Why Indiana basketball is still a coveted job despite decades of mediocrity

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When he left Marquette in 2008 to become the next head coach of an Indiana basketball program saddled with a depleted roster and crippling NCAA sanctions, Tom Crean required only two words to justify his decision.

“It’s Indiana.”

To Crean, Indiana was “the absolute pinnacle of all of college basketball,” a program with “incredible tradition.” There was “absolutely no way,” Crean said during his introductory press conference, that he would have walked away from what he built at Marquette if he didn’t feel that way.

Seventeen years further removed from Indiana’s glory days under Bob Knight, the school’s men’s basketball job is again open. With Indiana (14-10, 5-8) sinking to the bottom half of the Big Ten standings and to the fringes of NCAA tournament contention, Mike Woodson agreed last week to step down at the end of the season.

The lingering question as Indiana searches for Woodson’s replacement is whether coaches still perceive the program the same way that Crean once did. Is Indiana still a top-tier job because of its rare combination of resources, tradition and ambition? Or has the job become less appealing as a former powerhouse has faded from relevance?

To say that Indiana hasn’t performed like one of college basketball’s elite programs for decades is a massive understatement. It has been 38 years since the Hoosiers last raised a national title banner, 23 since they last made the Final Four and 12 since they secured a top-three NCAA tournament seed. Indiana has won the Big Ten three times since 1993. Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio State each have more during that span.

Since Indiana decided at last 25 years ago that it could no longer tolerate Knight’s ill-tempered lack of human decency, the Hoosiers have searched in vain to find a long-term successor. Five coaches of all different backgrounds have crashed and burned trying to restore the program to its former greatness.

Emergency interim coach Mike Davis earned a…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2025-02-11 21:32:00

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