These are the stages I’ve observed on the IU message boards regarding the Mike Woodson hire as head basketball coach. They start in denial and proceed through several stages to delusion which is home territory for the IU fan base. Of course, there were plenty of counter-opinions, but these provide the majority flavor of the message boards through the entire hiring process. Expect the delusional stage to move to the forefront and dominate for many months until they loose the next game to Purdue.
DENIAL
Some talk on BTB that he (Mike Woodson) might be the guy. One of the posters said from what he’s heard, we will be very let down if they hire this so called person.
IU at least needs to hire someone who resembles current events.
This would be a total dumpster fire hire.
Is there a time limit for how long a dumpster fire can burn? seems IU is pining for the record.
I’d rather hire Steve Alford than Mike Woodson. At least we know what we’ll get from him.
Not sure I love the idea of hiring a 62 year old coach who has never recruited. Also he doesn’t bring the name recognition to today’s youth.
Laying Wood!!! I like it!
Yes it is. Career 46% win percentage. If he were a good coach, he would have gotten another gig after the Knicks. Would he be considered a candidate if he weren’t an IU alum? Absolutely not.
He knows nothing about recruiting and in college that’s 75% of the game. He would be a terrible hire even if he weren’t 62 years old. If we are going to hire someone old it might as well be Beilein who has had actual success as a coach and some it at this level.
How has hiring "Michigan Men" worked out for Michigan football?
I like him. But I'm with you. He's not close to what we need now. 15 year's ago ..possibly.
The program will be officially dead if Woodson is hired. He hasn’t been a head coach in the NBA in seven years.
Even though he’s 62, he’s still fairly spry. He doesn’t use a cane much anymore, and his memory-care nurse doesn’t need to be with him 24/7. Other than his ear horn, he’s pretty good for an old guy.
I can't believe this is what the discussion is in 2021. If we're truly looking at hiring Mike Woodson to save IU, we're well and truly screwed. Let's hope this is just message board nonsense run wild and Dolson has a better plan.
Woodson has to be the worst candidate on the list. Blows my mind some people would actually entertain it.
Hiring Woodson would be an awful decision on Dolson’s part. And I don’t want to hear the comparisons to Juwan Howard. He inherited an elite program from John Beilein and hired Phil Martelli as his lead assistant. Woodson has no college coaching experience, no track record of developing a program, an identity, a culture, etc. He hasn’t ever had to recruit, either.
He may get it based on the fact that it doesn’t appear like many people want this job?
Pitino would be the best choice. And who cares if he brought in prostitutes for the players or paid them $$$$ or whatever else he is alleged to have done? Indiana is not hiring a priest. This is the real world, and it is all part of the college basketball business. So let's stop with the moral posturing. The only people who care about this stuff are the anal retentive religious types who embrace puritanical values publicly while living other lives privately. Hire Rick Pitino. He is a proven winner and brilliant coach. All the rest is irrelevant. This is a business, not a religious order.
Banners and Bangin. Titles and Titties. Trophies and Trollops. Hire Pitino NOW. FF’s
I don't love the Woodson idea. I'd get behind it, but it's a huge risk. And what if it doesn't go well? We turn on Woody? Half of IU fans have no idea who he is. His NBA and Indiana connections are great, and he's always struck me as a good guy. But he's never coached/recruited college ball before. Too risky.
Newsflash: IU has been in a “restart mode” for 6 seasons now and have been “just another program” for 3 decades. I don’t see how the stars all align with the magical hire of an IU guy.
I’m not sure why you locked in on Mike Woodson as the only guy worth considering but it would be a disaster hire. If it’s an IU guy, at least get someone who knows the grind of recruiting and managing in a very different environment than the NBA.
If you want to see how Woodson would do at IU check out Patrick Ewing’s record at Georgetown.
LOL - no recruit today has the faintest idea who Woodson is. They'll listen to that spiel and give it as much thought as they do their grandpa spouting off about the good ole days during Sunday dinner before his nap. I cannot believe people actually think this is a good idea. Dear lord this fanbase deserves every bit of criticism it gets.
If Mike Woodson hadn't played college basketball at IU, would you still want him to be the next head coach at IU?
I want a coach who can build and establish a winning culture at the collegiate level, not a coach whose main selling point is being a <.500 NBA retread coach once upon a time. It's worked (so far) for Howard at Michigan. But he's the exception, not the rule.
