Indiana announced that Mike Woodson will not return for a fifth season on February 7 and a coaching search is underway for the program’s 31st head coach.
The search is still in its early stages as the college basketball season remains in full swing.
While not in order of IU’s interest or the candidate’s interest in the position, here’s an updated coaching hot board grouped by tiers. Candidates are listed alphabetically within each tier.
Make the call
Scott Drew, Baylor
Drew said no to Kentucky and Louisville last spring, so would he even entertain the IU job? The Hoosiers should gauge his interest at a minimum.
The reality is that Drew is Baylor basketball. He won a national championship in Waco, the community loves him and he can likely stay in the job until retirement. If he’s ready for a new challenge, a big if, the one in Bloomington could pique his interest.
Dusty May, Michigan
May worked as a student manager under Bob Knight, made a Final Four run at Florida Atlantic University and is now enjoying success in his first season at the high-major level as Michigan’s coach. The Wolverines are currently atop the Big Ten standings.
May is 48 years old and his teams play an exciting style of basketball, but would he leave Ann Arbor after one season and make a move within the conference? May chose his words carefully after his trip to IU earlier this month and didn’t close the door on any interest.
The ties to Bloomington are clear, but the timing might be a year too late for the Hoosiers. Reports have already surfaced that the Wolverines are looking to lock up May with a new contract. If it doesn’t happen before the end of the season, the rumors will continue to swirl.
TJ Otzelberger, Iowa State
Otzelberger recently agreed to a contract extension through 2032 and seems well entrenched at Iowa State, which is enjoying tremendous success under his leadership. However, reports have surfaced that his buyout may not be as prohibitive as originally thought.
He has led his team to the NCAA tournament in each of his first three seasons in Ames, and at just 47 years old, any program looking to make a hire this spring will have him on its wish list.
Proven winners
Tony Bennett, retired
Bennett retired from Virginia last fall, but isn’t too far removed from winning a national championship. With Indiana’s strong financial commitment to basketball, Bennett wouldn’t have to worry about losing players for financial reasons.
While it’s unlikely Bennett would have interest this quick into retirement, he was one of the best coaches in the sport over the last two decades.
Mick Cronin, UCLA
A midwesterner now in Westwood leading the Bruins, does Cronin want to get back to his roots? He’s already led UCLA to a Final Four appearance in 2021 and back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances in 2022 and 2023.
The 53-year-old prioritizes defense above all else and while his style of play isn’t exciting, he’s proven he can reach the NCAA tournament consistently. Cronin’s buyout, reportedly over $10 million, is an obstacle if IU chooses to pursue him.
Tommy Lloyd, Arizona
A Washington native, the 50-year-old spent 21 seasons at Gonzaga before landing his first head coaching job at Arizona in 2021. The Wildcats have ranked in the top 15 of KenPom in each of Lloyd’s four seasons at the helm.
Moving forward, Lloyd will need to determine what resources will be available at Tucson in the revenue-sharing era. With its tremendous resources, would a program like Indiana appeal to Lloyd?
Greg McDermott, Creighton
McDermott regularly takes the Blue Jays to the NCAA tournament and is one of the top offensive coaches in college basketball. He recently signed a contract extension, but there are reports that his buyout isn’t a major obstacle.
He’s enjoyed great success at Creighton, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2023. The Blue Jays finished in the top 12 of the KenPom rankings in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
Buzz Williams, Texas A&M
The 52-year-old Williams made multiple Sweet Sixteens and an Elite Eight at Marquette and a Sweet Sixteen at Virginia Tech. He’s now in his sixth season at Texas A&M and has the Aggies competing near the top of the SEC.
Williams is a native of Texas, so it’s unclear whether he’d be looking to leave the state. It’s also unclear if his candidacy would have broad appeal to the IU fanbase. Texas A&M is a below-average shooting team grinding out games with its defense this season.
Could thrive with more resources
Brad Brownell, Clemson
Brownell was on the hot seat at Clemson for years, but went to the Elite Eight last season. He currently has the Tigers ranked in the top 30 of KenPom.
While his record isn’t elite, Clemson isn’t an easy job. The school is laser focused on football and only has fan support when winning. That wouldn’t be a problem in Bloomington. Brownell would have the resources necessary to built an elite roster each season. He’s also an Indiana native.
