Indiana coach Mike Woodson is stepping down from his position at the end of this season, deciding to leave the school on his own terms. The 66-year-old coach, who has faced criticism over the past two years due to underperforming teams, made this choice after the Hoosiers missed the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time since Woodson took over in 2021-22. They are also at risk of missing the tournament again this season.
“He said it had been weighing on his mind for a while, and that it was an emotional and difficult decision,” said athletic director Scott Dolson in a statement. Dolson added that Woodson made the decision clear during a meeting they had Wednesday. “We have had subsequent thoughtful conversations about his decision and his desire to ensure that the program is in the best position it can be moving forward.”
Woodson did not comment after the announcement.
Indiana (14-9, 5-7 Big Ten) is heading into their game on Saturday against Michigan after losing four straight games and six of their last seven. The Hoosiers were expected to finish second in the Big Ten at the start of the season.
The news comes just days after Indiana struggled against No. 21 Wisconsin, falling behind early by a 26-4 deficit. This performance led Woodson to question his team’s mental toughness.
Woodson now faces Dusty May, the first-year coach of Michigan, who was once a student manager at Indiana and a disciple of Bob Knight. May also grew up in southern Indiana.
Woodson expressed frustration with his team during a recent interview. “We have a game like we did at Purdue where we really competed for 40 minutes, then we come in here and we lay an egg based on how we started the ballgame,” Woodson said. “You spot teams on the road 20, it’s going to get tough to get back in them. Again, that’s on me, man. We’re pushing and pulling and scraping and just trying to get what we can get. Guys just didn’t step up again tonight.”
The Hoosiers’ struggles come after the athletic department made significant investments in the names, images, and likeness (NIL) deals earlier this year to help Woodson succeed.
Indiana was ranked as high as No. 14 in the Top 25 in late November but was only 65th in the NET rankings heading into Tuesday night’s game.
Several missteps have hurt the team’s chances this season. Indiana lost a late lead in a home game against Maryland and another lead at rival Purdue. In that game, Woodson said he couldn’t get guard Myles Rice’s attention to call a timeout as Rice rushed up the court with less than 10 seconds left. Rice ended up turning the ball over, leading to Purdue’s game-sealing free throws. Then came the tough loss to Wisconsin.
These continued mistakes have led to fans chanting for Woodson’s removal at home games.
Mike Woodson (NCAAB)Dolson hopes the early announcement of Woodson’s decision will calm things down. “It’s clear to me from our discussions in the last several days that his No. 1 priority is for the attention to be off him and instead focused on uniting Hoosier Nation in support of our student-athletes, coaches, and, most importantly, the program,” Dolson said.
“We want to encourage Hoosier fans to rally around the program and support it in the same positive way that Hoosier fans did during Mike’s All-America and Big Ten MVP playing career.”
Woodson was hired in 2021 to revive the program and heal the divide among fans still upset about the firing of Bob Knight in 2000. Knight did not return to Assembly Hall until February 2020, and Knight passed away in November 2023.
Woodson started strong, posting back-to-back 20-win seasons in his first two years, leading the Hoosiers to their first NCAA Tournament win since 2015 by beating Wyoming in a play-in game in March 2022. Indiana also won their first-round game against Kent State in March 2023.
However, heading into this weekend, Woodson has a 77-49 record over four seasons with no Big Ten titles and no Sweet 16 appearances.
“During the last four years, he has led the program during a transformational time in college athletics and helped us become a national leader in evolving areas including NIL and the transfer portal,” Dolson said. “No one loves IU Basketball more than he does. I want to thank him for coming back to Bloomington and accepting the challenge of rebuilding our program and re-connecting it with its past and its foundation.”
Before joining Indiana, Woodson spent his entire coaching career in the NBA, with a record of 315-365 in nine seasons, including stints with the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks.
