After weeks of speculation, the Mike Woodson era Indiana has finally been put out of its misery, as the Hoosiers head coach reportedly plans to step aside at the conclusion of what's been a bitterly disappointing 2024-25 season.
Woodson is an IU legend, an Indianapolis native who starred as a player under Bob Knight, and his hire was meant to bring an embattled program back to the glory it's been chasing ever since Knight left. Instead, though, it's been more of the same: After winning 23 games and reaching the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Woodson's Hoosiers won just 19 last season while missing the Big Dance entirely, and this year has been even worse. A four-game losing streak has Indiana at 14-9 entering a home date with No. 24 Michigan on Saturday, their bubble hopes on life support even with an upset win.
Woodson just hasn't been capable of adapting to the modern realities of the college game, and he hasn't offered any reason to think things would get any better moving forward. His stepping aside is a way for both sides to part and save some face, and it leaves Indiana in a familiar position: back at the drawing board, wondering which coach will be best-suited to finally turn this ship around. Here are five calls that Indiana AD Scott Dolson needs to make first.
5. T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State
Otzelberger may not win the press conference in the way that some of the names above him on this list (or off this list entirely) would. But if you want to win, you could do a whole lot worse: Winning is just about all Otzelberger has done in his coaching career, from South Dakota State to Iowa State. His Cyclones are in the midst of a bit of a skid right now, but when they're right, they're one of the most dangerous and well-balanced teams in the whole country.
Otzelberger has built his program in Ames brick by brick, and that sort of vision combined with Indiana's resources would be an awfully potent combination. Then again, the monster extension he signed in December comes with a hefty buyout, and it's not clear whether he'd give up a good thing to take one of the most heavily-scrutinized jobs in the country.
4. Dusty May, Michigan
On paper, the fit here is obvious. A graduate of Bloomfield's Eastern Greene High School who served as a student manager under Bob Knight while an undergrad at IU, May has blossomed into one of the best coaches around, leading FAU to the Final Four in 2023 and hitting the ground running in his first season at Michigan. He can coach and he can recruit, and he's a native son.
That said, Indiana might be a year too late here. Coming back home might pique May's interest, but he's in the first year of his contract, and Michigan has pockets deep enough to make it tough for the Hoosiers to pry him away. This would require a metric ton of cash to even start the conversation.
3. Scott Drew, Baylor
Drew has been at Baylor since 2003, turning the Bears from an afterthought into a national power without showing any hint of interest in leaving. (Remember that he quickly shot down rumors around both the Louisville and Kentucky jobs last cycle.) Still, Indiana has to make the call and make Drew say no: Not only is he one of the most accomplished coaches in the country, but he also has deep ties in the state, having played at Butler and coached under his father at Valparaiso. Again, if Drew had eyes on a destination job, he probably would've left by now; you never know until you try, though.
2. Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls
The Bulls have given Donovan ample evidence to suggest that he's stuck on a sinking ship right now. He's been in the NBA for a decade now, but with things getting worse before they get better in Chicago, would he head back to the college ranks as an exit strategy? He's a two-time national champion, he's still just 59 and his name still commands a ton of respect around the country. Donovan would bring a level of seriousness and gravitas that Indiana has lacked in recent years, and while an NBA retread might not be the most appealing proposition after the Woodson debacle, this is an entirely different level of candidate.
1. Brad Stevens, Indiana
This list couldn't end any other way, right? Stevens has no connections to the Indiana program, but he played his college ball just an hour away at Division III Depauw and took Butler to two Final Fours over six years at the helm in Indianapolis. Plus, he's the reigning NBA Executive of the Year for the defending champion Boston Celtics, and pointing to all the stars he's worked with in the pros would be one heck of a recruiting pitch.
Of course, we've been down this road before, and it sure doesn't seem like Stevens actually has all that much interest in leading the Hoosiers. This feels like the Hail Mary to end all Hail Marys, but it also has to be the school's first call just in case.