The other side of that is that there isn’t anyone in the NBA with Woodson’s level of NBA experience who would give the IU job a 2nd look.
I guarantee you Woodson would be a disastrous hire and make Archie look like Knight in comparison.
I’d be happy about Bruce Pearl. Good coach, recruiter, and has charisma. He’s a little shady but what’s the worst that could happen? We get banned from the Tournament?
Woodson terrible choice- never recruited in college and need someone who can go out of Indiana for this. He also has never been a head coach. Too long of a learning curve.
Bottom half of league for a long time.
I'm not going to lie: I would prefer somebody else. But, if Woodson's the hire, then I'm all in -- until and unless he gives me reason not to be.
Loved Woodson as a player but this has desperation written all over it. Oh well, they can do it again in 4 years but I don’t think I’d approach the dude that bought Archie out for the buyout this time. lol
Woodson interviewed for the job four years ago and after he was turned down; did absolutely nothing to up his resume. He's technically a worse candidate than he was four years ago.
I think if it is Mike, the deal would be done before now. No one wants the job.
REALITY - Oh, My God!
And it's going to be Mike Woodson. Have seen several different people in the last couple of minutes saying that it's EXPECTED his hiring will be announced this coming week.
I’m now officially done with IU. Bye Bye
This hire SUCKS. And waiting this long and letting the base think it could’ve been better made it worse for US, for Dolson, for Wood, etc. this hiring process was a complete FAILURE.
When it comes to Indiana basketball you can't fix stupid. 20 years of absolute bullshit and we hire a 63 year old with no college coaching or recruiting experience and hasn't won squat anywhere. And then we try and copy Michigan by hiring Matta to help out. Dumb and dumber are in charge. The basketball program should be on comedy central because it has become nothing but a joke!
Yes, a massive challenge....but that will be for any future coach with our expectations. We just need a coach that has high enough standards to reach our expectations.
I don't think there's a single IU fan that is excited by this. I'm still an IU fan and will still cheer for the team, but this is pretty underwhelming.
I wish him all the success in the world. I don’t expect that to be the case though. Oh well, now I can put away those pesky dreams of greatness for IU men’s basketball.
Scott Dolson was at the bar, went right for the hottest girl there, got rejected then went straight for the drunk fat chick.
He'll be on social security soon. Hopefully that will offset the buyout when he's fired in 2 years.
REALITY - Make the Best of it.
We have a woody!
Everyone who has read any of my post this is who I wanted. This day is awesome. Mike Woodson is going be a grand slam and IU is back!!!
Mike Woodson would be a great hire as the next Indiana head basketball coach.
AMEN BROTHER! Hire him in an instant!
I definitely had Woodson at the top my list - I really feel his coaching record was not remotely correctly interpreted...
Today is about embracing a group of people, tapping into them as a resource, and allowing the culture which they helped build under Coach to be restored. This is about more than a coach, or a coach and his staff. This will be a FAMILY effort,
I'm letting it soak in a bit first, but (even with the negatives) this is the first time I haven't been knee-jerk bummed on IU coach hiring day. It's a bold, maybe crazy move by Dolson, but I think it's going to work well for a short-ish tenure. Maybe it sets things up really well for the long term though by re-establishing culture/identity for ensuing coaches.
With the Matta angle, and if he can bring in a really strong staff, at least it's outside the box, instead of boring like hiring Alford or something. At minimum it's at least creative. The big problem will be that we have a head coach that has never recruited a day in his life, so if he can't bring back the team and somehow convince some good transfers to come in, I don't think fans will give him a pass on a bad first year.
Woodson could attract some transfers. Let’s say you are a guy who has had college success and is a very good player. But currently not considered as a viable NBA prospect. Maybe go play for a guy who clearly understands what it takes to get there.
So many haters tells me this was an absolute home run hire!!!!!! Now let’s go get some guys that WANT to play
I don’t think it matters if Woodson was the last guy on the list. He is the one who said yes! That all that matters. The group of fans that keep crying get and IUGuy well. We did. Thank God it wasn’t Steve Alford! I have to say at first I was like what! But I am warming up to this hire. A lot of up side.
