threat that he can translate that success to the best degree of the game?
Josh Schertz, Saint Louis
Schertz, 49, was extremely profitable at Lincoln Memorial on the Division II degree earlier than touchdown the Indiana State job in 2021. He guided Indiana State to the finals of the NIT final spring earlier than accepting the Saint Louis job.
Generally known as an ideal X & O’s coach who values analytics, Schertz is forward-thinking and had an elite offensive group in his closing season at Indiana State. In the event that they contemplate him, he’s unlikely to be among the many top-tier candidates.
Wild playing cards
Chris Beard, Ole Miss
A cloud of uncertainty looms over Beard’s candidacy resulting from his off-the-court historical past. There’s no denying he’s able to profitable on the highest ranges of the game. At this level, Indiana appears unlikely to take this route.
Beard led Texas Tech to a nationwide championship recreation look in 2019. He has already reworked Ole Miss into one of many high applications within the SEC in two seasons. Knight is one in all Beard’s largest influences in teaching and his groups defend at an elite degree.
Todd Golden, Florida
Golden, 39, is among the brightest younger coaches in America. His first head teaching job got here at San Francisco, the place he reached the NCAA match in 2022. After that season, his third at San Francisco, he landed the Florida job. Golden now has the Gators within the high 10 of KenPom in 12 months three of his tenure.
A latest Title IX investigation cleared him of accusations of sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, stalking, and cyberstalking made by a number of girls. The investigation started final fall. That investigation, regardless of the result, might complicate his candidacy.
Will Wade, McNeese
Wade, 42, rehabilitated his profession after LSU fired him for NCAA rule infractions. An elite recruiter, Wade took McNeese to an NCAA match within the 2024 season, his first with this system.
Along with his NCAA show-cause expiring this summer season, Wade may quickly be a gorgeous candidate to high-major applications, however it’s unlikely Indiana may have severe curiosity.
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