The search is over.
On Sunday, March 28, Indiana University made it official that former Hoosier All-American and Big Ten MVP, Mike Woodson, will be the 30th head coach of the Indiana men’s basketball program.
His message to Hoosier nation: he’s happy to be home.
“I’ve done pretty much everything I ever wanted to do in basketball,” Woodson said. “To be able to circle back, come back home and coach Indiana University basketball, means a great deal to me.”
A star player at Broad Ripple, Woodson played under Bob Knight at IU from 1976-80, so he understands first hand what it means to represent the Cream and Crimson. He was the team’s leading scorer and an All-American on the 1979 NIT championship team. In his first press conference Monday, he paid tribute to his former head coach saying Knight took a chance on him and helped grow him as a man.
Woodson pays tribute to his former head coach, Bob Knight, during his first press conference at Indiana University.
After playing for Coach Knight, Woodson went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA. He finished his pro career just shy of 11,000 career points before beginning his coaching career as an assistant coach with Milwaukee in 1996.
Although Woodson has never coached at the collegiate level, his Hoosier story and 25 years of coaching experience in the NBA are what appealed to IU Director of Athletics, Scott Dolson, when he hired him.
When it comes to recruiting players, Woodson said one thing that makes him unique is that as a former Hoosier, he’s relatable.
“I honestly believe I can go in a kids home and be able to relate because of what I’ve gone through and my career, and I have a story to tell,” Woodson said. “If that kid’s willing to listen, and he buys into my story, I think I can get him to come to Indiana University.”
Part of his story is that he plans to bridge the gap between old and new generations of Hoosiers in an attempt to restore the rich Hoosier traditions.
Woodson speaks of his goal to bridge the gap between old and new Hoosiers. Ultimately, he wants to bring back the Indiana basketball tradition of dominance while keeping up with the times.
For IU, this homecoming may be the key to make the storied program relevant again. Many experts of the program, including Indiana legend Christian Watford and Assembly Hall’s long-time P.A. announcer Chuck Crabb, agree with Dolson’s hire.
Watford’s brother is currently playing for LSU’s men’s basketball program. So, from a brother’s perspective, he likes the fact that Woodson has NBA coaching experience.
“As a former player, and having a brother that’s playing collegiate basketball, as far as recruiting, you want to hear that,” Watford said. “Every kid in America wants to go play at the next level, so hearing it from somebody who has coached in the next level for 25 years, it’ll be big.”
For Crabb, who watched Woodson in each stage of his basketball career, he’s ready to welcome the Hoosier home.
“He learned to play by the rules, and lived by the rules under Bob Knight,” Crabb said. “So let’s put a staff together and start getting after it.”
