General Coach Candidate News

[Hoosier Guy 8,333]

2 minutes ago, IUHAHN81 said:

Everyday when I get home from work, the 1st thing my wife asks me is, "Any news on Brad?" It's like DAMMIT women, the wound is still open!!!!!! Let me heal!!!!!!

Same.  My wife tells me I’m obsessed with this entire situation.  I give her the “it’s only a hire that will determine if IU is good at basketball ever again” explanation.  It’s a valid explanation.

[Home Jersey 15,657]

5 minutes ago, VFury said:

https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2025-02-18/ucla-mens-basketball-story-mick-cronin-500th-win-milestone

Doesn't exactly sound like the guy we've been painting the picture of wanting out of UCLA.

It doesn't, but keep in mind it's written by the LA Times... A few things that caught my eye... don't think he'd have a problem winning over our fanbase talking like this... 

 

"Having compiled a 499-231 record in 22 seasons, Cronin, 53, would become the youngest active Division I college basketball coach with 500 victories should his team prevail. Cronin likes to say he’s chasing banners, not wins.

Rather than reiterate that he’s not leaving UCLA or disarm the question with his mantra that he loves living in L.A. because he “turns left on Sunset” Boulevard, Cronin talked about the unforgiving nature of fans.

“I would say some people might be happy because some people are probably on [message] boards wanting me fired,” Cronin said with a laugh when asked what he would tell UCLA fans concerned about seeing him listed as a candidate for the Indiana job on message boards.

“And I’m being dead serious. Your popularity rating when you’re a coach, you have to check your ego — they booed [Arkansas coach] John Calipari at Kentucky, OK? You know what he did there? … So I’m well aware that I might be on a board for a job, but my board, somebody might want me to lose my job and I know I’m laughing, but I’m being serious, man. We get our @$$ beat Tuesday [against Minnesota], go ahead and check our boards.”

[raorIU 401]

3 hours ago, OKHOOSIER said:

That was a weekly occurrence in McNutt.  

Happened four times in one night. I was sick as hell and just flat out refused to leave my room for the fourth one. Turns out there was an actual fire, in the room one floor up from mine. They were pissed at me. I had to write an apology to the head guy (dean?) in charge of McNutt. Lame.

[hoosierbannerd 3,479]

1 hour ago, 68Hoosier said:

I was trying to get student section named based on the potential coaches but no one had any suggestions.

Like Cronin's Corner or the BS student section.  I know these suck but I was trying.

 

If it's an all male section for Cronin, it could be "Mick's D*cks!"...

[HoosierHoopster 8,188]

37 minutes ago, woodenshoemanHoosierfan said:

I've never been much of a hockey, maybe because I never took the time to understand it, but man that game gave me the chills. I was 15 at the time and hearing the chants of USA at the end of the game and Michaels' call is one of my favorite sports moments of all time.

"Do you believe in miracles" is right there with Jack Buck's "Go Crazy Folks" and "I can't believe what I just saw" as my favorite all time calls.

I was a HS hockey player at the time, that was such a memorable moment in time, and they were legit amateur- college athletes, not pros, and made it through the best for that win. Genuinely amazing 

[Trish 14,463]

57 minutes ago, IUHAHN81 said:

Let's revisit the reasons why Dolson forced Woody into retirement mid season if he didn't feel comfy that he had his replacement. Just to shut fans up? Surely it wasn't to give heads up to the all the ADs to negotiate a contract extension with their current coaches. So if he didn't feel good he had someone locked up, im left to assume it was literally done to shut the fan base up with all the boos etc. Right or way off?

The timing is interesting. It could be settle the fan base. The boo's were getting very loud at home games. Perhaps Woodson did indeed "retire", I highly doubt it though but that could explain the timing.

Or maybe it's announced now so coaches can start putting feelers out to Indiana letting them know, -- hey, let's talk. 

 

 

[JustWinBaby 1,921]

I was told we'd be seeing a Brad Stevens-to-Indiana announcement yesterday, what happened?

On a serious note, I'm willing to hold out hope he may come and there's a lot going on behind the scenes we aren't privy to. I see and hear rumblings in various places that the Stevens saga isn't over. Only time will tell I guess. Odds are we've still got 6+ weeks to go before we'll know much of anything for certain.

However, I'm super stoked about Dusty May and I don't think that anyone should feel like it's a significant step down from Brad Stevens. If anything, we're more likely to be winning games with more immediacy given that Dusty is a *current* college coach and Stevens would be making a stark adjustment (yes he's done the job before, but that was 10+ years ago).

Also, I gotta say it's pretty funny seeing how everyone went from "if it's Cronin I'm out" to "I'm warming up to Cronin" in a span of about 72 hours. I guess throwing names around like Buzz Williams, Brad Brownell, and Mark Turgeon is having the intended effect haha

[Trish 14,463]

Just now, JustWinBaby said:

I was told we'd be seeing a Brad Stevens-to-Indiana announcement yesterday, what happened?