Experienced both as a player and a coach at the highest level. From Indy and knows what it all means. Gets it. I love this hire.
Thad on board as a bball OG makes this very exciting. I wanna see how our team looks next year. They should be able to put together a great team from the jump with the transfers and immediate playing time. Enough parents of these kids love Thad and Woody. I am excited.
Woodson on being the head coach at Indiana: "It's a dream come true."
Woody can tell recruits exactly what they need to do to get to the league. He knows. He's coached the best of the best. He's played in the league. Gonna be fun to watch the haters disappear.
Woodson is going to galvanize the family. He gets the fans and will fit right in. The last three bozos couldn’t hold his jockstrap at the cleaners.
Archie had no fire. Woodson will correct that. Rebuild the culture. Will bring an offensive mentality without neglecting a sound defense. If you're unhappy or if you wanted someone else, get over it. Woodson is going to surprise. He's not going to accept the mediocrity of the past few years. I'll bet the naysayers will be back shortly. Watch IU arise. Enjoy the ride. This is going to be fun again.
Time to move forward. Pretty exciting news.
The guy knows how to coach. If Woodie had been coaching a winning franchise there wouldn't be any doubt. The fact that he dramatically improved the offensive ability of both teams speaks volumes. He is a Indy guy which will help with recruiting.
I am in the excited department. It plays on many levels. NBA Coach mixed with others who have recent legit credibility. Maybe we all see things differently but the list of NBA All Stars that Woodson has coached? That resonates in a living room. Sure we all want a Stevens hire....but it didn't happen.
He’s certainly better than anyone other than Sampson, and he brings tons of goodwill and none of the drama.
I think it is a great hire. Stevens would have been the home run. But I’ll take Woodson over all of the others mentioned.
I give the Woodson hire an A-. It is personal for him, and former IU greats, and he will have the gravitas needed given his NBA chops. It will translate to HS kids and he'll get the right assistants in place.
Mike Woodson = Captain Kirk. Thad Matta = Mr. Spock. The potential is there, folks.
Winning cures all. Many people don't like the hire, and that's fine. I'm squarely on the fence. All Woodson needs to do is bring in players and win. If he does that, all will be well.
I slept on this.....Frankly, I was somewhat optimistic yesterday with Woodson/Matta....Today, I am getting pumped about IU basketball again....starting with hiring hungry assistant coaches....and getting the recruiting process moving. My impression arrow is pointing this way^^^^^^^^!
It looks like Dolson is building a basketball program, So Matta can over see daily operations! Mike will put a team of assistant coaches together and I hope one is a shooting coach! By November we all will like our basketball program! Oh yeah, people please quit posting about Dane Fife!
Purdue fans have no right to criticize any IU hire until they can finally get back a final 4. I mean It's been almost a half century.
Mike will be able to relate to these kids ... he played on the streets of Indianapolis, fought through four years of tough Big Ten play to be one of 5 players who have scored over 2,000 points ... and then carved out an 11 year NBA playing career and has stayed in the coaching ranks for almost 25 years in the NBA (which chews players and coaches up).
Frankly I applaud Dolson for the guts to go down a different route. IU has tried all other avenues and they've all crashed and burned so going back to the roots makes sense in some regard.
Woodson is a good hire. IU players from the past want to be involved and that can only help.
I would put this on par with any of my choices that aren't Brad Stevens. I think his NBA experience is going to be huge on the recruiting trail. Kids might not know who he is, but once someone tells them, they will be impressed. He has a reputation as a great developer of talent and lots of NBA guys will attest to that. I don't have an opinion as to his ability with x's and o's, but if he is lacking (and he may not be), then Matta is more than capable of filling that gap. I like it.
I hope Woody brings in Knight occasionally to consult with and to observe practice now and then. If Knight is still lucid enough. Woody has a good relationship with one of the greatest coaches in college history and I'd expect him to take advantage of that.
Seriously, Mike Woodson and Thad Matta together might just transcend our expectations and the conventional wisdom that goes with it.
It may turn out to be a bad choice but as an IU fan I'm really happy for Mike Woodson. No way I could ever be disappointed. Be assured he'll give it his best and appreciate he's going to try.
All in all I'm very happy for Woody and I know he'll coach/recruit his heart out to to bring Indiana back.