Chris Collins, Northwestern
Collins knows the Big Ten as well as any coach on this list, having spent the last 12 seasons in Evanston leading Northwestern. Collins has taken the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament three times, including back-to-back appearances in 2023 and 2024.
The argument for Collins would be recognizing his success with meager resources at Northwestern and a bet that he could win at a much higher level with IU’s financial commitment to the program.
Ascending potential stars
Mark Byington, Vanderbilt
Like Curt Cignetti, Byington jumped from James Madison to a power five job and is having great success in his first season. The 48-year-old has Vanderbilt, which finished last season 9-23, in position to make the NCAA tournament.
Last season, Byington led JMU to the NCAA tournament round of 32 and beat Wisconsin in the opening round. It might not be easy to win the press conference by hiring Byington, but turning Vanderbilt into a respectable SEC program in one season after it was a doormat for years under Jerry Stackhouse is no small feat. At this point, there is no reason to believe Indiana considers Byington a legitimate candidate, but there is no denying he has done one of the best coaching jobs in the country this season.
Jerrod Calhoun, Utah State
An Ohio native, the 43-year-old Calhoun replaced Danny Sprinkle last spring at Utah State and is enjoying success in the Mountain West conference. The Aggies are 20-3 this season under Calhoun and in the top 50 of KenPom.
Indiana is unlikely to reach Calhoun’s name in its search, but he has won 20 games in each of the last three seasons and ranks among the top up-and-coming coaches in the sport.
Grant McCasland, Texas Tech
Another Texas native, McCasland won a junior college championship at Midland College. He got his first Division I head coaching job at Arkansas State in 2016 after five years as an assistant coach at Baylor under Scott Drew.
After six seasons at North Texas from 2017 through 2023, the 48-year-old McCasland accepted the Texas Tech job in 2023 and guided the Red Raiders to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2024. This season, Texas Tech is on track for another trip to March Madness and his modern style of play that features a high volume of 3-pointers wins games and is fun to watch. It could be difficult to convince McCasland to leave his home state.
Ben McCollum, Drake
McCollum won four NCAA Division II championships at Northwest Missouri State before accepting the Drake job in the spring of 2024. He’s had great success in his first season at the Division I level and at just 43 years old, appears to have a bright future in the long term.
The question is whether he’s proven enough to be a serious candidate for the Indiana job. McCollum has won everywhere he’s been. Are the Hoosiers willing to risk that he can translate that success to the highest level of the sport?
Josh Schertz, Saint Louis
Schertz, 49, was highly successful at Lincoln Memorial at the Division II level before landing the Indiana State job in 2021. He guided Indiana State to the finals of the NIT last spring before accepting the Saint Louis job.
Known as a great X & O’s coach who values analytics, Schertz is forward-thinking and had an elite offensive team in his final season at Indiana State. If they consider him, he is unlikely to be among the top-tier candidates.
Wild cards
Chris Beard, Ole Miss
A cloud of uncertainty looms over Beard’s candidacy due to his off-the-court history. There’s no denying he’s capable of winning at the highest levels of the sport. At this point, Indiana seems unlikely to take this route.
Beard led Texas Tech to a national championship game appearance in 2019. He has already transformed Ole Miss into one of the top programs in the SEC in two seasons. Knight is one of Beard’s biggest influences in coaching and his teams defend at an elite level.
Todd Golden, Florida
Golden, 39, is one of the brightest young coaches in America. His first head coaching job came at San Francisco, where he reached the NCAA tournament in 2022. After that season, his third at San Francisco, he landed the Florida job. Golden now has the Gators in the top 10 of KenPom in year three of his tenure.
A recent Title IX investigation cleared him of accusations of sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, stalking, and cyberstalking made by multiple women. The investigation began last fall. That investigation, despite the outcome, may complicate his candidacy.
Will Wade, McNeese
Wade, 42, rehabilitated his career after LSU fired him for NCAA rule infractions. An elite recruiter, Wade took McNeese to an NCAA tournament in the 2024 season, his first with the program.
With his NCAA show-cause expiring this summer, Wade could soon be an attractive candidate to high-major programs, but it’s unlikely Indiana will have serious interest.
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