5 potential replacements for Tom Crean at Indiana

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Who should be an option to replace Tom Crean at Indiana?

On Thursday afternoon, just as the 2017 NCAA Tournament got underway, Indiana announced the firing of head coach Tom Crean. He lasted nine seasons, compiling a 166-135 record. However, the Hoosiers didn’t make the Big Dance, but made it into the NIT.

Crean’s teams never made it past the Sweet 16 in four tournament appearances, which could have factored into his firing. They also were dealt a crushing injury when OG Anunoby went down around midway through the year, which hurt the team’s depth significantly.

With the head coach position open, there’s going to be a handful of names brought up to take over at Indiana. Who makes the most sense?

5. Chris Holtmann

If Indiana wants an in-state hire, they can turn down the road to Butler and try to pry away Chris Holtmann. He’s entering his third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance with the Bulldogs and could be a name to watch for in the coaching carousel.

Through three seasons, Holtmann has churned out a 68-30 record. It’s solid and admirable work, even if replicating the success Brad Stevens had there is something that casts a shadow on any season. Two second-place finishes and Round of 32 appearances are still good and deserves some praise.

Holtmann not being able to take his teams further than this could hurt him when Indiana looks over their list of coaching candidates. If he can make a run this year, he’ll not only be reached out to by the school in Bloomington, but others as well. He’s not exactly the big name some fans are probably hoping for, especially with the other potential candidates, but should be considered as an option to take over.