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Indiana basketball hiring failed NBA coach with zero college coaching experience

By Mike Phillips

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 19: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Headcoach Mike Woodson of the New York Knicks looks on against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden on March 19, 2014 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Pacers 92-86. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 19: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Headcoach Mike Woodson of the New York Knicks looks on against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden on March 19, 2014 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Pacers 92-86. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Indiana basketball is closing in on a deal to make former Hoosiers’ star Mike Woodson the program’s next head coach.

When the Indiana Hoosiers fired Archie Miller and paid a $10.3 million buyout to move on, fans began dreaming of some marquee coaching candidates. Visions of Chris Beard, Brad Stevens and Porter Moser were dancing in the heads of the Indiana faithful but the Hoosiers opted to move in a different direction, hiring New York Knicks’ assistant coach Mike Woodson to replace Miller, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports.

Indiana closing in on hiring Woodson was first reported by Louisville-based reporter Rick Bozich. Woodson, 63, played under legendary head coach Bob Knight at Indiana from 1976-1980, scoring 2,062 points and helping the Hoosiers reach the Sweet 16 as a senior in 1980.

The move fits with the recent rumors that Indiana was seeking a former player to serve as their next head coach. The program, facing a rash of potential defections with seven players currently in the transfer portal, was also reportedly rebuffed by big names like Stevens and Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann.

Indy Star’s Gregg Doyel is also reporting that the Hoosiers are also bringing in former Ohio State head coach Thad Matta to serve as an associate athletic director for the basketball program. Matta should be able to help Woodson assemble a coaching staff capable of doing well in the Big Ten.

Woodson has a career record of 315-365 in nine seasons with the Hawks and Knicks and made the playoffs in five of those seasons. He hasn’t been a head coach since the end of the 2013-2014 season. Woodson was in his first season as an assistant on the Knicks bench this year.

Did Indiana make the right hire with Mike Woodson?

The choice to hire Woodson does fit the program’s desire for a former player but this doesn’t exactly scream Juwan Howard-to-Michigan vibes. Howard was 46-years-old when he was hired by the Wolverines and has ties to a historic era in the program as a member of the Fab Five and his days as an NBA player help give him credibility with recruits.

Woodson had a losing record as an NBA coach but he has never coached at the college level, making it a complete unknown how he will be able to recruit and outfox Big Ten rivals like Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State to keep some of Indiana’s homegrown high school talent in the Hoosier state.

This hire feels like Indiana opted to settle for someone with ties to the program’s glory days instead of focusing on landing a candidate that would help the one-time blue blood powerhouse evolve into the modern age of college basketball.

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