Mike Woodson could replace Tom Crean at Indiana

Submitted by Cold War on

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24483476/report-mike-woodson-could-replace-tom-crean-at-indiana

The New York Daily News reports that if Knicks coach Mike Woodson gets canned, he could get the job at Indiana. Not the Pacers, but the Hoosiers, who lost in the first-round of the Big Ten tournament Thursday and could look to replace coach Tom Crean.

Mike Woodson is a long shot to survive the anticipated purge at MSG. However, he may have a job lined up sooner than later. According to a source, Woodson would be a top candidate at his alma mater, Indiana University, if current coach Tom Crean does not return. The source claims that several prominent IU boosters are pushing to buy out Crean and install Woodson, a product of Indianapolis, as the coach.

Woodson, according to a team source, has been resigned to the fact that this would be his last season with the Knicks even before last Friday, when the Daily News first reported that Madison Square Chairman James Dolan had offered Phil Jackson a front-office job. Jackson has said on numerous occasions that he is no longer interested in coaching.

ypsituckyboy

March 14th, 2014 at 4:40 PM ^

Why would it be a stupid move? Crean has made, what, 2 NCAA tourney's in 6 years and flamed out last year with two lottery picks on his team? And I know people will talk about the sanctions, blah blah blah. But this is Indiana you're talking about. You can pull elite talent, fairly easily, year in and year out. Crean has done that, but he just isn't performing.

lazyfoot10

March 14th, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^

Izzo has been just fine without him. Dwyane Wade took them to that Final Four, not Crean. Sure they won the B1G, but by a hair and then they flopped in both tourneys. They have MASSIVELY underachieved this year.

He makes no halftime adjustments and his teams turn the ball over and can't read a zone.

He's a bad coach.

YoOoBoMoLloRoHo

March 14th, 2014 at 7:11 PM ^

Lots of Marquette boosters were frustrated with his lack of adjustments. They were very pleased with Buzz Williams' coaching - and that's quite a commentary.

I cannot imagine Crean handling social events very well and his teams are not disciplined. IU boosters must be frustrated.

TheNema

March 14th, 2014 at 9:50 PM ^

Watch the games instead of quoting misleading results. IU is horribly coached and underachieve. Even last year with their lottery pick talent, they played like they had never seen a zone in their life vs. Syracuse even though they had five days to prep for it.

Crean is bad. The proof can be accrued with your eyes.

Come On Down

March 14th, 2014 at 4:14 PM ^

Woodson seems like a guy who would only stay 2-3 years then jump back to the NBA at the first opportunity. I support replacing Crean but IU is a destination job in college basketball and they should get someone who will stick around for a while. 

Gulogulo37

March 15th, 2014 at 12:54 AM ^

Well, that's often how pro coaches seem to work. If a guy's spent most of his career in the NFL, NBA, etc., that's generally where he prefers to be. Look at a guy like Bill O'Brien. No one expected that guy to stay at the college level. Having said that, I don't know Woodson's history.

michiganman01

March 14th, 2014 at 4:15 PM ^

but why would IU kick him out. He turned the program around, got them to the S16 in 2012, got them an outright title in 2013 and another S16. I know this year has been bad, but they lost a lot of close games but they have great talent coming back if Yogi stays (which he should).

JimBobTressel

March 14th, 2014 at 4:37 PM ^

They were bounced out of the sweet sixteen with two of the top 4 selections in the 2013 NBA Draft.

For comparison's sake, another coach that had 2 1st round NBA draft picks (in the top 25 selections) in 2013 went to the national championship game and nearly won it. You may know of him. 

 

There is no excuse for blueblood IU basketball to backslide and miss the NIT like they have this year. For comparison's sake, imagine your favorite, blueblood football team going 7-6 and gettin bounced out of a crap bowl game.