This is a great move. Woody alone is great... but Woody and Thad? Incredible hoops horsepower. Very smart people with a proven record of success at the pro and college levels I'm excited to see where this goes.
The national media also claimed Archie was a home run hire. You know why? They aren’t the brightest bulbs. Woodson is a better hire than Archie and most of the national media will miss that. He’s also the best coach IU has hired since Knight (Sampson would have been, but he can’t follow rules). He wasn’t one of my top choices, but he should be successful and stabilize the program.
I like the idea of Mike Woodson as HC. I know a lot here aren’t thrilled, and there are some unknowns, but after reading more and considering comments others have made here, he really has a good probability to bring IU back to where we all want it. If it’s 8 years or 15 years, I don’t know. But we need somebody who can right the ship, and he is better than the majority of the candidates brought up over these past couple of weeks.
But I've gone from pretty underwhelmed to cautiously optimistic. Woodson is a good coach. He took two terrible NBA franchises to the playoffs. He showed he could win consistently in the NBA. Matta can help him adjust to managing a college program, I hope he keeps Hunter for recruiting and brings in Lewis or Fife, preferably Lewis. Not sure who I'd like to see for the last assistant.
It was time to get the program back to its roots. It’s 15 years late and it hasn’t felt like Indiana basketball in a long time.
I truly believe that's why so many national media clowns are shitting all over this hire. They know Woodson doesn't need them, so they have no problem shitting all over him to get clicks.
I mean, I appreciate the positives people are bringing up, but it still feels like I’m having to talk myself into this being a good hire rather than knowing it’s a good hire. Agreed that we’ll get a pretty quick indicator of where this is going based on what guys he can get back from the current group.
I’m not going to lie and say this was my top choice. I’m going to get behind him though and see where this goes. Until given reason to feel otherwise...My coach is on the floor.
I really hope this works out and IU becomes relevant again. I only have so many years left on this earth. Unless I change my diet.
DELUSION
This hire will be big news because it's Indiana and it's new. Sports writer's love to talk about this. Lots of free pub. What is Indiana doing? Is it like UM? Is this the trend in CB? Will it work? Buckle up guys and gals!
Please be like Howard...please be like Howard...please be like Howard...
If he gets everyone back including TJD he should be in the tournament next year. He needs to be in the tournament by year 2.
He will have Indy locked down. NY loves him - east coast checked. His time with Atlanta should have connections to south.
If Woodson can get TJD, Lander, Franklin, Geronimo and Thompson back into the fold... we can win next season, and finish top 5 in the conference. We were in almost every game this past season. I don’t honestly know much about Stewart, but if we can add a solid transfer or two... we could win a lot of those games that we lost this year.
From and X and I perspective, he's going to be one of the best coaches in the Big Ten. The NBA is far more advanced schematically than college basketball is.
I'm excited to watch him take a 12-15 team with Archie's players and win 20+ games with them. Winning will take care of some of the recruiting.
There is a new Sheriff IN town and his name is Mike Woodson.
We will be in the tournament next year, and we will start making some noise in year two, and will be a top 2 seed in year three.
The guy to get to work on is Trey Kaufman.
If Kaufman was annoyed by Archie, well now we have a coach who knows exactly what a pro with his skill set looks like. That’s something Painter can’t match. They also have a crowded front court.
Maybe we could get Keion Brooks to transfer from UK. He might benefit from a fresh start as much as we would.
Listening to the presser I believe we have hired Gandoff the Great!
It doesn't bother me at all, love the hires, just get good assistants and players. Matta included was a genius move. My God, if we can get good assistants and get back in recruiting soon, it could become a UCLA like dynasty. Both these guys can coach and recruit.
Any shot breaking UCLA win streak of 88 games?
DENIAL
Some talk on BTB that he (Mike Woodson) might be the guy. One of the posters said from what he’s heard, we will be very let down if they hire this so called person.
IU at least needs to hire someone who resembles current events.
This would be a total dumpster fire hire.
Is there a time limit for how long a dumpster fire can burn? seems IU is pining for the record.
I’d rather hire Steve Alford than Mike Woodson. At least we know what we’ll get from him.
Not sure I love the idea of hiring a 62 year old coach who has never recruited. Also he doesn’t bring the name recognition to today’s youth.
Laying Wood!!! I like it!
