Indiana basketball is nowhere near a tournament team and struggles game in and game out. This forced Mike Woodson to make a decision that he believed was best for the team.
Indiana has not had a good season despite its 14-10 record. They have lost seven of their past eight games and three of those losses were blowouts. All of this has culminated in Mike Woodson announcing he is stepping down at the end of this season. Which isn’t surprising if you have watched Indiana basketball this year.
The fans certainly welcomed the news, as they have wanted him out as head coach for a while now. Earlier this season, Indiana played Illinois at home in a game that likely triggered the slide that they couldn’t seem to stop.
After falling behind 52-22 at one point in the first half, the fans grew restless and began chanting “Fire Woodson”. The fans’ disappointment is not simply from this one game—it stems from the season as a whole.
Indiana was ranked 17th in the AP preseason poll. Even though it was before games had been played, expectations were still higher than this.
Mike Woodson will finish the season as coach of the Hoosiers, much to fans’ dismay. In his four seasons as head coach, Woodson has led Indiana to two NCAA tournaments. They haven’t beaten a ranked opponent since the 2022-2023 season. The Hoosiers have also lost a staggering 28 double-digit losses during Mike Woodson’s tenure. So they certainly have had mixed results and it’s unfortunately it’s a case of “what have you done for me lately?”
Now Indiana begins the search for a new head coach. Even though their season isn’t over yet, they won’t be making the tournament. The Hoosiers just need to start preparing for next season, and the first step is finding the right coach.
There are certainly lots of options and big names to choose from: Brad Stevens, former head coach of Butler and an Indiana native; Bryce Drew, former head coach of the Baylor Bears; and Bruce Pearl, head coach of Auburn. There is a high likelihood that Pearl will stay with Auburn next season. He has them ranked number one in the nation with a 21-1 record. The other names on that list, Brad Stevens and Bryce Drew are more suitable options. With ties to Indiana, both are likely to be well-received by fans.
Michigan head coach Dusty May could also be a viable option. Many Indiana fans may remember him as a student manager from 1996 to 2000 under Bob Knight. More recently, May led FAU to a Final Four last season, breaking everyone’s bracket. The former FAU coach then moved on to coach Michigan after Juwan Howard was let go.
There are many options and paths that Indiana can take. Do they want to go for the hometown favorite? They can. What about proven coaches with experience at several schools? They can do that too. Indiana has their chance to bring Hoosier basketball back to relevance again. Will they seize it or will they only lean on the success of the past?
Indiana basketball has the chance to look very different next season. With Mike Woodson gone, they can reset and start fresh with a new coach. Whether Mike Woodson retires or is signed by another team remains to be seen. There will definitely be some big decisions made before next season tips off. This is gonna be a new era for Indiana basketball after struggling in recent years.
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