General Coach Candidate News

[OKHOOSIER 5,893]

13 minutes ago, JimmerNoe said:

The way Goodman was talking and also dropping “I’ve known him for 20 years” insinuates to me that he is privy to that buyout number possibly via private conversation with Otz. I doubt he would pull a specific number out of thin air despite how we all feel about Goodman.

also I think if Goodman is bringing his name up specifically after not really giving him much focus in his initial breakdown of our opening is suspicious that maybe he has talked to him about this 

Or trying to get his boy a raise and Fing with the IU fanbase lol, but I hope you are right.

[RaceToTheTop 31,383]

25 minutes ago, Hoosierfan2017 said:

If our goal is to be Purdue we have a looong way to go to get there. 

And banners to take down.

[Jeff Flabjohns 2,795]

1 minute ago, OKHOOSIER said:

Or trying to get his boy a raise and Fing with the IU fanbase lol, but I hope you are right.

He did just agree to an extension in December. 
His salary is around 3-3.5…we could blow that away and give him allllll the funds he could dream of w/r/t NIL. 
 

He’d be an absolute grand slam hire, but I’m just not gonna get my hopes up. We’re destined to settle for Cronin or even Brownell

[jimsorgi 1,134]

20 minutes ago, JimmerNoe said:

The way Goodman was talking and also dropping “I’ve known him for 20 years” insinuates to me that he is privy to that buyout number possibly via private conversation with Otz. I doubt he would pull a specific number out of thin air despite how we all feel about Goodman.

also I think if Goodman is bringing his name up specifically after not really giving him much focus in his initial breakdown of our opening is suspicious that maybe he has talked to him about this 

Definitely possible, but Goodman has also always been someone who acts like he has better relationships than he really does.

[Jeff Flabjohns 2,795]

Goodman pumping Otz and citing that the buyout was re-negotiated, presumably in Dec, 24, to 4 million does get me excited. 
Maybe there’s real smoke here….

[Jeff Flabjohns 2,795]

It might take me a decade to get over my guy Dusty May roaming the UM sidelines, but with Otz I’d absolutely forget about it

[Hoosierfan1901 8,315]

TJ Ball, yes please

[Solsberryberries 105]

Unpopular to “meh” coaches with the IU fanbase that I think would fit here: (I’ve had to take myself to this mental space because I can’t hold out for Stevens)

-Alford

-Brownell

-Fife

-McCollum

-McCasslin

-McDermott

As people, I think they would do well with the IU fanbase and the Bloomington community.

[Trish 14,502]

23 minutes ago, tyappleg said:

I've watched 2 minutes of TJ Otz on the sideline today and he is a big pant/belt adjuster.  But he is the opposite of Crean, because his clothes are 2 sizes too small rather than 2 sizes too big. 

Yep not good enough then. 
 

Stevens, Pearl, or Beard. 

[Hovadipo 61,603]

32 minutes ago, JPCIVOP said:

If we're getting all the way to taking Brad Brownell seriously, I'd say you just hire Schertz from SLU. Him winning like he did with Indiana State was more impressive than anything Brownell's done. 

Your Schertz Squad membership card is in the mail. 

[woodenshoemanHoosierfan 6,703]

3 hours ago, jimsorgi said:

 

Great album

[VFury 624]

People can't use Brad and Dusty for clicks anymore so they've moved on to the next big name. Now it's Otzelberger's turn to generate attention before saying he's not interested.

[Demo 24,075]

48 minutes ago, Truthhurts said:

Fans significantly overestimate the magnitude of their teams’ pull on coaches, and IU is guiltier of it than any fan base.  Hard to disagree with a word of this piece, other than I prefer Ben over Brad B
 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/dan-wolken/2025/02/22/indiana-basketball-coach-purdue/79441554007/

