General Coach Candidate News

[Scotty R 3,682]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:11 PM, Kentuckysucks said:

Bo Ryan went from D3 to Milwaukee to Wisconsin in less than 3 years.

Brad Stevens went from working at Lilly to Butler to the Celtics. To me that is a bigger leap than what McCollum would have to do.

[Trish 14,477]

MARCH 12TH 10:30EST: The board is talking themselves into Ben McCollum. 

 

Frankly, I could be talked into it if Brad Stevens and Jay Wright say no. However, I assume Jay Wright would've accepted already and announced if that were the case. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 11,887]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:33 PM, Magnanimous said:

If McCollum retired today there is a legitimate argument he’d eventually make the basketball HOF as a coach. Several D2 coaches have made it with less success than he has had. They just stayed at their schools for decades to accumulate more all-time wins.

yeah but.. he didn't win 70% of his games in the Mountain West, did he!! 

[Uspshoosier 54,428]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:33 PM, Hornsby said:

Either way he had alot more experience and a track record to look at. Some of you want to turn over a program with the top nil in the big ten to a guy with one year of d1 experience.

Sent from my SM-A146U using Tapatalk
 

Some of you think a program that has 1 winning conference record in 9 years and 0 second week appearances in 9 years can land any head coach they want just because they are IU and it’s a sleeping giant for a coach to come in and teleport all the way back up to the top of college basketball 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 11,887]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:34 PM, Trish said:

MARCH 12TH 10:30EST: The board is talking themselves into Ben McCollum. 

 

Frankly, I could be talked into it if Brad Stevens and Jay Wright say no. However, I assume Jay Wright would've accepted already and announced if that were the case. 

I can't believe Jay Wright would even be contacted. 

[Silat Player 1,964]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:32 PM, Kentuckysucks said:

UK got lucky by pouncing on Cal at the exact right time.  Remember that we could've had him too at one point.  Their other post Pitino hires have been Tubby, the drunken psycho, and Pope.

UNC currently has Davis who will likely be fired next year.  Before Roy it was Doherty and Guthridge. Duke hired a former player who had never been a HC before.

We would be lucky to land McCollum.

The last hire that would be considered "great" was Roy Williams. He went from Kansas to UNC. I do understand Williams' link to UNC, but still the move was surprising. 

I guess Self would've been considered outstanding as well, because he led a B1G team to the final four before going to Kansas. 

It doesn't seem like those type of hirings occur much anymore. 

If you see a "big time" coach move, like Cal to Arkansas, there's usually a reason, like the coach has kind of worn out their welcome at their previous school.

EDIT: I'm sure that I'm missing some. I was just pointing out that these types of moves just don't seem to happen much at all anymore.

[Scotty R 3,682]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:15 PM, Hoosier987 said:

Anyone know why Michael Lewis was that the game this past weekend?

Because he is an alumni and his season is over. That same day they showed numerous former UNC players at their game on Saturday 

[Hoosier987 2,769]

With Dolson, I have a feeling our next coach is going to be someone that’s not on these hot board lists 

[Trish 14,477]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:35 PM, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

I can't believe Jay Wright would even be contacted. 

He's in the same boat as Stevens IMO. You reach out and make them say no thanks. Worth a call. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 11,887]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:37 PM, Trish said:

He's in the same boat as Stevens IMO. You reach out and make them say no thanks. Worth a call. 

I don't see it that way at all. Jay Wright has zero connections to Indiana, he's 63 yrs old, and is in the same boat as Billy Donovan... there is zero motivation for him to come to Indiana. I think Billy D and Jay Wright are completely far fetched and Tony Bennett almost being in that group, but he's still only 55. 

[Stuhoo 89,543]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:33 PM, Hornsby said:

Either way he had alot more experience and a track record to look at. Some of you want to turn over a program with the top nil in the big ten to a guy with one year of d1 experience.

Sent from my SM-A146U using Tapatalk
 

I'm probably going to be sorry I am asking, but in an effort to "take one for the board" I'll give it a shot:

Given that you think that a bunch of guys are beneath IU's status, which attainable coaches are you good with as the next hire?