Yes it is. Career 46% win percentage. If he were a good coach, he would have gotten another gig after the Knicks. Would he be considered a candidate if he weren’t an IU alum? Absolutely not.
He knows nothing about recruiting and in college that’s 75% of the game. He would be a terrible hire even if he weren’t 62 years old. If we are going to hire someone old it might as well be Beilein who has had actual success as a coach and some it at this level.
How has hiring "Michigan Men" worked out for Michigan football?
I like him. But I'm with you. He's not close to what we need now. 15 year's ago ..possibly.
The program will be officially dead if Woodson is hired. He hasn’t been a head coach in the NBA in seven years.
Even though he’s 62, he’s still fairly spry. He doesn’t use a cane much anymore, and his memory-care nurse doesn’t need to be with him 24/7. Other than his ear horn, he’s pretty good for an old guy.
I can't believe this is what the discussion is in 2021. If we're truly looking at hiring Mike Woodson to save IU, we're well and truly screwed. Let's hope this is just message board nonsense run wild and Dolson has a better plan.
Woodson has to be the worst candidate on the list. Blows my mind some people would actually entertain it.
Hiring Woodson would be an awful decision on Dolson’s part. And I don’t want to hear the comparisons to Juwan Howard. He inherited an elite program from John Beilein and hired Phil Martelli as his lead assistant. Woodson has no college coaching experience, no track record of developing a program, an identity, a culture, etc. He hasn’t ever had to recruit, either.
He may get it based on the fact that it doesn’t appear like many people want this job?
Pitino would be the best choice. And who cares if he brought in prostitutes for the players or paid them $$$$ or whatever else he is alleged to have done? Indiana is not hiring a priest. This is the real world, and it is all part of the college basketball business. So let's stop with the moral posturing. The only people who care about this stuff are the anal retentive religious types who embrace puritanical values publicly while living other lives privately. Hire Rick Pitino. He is a proven winner and brilliant coach. All the rest is irrelevant. This is a business, not a religious order.
Banners and Bangin. Titles and Titties. Trophies and Trollops. Hire Pitino NOW. FF’s
I don't love the Woodson idea. I'd get behind it, but it's a huge risk. And what if it doesn't go well? We turn on Woody? Half of IU fans have no idea who he is. His NBA and Indiana connections are great, and he's always struck me as a good guy. But he's never coached/recruited college ball before. Too risky.
Newsflash: IU has been in a “restart mode” for 6 seasons now and have been “just another program” for 3 decades. I don’t see how the stars all align with the magical hire of an IU guy.
I’m not sure why you locked in on Mike Woodson as the only guy worth considering but it would be a disaster hire. If it’s an IU guy, at least get someone who knows the grind of recruiting and managing in a very different environment than the NBA.
If you want to see how Woodson would do at IU check out Patrick Ewing’s record at Georgetown.
LOL - no recruit today has the faintest idea who Woodson is. They'll listen to that spiel and give it as much thought as they do their grandpa spouting off about the good ole days during Sunday dinner before his nap. I cannot believe people actually think this is a good idea. Dear lord this fanbase deserves every bit of criticism it gets.
If Mike Woodson hadn't played college basketball at IU, would you still want him to be the next head coach at IU?
I want a coach who can build and establish a winning culture at the collegiate level, not a coach whose main selling point is being a <.500 NBA retread coach once upon a time. It's worked (so far) for Howard at Michigan. But he's the exception, not the rule.
The other side of that is that there isn’t anyone in the NBA with Woodson’s level of NBA experience who would give the IU job a 2nd look.
I guarantee you Woodson would be a disastrous hire and make Archie look like Knight in comparison.
I’d be happy about Bruce Pearl. Good coach, recruiter, and has charisma. He’s a little shady but what’s the worst that could happen? We get banned from the Tournament?
Woodson terrible choice- never recruited in college and need someone who can go out of Indiana for this. He also has never been a head coach. Too long of a learning curve.
Bottom half of league for a long time.
I'm not going to lie: I would prefer somebody else. But, if Woodson's the hire, then I'm all in -- until and unless he gives me reason not to be.
Loved Woodson as a player but this has desperation written all over it. Oh well, they can do it again in 4 years but I don’t think I’d approach the dude that bought Archie out for the buyout this time. lol
Woodson interviewed for the job four years ago and after he was turned down; did absolutely nothing to up his resume. He's technically a worse candidate than he was four years ago.