Actually, other than his most basic premise that a solid guy would do well here, a point USPS makes all the time and I agree with, I think the rest of the article is utter, lazy trash. Including, but not limited to: 1) If you have the resources to reach out to demonstrated elite guys and you don’t that is objectively irresponsible. UK and UL didn’t start with Pope and Kelsey, we know those weren’t their 1st choices, they finished there. And comparing an IU hiring process to Vandy is simply stupid. 2) Other than Stevens, and not reaching out to him would be a straight failure of due diligence, what were the other failed home run hires that resulted in Crean, Miller and Woodson?The Crean process was somewhat elongated because it was such a mess. But the others were perfectly normal and there is literally no evidence at all that either of those hires was the result of wasting time on some unattainable name candidate. Those hires were unsuccessful for completely different reasons. As a matter of fact, the argument he makes here was the exact argument for Archie and I guarantee he was down with that hire at the time. 3) Every fanbase wants a name they know. Every one. Every time. No exceptions. This fanbase is not unique. 4) Brownell was a terrible choice to make his point because he’s a replacement-level coach and they can absolutely do better. So he would be justifiably disappointing. 

[JPCIVOP 699]

1 hour ago, Truthhurts said:

It’s not gonna be Brad. Dusty, via his extension, just turned it down.  Drew turned down UK, so he’s not coming to IU. TJ’s buyout is likely insane. Fans (wrongly) ptobably can’t be sold on Ben M. Beard would be too big of a - ahem - black eye on the university. 
 

Sooooo …criticize all you want, but serious question, why *wouldnt* Brad B be a serious candidate?  Who else exactly is there, realistically, outside of Brad B and Cronin? 

Went back and looked at my list. Even taking away candidates one might call unrealistic, you're still left with the following coaches who are, IMO, ahead of Brownell. Think even Alford is well ahead of Brownell.

 

11. Rick Pitino (Think he would listen. I'd be willing to make Jr. the coach-in-waiting)

 

17. Josh Schertz

 

21. Eric Musselman

22. Buzz Williams

23. Steve Alford

24. Will Wade

25. Chris Jans

26. Shaka Smart

27. Greg McDermott

28. Darian DeVries

 

29. Dennis Gates

30. Chris Collins

[HoosierTrav 8,339]

1 hour ago, Hoosierfan2017 said:

Because we have 20+ years of data on Cronin while McCollum has less than a year of D1 experience under his belt. Maybe he’s becomes a great coach, but why take that risk if Cronin is on the table? At the very least Cronin gets us to the tournament each year which would be a big step in getting IU out of laughingstock territory. 

What are the chances that McCollum somehow stops being elite by going to Indiana? With Indiana’s resources, they can easily provide him with a staff and budget to win right away. 
 

We are taking a chance with this hire no matter what. I’m sorry but the Stevens, May, Drew's, and Self’s aren’t walking through this door. They just aren’t. Neither is Otz. Why? They have everything they need to win championships and make lifechanging money. 

Everyone keeps harping about a “proven coach”…. 
Ben MCollum is 418-94 in his career! 32 wins and 7 losses in TOURNAMENT GAMES!!! People questioned how he would translate to D1….. he’s 24-3 in his 1st season with his D2 guys… the guy can flat out coach. He’s not Archie Miller.

who are the realistic “proven guys”? They’re Beard & Cronin….. we won’t hire beard. 

Water always finds it level and none of these guys are going to somehow become elite by having the Indiana job. If that was the case, then what happened with Tom Crean, Archie Miller, and Mike Woodson? 
 

I’ll take the guy who has proven himself to be elite, at multiple levels. Been a long time since Indiana has had a weapon roaming the sidelines. 

[hoosierdogg 3,333]

42 minutes ago, theriverpilot said:

Either way, I would like the next IU coach to have a full set of eyebrows. :-)

 

[IUHAHN81 3,309]

There's still only one train I'm riding till I'm forced off of it and that's the Stevens train. Period! 

[IUguy77 379]

2 minutes ago, IUHAHN81 said:

There's still only one train I'm riding till I'm forced off of it and that's the Stevens train. Period! 

Well according to Trillys discord there’s some plane activity they are tracking and Stevens was just spotted in Philly. 

[IUBtown 586]

41 minutes ago, Hoosierfan2017 said:

And how much will it cost to buy McCollum out four years from now if he can’t cut it in the Big 10? If we’re at the point where hiring a McCollum or a Brownell is even an option then IU should shut the basketball program down entirely and give everything to football. 

Similar to what it'd cost to fire Cronin. 

[woodenshoemanHoosierfan 6,703]

1 hour ago, IUBtown said:

 looks of a leprechaun. 

So ugly coaches are out? I guess the red nose coach from Ole Miss out