Oh...wait...

ypsituckyboy

March 14th, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^

Basketball is BY FAR the easiest major sport in which to reload with talent. Have one good recruiting crop and you can be sweet during their freshman year. That's why talk about sanctions or IU sucking when Crean arrived is stupid. Tom Crean has brought in blue chip talent, he just hasn't coached that talent very well. No excuses.

Yeoman

March 15th, 2014 at 1:35 AM ^

Fact check time. Just curious how the peer group fares. Sweet 16 or worse in bold.

 

  • 2001 Michigan State (#5, #19)-final four
  • 2002 Duke (#2, #3)-regional semifinal
  • 2004 Connecticut (#2, #3)-champion
  • 2005 North Carolina (#2, #5, #13, #14)-champion
  • 2006 Duke (#5, #11)-regional semifinal
  • 2006 Memphis (#16, #17)-regional final
  • 2007 Ohio State (#1, #4)-runner up
  • 2007 Florida (#3, #7, #9)-champion
  • 2007 Georgia Tech (#12, #19)-first round
  • 2008 UCLA (#4, #5)-final four
  • 2008 Stanford (#10, #15)-regional semifinal
  • 2009 Wake Forest (#16, #19)-first round
  • 2009 Louisville (#11, #14)-regional final
  • 2009 North Carolina (#13, #18)-champion
  • 2010 Kentucky (#1, #5, #14, #18)-regional final
  • 2010 Kansas (#11, #12)-second round
  • 2011 Kansas (#13, #14)-regional final
  • 2012 Kentucky (#1, #2, #18)-national champion
  • 2012 North Carolina (#7, #12, #13)-regional final
  • 2012 Connecticut (#9, #12)-first round
  • 2013 Indiana (#2, #4)-regional semifinal

So it happens. The only coach that's had it happen in the last 14 years with top-end talent as strong as Crean's was Krzyzewski, although I've got to say that Calipari losing to Huggins in the regional final with four top-20 picks (W Va had two second rounders and a future pro in the Phillipines) was every bit as bad. Calhoun finishing 9th in the Big East with Andre Drummond and Jeremy Lamb should get honorable mention, too. No, it should get first prize.

By itself I'm not sure this is an indictment of Crean--at least he won a conference title. Almost as bad as Calhoun and Krzyzewski doesn't get you fired.

Some other stuff might, though. The alums I talk to aren't too fond of him, I'll say that.

 

 

 

MJ14

March 14th, 2014 at 4:38 PM ^

As I mentioned yesterday, he's a terrible in game coach and fans/boosters know it. He also isn't the most likeable guy in the world. Most coaches would get to the sweet sixteen with the talent Crean had last year.

Wee-Bey Brice

March 14th, 2014 at 4:20 PM ^

Tom Crean is a dickhead, that we know. However, that dickhead took the IU job when the IU job wasn't so great. He brought them back to being a respectable program, just last year they were one of the top programs in the country with multiple NBA draft picks. Why would IU can him at this point?

ESNY

March 14th, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^

One of the top programs?  you mean a team with two top 5 NBA picks that couldn't even make the elite 8?  He was gifted Zeller returning for another year (plus all the MJ treatment Zeller got from the refs) and still didn't make the elite 8. 

Sac Fly

March 14th, 2014 at 4:22 PM ^

Mike Woodson went 72-34 his first two seasons, but this season the Knicks front office put together a joke of a roster and made him the fall guy.

If Woodson gets fired or leaves, I wouldn't be surprised either way.

sadeto

March 14th, 2014 at 4:21 PM ^

Who in their right mind thinks Mike Woodson knows how to coach? Last I checked a Carmelo "isolation play" wasn't an option there. 

StephenRKass

March 14th, 2014 at 4:24 PM ^

I don't care what Indiana does. The thing is, for Michigan, this is a win-win situation.

  • If Crean stays, it helps our recruiting in the state of Indiana.
  • If Crean is canned, with the transition, it could well help our recruiting.

Indiana basketball could be in a freefall, especially if their two best players leave for the NBA.