Indiana has tapped Mike Woodson to become the school’s new men’s basketball head coach, according to multiple reports on Sunday afternoon. The hire will bring the former Hoosiers star back to Bloomington for his first job at the collegiate level.
Woodson is reportedly finalizing a six-year contract with his alma mater, per ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. An official announcement from Indiana is expected to come later today.
The new gig will pull Woodson away from the NBA where he’s spent the entirety of his coaching career. For the last two seasons, the 63-year-old has served as an assistant for the New York Knicks, but he boasts vast experience around the league.
Woodson entered the coaching ranks in 1996 with the Bucks and went on to stints with the Cavaliers, the 76ers and the Pistons. He earned his first NBA head coaching job with the Atlanta Hawks in 2004, turning the group into a playoff team just three seasons after the organization went 13-69. Woodson then went on to his first stop as an assistant with the Knicks before becoming the franchise’s head coach in 2012.
In nine full years at the helm in the NBA, Woodson holds an overall record of 315-365.
Knicks assistant Mike Woodson is finalizing a six-year contract to become the coach at his alma mater Indiana, sources tell ESPN. Formal announcement expected today. Woodson was a Hoosiers star under Bob Knight.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 28, 2021
Woodson clearly has the necessary credentials to coach basketball anywhere, given his success at the professional level. However, his lack of experience at the collegiate level has left many questioning if he’ll be able to manage on the recruiting trail.
Indiana did make another move to quell concerns from the program’s fanbase, bringing former Ohio State coach Thad Matta on staff. The 53-year-old also has ties to the state and will become an associate athletic director for men’s basketball administration for the Hoosiers. Many expect Matta to provide crucial guidance to Woodson about how to navigate the complexities of college basketball.
Time will tell if Woodson can make an impact at Indiana, or if the Hoosiers just set the men’s program back even further.
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