Reports started to surface on Thursday afternoon that Indiana head basketball coach Mike Woodson was contemplating stepping down and retiring from his post, potentially leaving the Hoosiers without a head coach of the future.
As corresponding reports rolled in and made a case for this being all but a done deal, it’s quickly become a job opening in which many huge names are bound to be interested.
Naturally, that would make it safe to assume that Big 12 coaches will draw interest from the Hoosiers in some form or fashion, right?
The Indianapolis Star released a “Hot Board” for candidates on Friday, and those assumptions can be validated as not just one or two, but four Big 12 coaches made the list of names Indiana might have reason to contact concerning the job.
Baylor head coach was one of four names to be listed as “home run hires,” although he’s proven difficult to pry away from the Bears by programs of similar ilk.
Among the next “tier” of candidates, you will find Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger. One of the hottest names in college basketball, Otzelberger, was also listed as a candidate for the Virginia job on Thursday.
Next, among the “proven hires,” you will find Grant McCasland, the second-year head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. TTU is currently ranked 13th nationally and has an 18-4 (9-2 Big 12) record heading into the weekend.
Finally, in the names that are at least worth a conversation is first-year West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries. DeVries turned Drake into a regional basketball power during his time in Des Moines, leading the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament three times in six seasons and winning 25 or more games in each of his last four years before taking over at WVU.
Will the Hoosiers lure a Big 12 coach away from their current program, or will they stand pat for another cycle? Let us know what you think in the member forum!