On a serious note, I'm willing to hold out hope he may come and there's a lot going on behind the scenes we aren't privy to. I see and hear rumblings in various places that the Stevens saga isn't over. Only time will tell I guess. Odds are we've still got 6+ weeks to go before we'll know much of anything for certain.

However, I'm super stoked about Dusty May and I don't think that anyone should feel like it's a significant step down from Brad Stevens. If anything, we're more likely to be winning games with more immediacy given that Dusty is a *current* college coach and Stevens would be making a stark adjustment (yes he's done the job before, but that was 10+ years ago).

Also, I gotta say it's pretty funny seeing how everyone went from "if it's Cronin I'm out" to "I'm warming up to Cronin" in a span of about 72 hours. I guess throwing names around like Buzz Williams, Brad Brownell, and Mark Turgeon is having the intended effect haha

The Cronin talk is just silly. I've been around the guy, he's not the guy you want for the job. He's not a Dolson guy, that's for damn sure. 

[JustWinBaby 1,921]

Just now, Trish said:

The Cronin talk is just silly. I've been around the guy, he's not the guy you want for the job. He's not a Dolson guy, that's for damn sure. 

Yeah I don't see him ever being the guy here, just screams "bad fit" to me. We don't need another bad fit like Archie.

[rcbowla 8,234]

10 minutes ago, Home Jersey said:

It doesn't, but keep in mind it's written by the LA Times... A few things that caught my eye... don't think he'd have a problem winning over our fanbase talking like this... 

 

"Having compiled a 499-231 record in 22 seasons, Cronin, 53, would become the youngest active Division I college basketball coach with 500 victories should his team prevail. Cronin likes to say he’s chasing banners, not wins.

Rather than reiterate that he’s not leaving UCLA or disarm the question with his mantra that he loves living in L.A. because he “turns left on Sunset” Boulevard, Cronin talked about the unforgiving nature of fans.

“I would say some people might be happy because some people are probably on [message] boards wanting me fired,” Cronin said with a laugh when asked what he would tell UCLA fans concerned about seeing him listed as a candidate for the Indiana job on message boards.

“And I’m being dead serious. Your popularity rating when you’re a coach, you have to check your ego — they booed [Arkansas coach] John Calipari at Kentucky, OK? You know what he did there? … So I’m well aware that I might be on a board for a job, but my board, somebody might want me to lose my job and I know I’m laughing, but I’m being serious, man. We get our @$$ beat Tuesday [against Minnesota], go ahead and check our boards.”

Self-awareness..... from a HC? Weird

[IUHoosier5 2,148]

Someone super young who hasn’t been mentioned yet: Digger Phelps. 

[Truthhurts 367]

Given 1) Drew seems like such a uniquely perfect fit for Baylor 2) he does not at all seem like a fit for IU, and 3) he just turned down Kentucky, I just don’t see it happening. 
 

He’s a hell of a coach and he’d have success at IU, and I’m not saying the odds are 0 because idk what Baylor’s NIL situation looks like, but it just doesn’t make sense to me. 
 

Dusty snd Cronin both seem far more likely. 

Edited February 18 by Truthhurts

[VFury 624]

16 minutes ago, Trish said:

The Cronin talk is just silly. I've been around the guy, he's not the guy you want for the job. He's not a Dolson guy, that's for damn sure. 

Not to mention the huge buyout. It's just not gonna happen.

[TTT 1,330]

IU doesn’t need another bald head coach back to back.

[MrBBall 973]

1 minute ago, TTT said:

IU doesn’t need another bald head coach back to back.

You’re a follicleist. 

[HoosierX 1,776]

1 hour ago, Ryno6284 said:

I thought Joe Hillman was a Woody guy?

I'm sure he was at some point. He gives off a real "not in my backyard" vibe.

[Pagoda 4,338]

38 minutes ago, Chris007 said:

I thought someone said his wife wasn’t supportive of the move to Lexington is the reason he stayed at Baylor. They couldn’t find a church they liked. I think he’s a home run hire but a little too religious for me but I’ll support him if he’s the guy. 

I don't know the exact reason, that could be it. 

Someone told me in Waco he built a huge house (are those called compounds down there?  zing!) where they have broader/extended family living with them.  They seem entrenched in that town and school in a way we can't replicate.  If Brad had three other votes to deal with, Scott may have 10+!  Admittedly there are no public details on his house, so I have to trust the person I heard this from.

He would be a very good hire -- he knows how to win big.  Fit just doesn't seem likely.

 

[KNOBYDOX 288]

March 2 doesn’t work for me. Brad will just have to change the date to the third.

[HoosierHoopster 8,188]

5 minutes ago, TTT said:

IU doesn’t need another bald head coach back to back.

Wait, what??!!

As a, uh, thinning hair guy, I take personal offense! 

[Chris007 62,079]

36 minutes ago, Hoosier Guy said:

Same.  My wife tells me I’m obsessed with this entire situation.  I give her the “it’s only a hire that will determine if IU is good at basketball ever again” explanation.  It’s a valid explanation.

I get that too. My wife says you know their not hiring a coach for another month put your phone down.