Note ... I said attainable! So not Drew, Pearl, Oats, Golden, Self, etc.

[GloryDays 6,224]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:07 PM, Henryville Hoosier said:

Just plant some corn around the building. 

And build him a fancy house next to a hog operation.Corn and hogs, Iowa recreated.

[Magnanimous 5,362]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:36 PM, Silat Player said:

The last hire that would be considered "great" was Roy Williams. He went from Kansas to UNC. I do understand Williams' link to UNC, but still the move was surprising. 

I guess Self would've been considered outstanding as well, because he led a B1G team to the final four before going to Kansas. 

It doesn't seem like those type of hirings occur much anymore. 

If you see a "big time" coach move, like Cal to Arkansas, there's usually a reason, like the coach has kind of worn out their welcome at their previous school.

EDIT: I'm sure that I'm missing some. I was just pointing out that these types of moves just don't seem to happen much at all anymore.

Not at all. But because they still happen with some regularity in college football people are expecting the same in basketball. It’s a new era, folks.

[Trish 14,477]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:38 PM, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

I don't see it that way at all. Jay Wright has zero connections to Indiana, he's 63 yrs old, and is in the same boat as Billy Donovan... there is zero motivation for him to come to Indiana. I think Billy D and Jay Wright are completely far fetched and Tony Bennett almost being in that group, but he's still only 55. 

I think we'll see Tony back in basketball again, just not on the D1 level perhaps. 

[Ghost of Rick Majerus 1,962]

We are in a transitional period in college basketball. Most of the seasoned guys with past success have either retired, at the end of their careers or just aren't moving.  That means the pool of national level "proven" coaches available is few to none.

So what does that mean? You have to identify talent and potential. The resources and fan support are there. You just have to find someone who is capable. It's no insult that you aren't pulling in a major P5 coach. Why would a coach leave a P5 gig they are having success at? It's the new norm now. But I also think it's a huge opportunity. This is Indiana's chance to find the next Coach Knight from Army, Calhoun from Northeastern, Jay Wright from Hofstra. And I think we will. 

 

 

[BGleas 9,029]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:32 PM, Hoosier82 said:

I wander what a McCollum hire does for NIL.  I would assume Dolson is telling every candidate what they would have available next year.  

Why would it change based on the candidate? Like, is a donor giving $5M to NIL if the hire is Stevens, $1M if it's Cronin and $500K if it's McCollum?

That seems weird. I get giving different amounts for the salary, but giving to NIL seems like you either want to support the program or you don't. 

[Artie86 3,495]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:33 PM, Trish said:

Dolson isn't touching that. Dolson is a clean face kind of guy, probably wants someone who wouldn't hurt a fly. Will Wade will pay someone to hurt a fly. 

....I'll do it for free! I hate flies! lol

[lillurk 5,126]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:38 PM, Stuhoo said:

I'm probably going to be sorry I am asking, but in an effort to "take one for the board" I'll give it a shot:

Given that you think that a bunch of guys are beneath IU's status, which attainable coaches are you good with as the next hire?

Note ... I said attainable! So not Drew, Pearl, Oats, Self, etc.

some folks think

1. the on-court product is frustrating,

2. The coach is the problem,

3. Only a proven coach can fix us, but

4. IU won’t hire a proven coach.

If that’s the case I don’t know why they remain a fan let alone spend any time being grumpy on a message board.

[DougJr74 276]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:04 PM, Ghost of Rick Majerus said:

Brad Brownell enters the chat again

 

Edited March 12 by DougJr74

[Scotty R 3,682]

  On 3/12/2025 at 2:28 PM, Magnanimous said:

Exactly. Duke, UNC, Kentucky, and Louisville have all been in the same situation as us for their most recent coaching searches. And I think all of those programs would give a hard look at McCollum right now if they were hiring this cycle. 

So has Syracuse and Villanova. Miami and FSU just hired guys with no college HC experience