The Indiana head coaching job is one of the biggest in college basketball right now, and its opening this offseason will bring no shortage of candidates.
Before we get to a list of 12 potential options to fill this vacancy, here’s what I would do if I was Hoosiers athletic director Scott Dolson: go with someone who’s at least proven something in the college ranks, has an energy that fits modern-day college basketball – both in on-court strategy and the name, image and likeness (NIL) renaissance – and who will work tirelessly in a Big Ten Conference filled with NCAA Tournament programs.
The Hoosiers have not reached the second weekend of the Big Dance since 2016, just shy of a decade, and the program’s last Final Four was 23 years ago. While the memories of Bob Knight are plenty, and Indiana tried to get a coach who understood that in Mike Woodson, the 66-year-old did not fit the college scene for a variety of reasons.
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[Read more: Why Mike Woodson's time at Indiana had to come to an end, and what's next?]
So, it’s back to the drawing board. Indiana has to get this hire right. Money isn’t an issue. The Hoosiers spent roughly $5.5 million on their roster this year, sources tell FOX Sports. The program’s brand is one of the biggest in college basketball and there’s a real campus feel at Indiana. With that comes pressure, but look at it this way: following Mike Krzyzewski at Duke or Jay Wright at Villanova or Roy Williams at North Carolina or even Jim Boeheim at Syracuse are all challenging asks. The coach who can turn this around at Indiana would become an instant folk hero.
That said, let’s run through 12 names to watch in this search, which we’ll be updating as it progresses.
He’s already a legend in the state of Indiana after taking Butler to back-to-back national championships in 2010 and 2011. As the president of basketball operations for the Celtics, Stevens has already won a championship and is favored to repeat this June. Would the 48-year-old have any desire to return to the sidelines? Would the Zionsville, Indiana native and his family actually want to come back home? Dolson’s first call would likely be to Stevens. I don’t think he and his wife want to head back into college basketball, but you can’t leave Stevens’ name out of it, and Indiana donors would back up the Brinks truck to get him.
A Bob Knight disciple and proven winner, Beard might be the most discussed name in the running. If offered, he would take it. The question is simple: Would Indiana’s administration be OK with hiring Beard after his 2022 exit from Texas? The 51-year-old was fired amid a felony domestic family violence charge for allegedly strangling his fiancée. The charges were dropped in February 2023. If Indiana is willing to accept that and hire Beard, he has won at every level he has coached from Division III to II to the high-major level. After taking Arkansas-Little Rock to the NCAA Tournament in a 30-win season in 2016, he got the job at Texas Tech and led the Red Raiders to three NCAA Tournaments in five years and the national championship game in 2019 — an unbelievable feat. He has an NCAA Tournament team, one that could reach the second weekend if things break right, at Ole Miss this year. The Rebels haven’t danced since 2019.
[Read more: NCAA Tournament bubble watch: Arkansas, Indiana among teams that need strong finish]
Could the Hoosiers tug at the heart strings of May, an Indiana alum who served as a student manager on Bob Knight’s Hoosiers from 1996-2000? Ironically, May and his top-25 ranked Wolverines visit Indiana on Saturday in a game that should produce a wild atmosphere, given the recent news.
If I were Indiana and could get any coach in the country right now, this is who I’d hire. The 47-year-old is a complete grinder and has done an incredible job with Iowa State, which is 17-5 on the year, has Final Four upside and is ranked eighth in the country. He’s a Midwest guy who has done one of the best building jobs in college basketball, and his teams are consistently some of the hardest playing groups in the country.
The two-time SEC Coach of the Year took Marquette to three Sweet 16s and an Elite Eight. He led Virginia Tech to its first Sweet 16 since 1965, and now has a top-10 Texas A&M team led by All-American guard Wade Taylor IV. Williams has won 367 games at a 62% clip. He's a longtime, proven winner and is still only 52.
One of the best coaches in the country that people don’t talk enough about, McDermott has led the Bluejays to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four years and has won a March Madness game in each of the past four seasons. He has amassed 618 wins as a head coach and is one of the best offensive minds in basketball, not to mention he’d fit the Indiana fan base well.
The 45-year-old from Chicago is one of the best young coaches in the country, leading Cleveland State to the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and the NIT in 2022. Now, he's ushering in a big turnaround at Missouri. After reaching the second round of the Big Dance and winning 25 games two years ago, Gates’ team totaled just eight victories last year. But this season, the Tigers are 17-5 and are ranked in the top 15 of the AP poll. He’s on the radar.
Other names:
Drake head coach Ben McCollum has had an incredible rise and ushered the Bulldogs to a 21-2 start to the year. He has also won four Division II national titles and should get an interview for the degree he won early in his career.
Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland has been a tremendous hire in Lubbock and has a top-10 caliber team this year. The 48-year-old is a Scott Drew disciple.
I have a hard time believing Shaka Smart will ever leave Marquette because they are paying him big-time money. He has returned to his home state and has really become the best version of himself there. That said, he has to be on the call list.
Watch out for Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans, who has won everywhere he has been and has made the Bulldogs a winner again.
The other name would be Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington, who led James Madison to its first NCAA Tournament win in the Round of 64 since 1983 this past year and has put the Commodores back on the map to get a potential tournament bid for the first time in eight years — which would be one of the biggest surprises in the sport.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.
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