I think if it is Mike, the deal would be done before now. No one wants the job.
REALITY - Oh, My God!
And it's going to be Mike Woodson. Have seen several different people in the last couple of minutes saying that it's EXPECTED his hiring will be announced this coming week.
I’m now officially done with IU. Bye Bye
This hire SUCKS. And waiting this long and letting the base think it could’ve been better made it worse for US, for Dolson, for Wood, etc. this hiring process was a complete FAILURE.
When it comes to Indiana basketball you can't fix stupid. 20 years of absolute bullshit and we hire a 63 year old with no college coaching or recruiting experience and hasn't won squat anywhere. And then we try and copy Michigan by hiring Matta to help out. Dumb and dumber are in charge. The basketball program should be on comedy central because it has become nothing but a joke!
Yes, a massive challenge....but that will be for any future coach with our expectations. We just need a coach that has high enough standards to reach our expectations.
I don't think there's a single IU fan that is excited by this. I'm still an IU fan and will still cheer for the team, but this is pretty underwhelming.
I wish him all the success in the world. I don’t expect that to be the case though. Oh well, now I can put away those pesky dreams of greatness for IU men’s basketball.
Scott Dolson was at the bar, went right for the hottest girl there, got rejected then went straight for the drunk fat chick.
He'll be on social security soon. Hopefully that will offset the buyout when he's fired in 2 years.
REALITY - Make the Best of it.
We have a woody!
Everyone who has read any of my post this is who I wanted. This day is awesome. Mike Woodson is going be a grand slam and IU is back!!!
Mike Woodson would be a great hire as the next Indiana head basketball coach.
AMEN BROTHER! Hire him in an instant!
I definitely had Woodson at the top my list - I really feel his coaching record was not remotely correctly interpreted...
Today is about embracing a group of people, tapping into them as a resource, and allowing the culture which they helped build under Coach to be restored. This is about more than a coach, or a coach and his staff. This will be a FAMILY effort,
I'm letting it soak in a bit first, but (even with the negatives) this is the first time I haven't been knee-jerk bummed on IU coach hiring day. It's a bold, maybe crazy move by Dolson, but I think it's going to work well for a short-ish tenure. Maybe it sets things up really well for the long term though by re-establishing culture/identity for ensuing coaches.
With the Matta angle, and if he can bring in a really strong staff, at least it's outside the box, instead of boring like hiring Alford or something. At minimum it's at least creative. The big problem will be that we have a head coach that has never recruited a day in his life, so if he can't bring back the team and somehow convince some good transfers to come in, I don't think fans will give him a pass on a bad first year.
Woodson could attract some transfers. Let’s say you are a guy who has had college success and is a very good player. But currently not considered as a viable NBA prospect. Maybe go play for a guy who clearly understands what it takes to get there.
So many haters tells me this was an absolute home run hire!!!!!! Now let’s go get some guys that WANT to play
I don’t think it matters if Woodson was the last guy on the list. He is the one who said yes! That all that matters. The group of fans that keep crying get and IUGuy well. We did. Thank God it wasn’t Steve Alford! I have to say at first I was like what! But I am warming up to this hire. A lot of up side.
Experienced both as a player and a coach at the highest level. From Indy and knows what it all means. Gets it. I love this hire.
Thad on board as a bball OG makes this very exciting. I wanna see how our team looks next year. They should be able to put together a great team from the jump with the transfers and immediate playing time. Enough parents of these kids love Thad and Woody. I am excited.
Woodson on being the head coach at Indiana: "It's a dream come true."
Woody can tell recruits exactly what they need to do to get to the league. He knows. He's coached the best of the best. He's played in the league. Gonna be fun to watch the haters disappear.
Woodson is going to galvanize the family. He gets the fans and will fit right in. The last three bozos couldn’t hold his jockstrap at the cleaners.
Archie had no fire. Woodson will correct that. Rebuild the culture. Will bring an offensive mentality without neglecting a sound defense. If you're unhappy or if you wanted someone else, get over it. Woodson is going to surprise. He's not going to accept the mediocrity of the past few years. I'll bet the naysayers will be back shortly. Watch IU arise. Enjoy the ride. This is going to be fun again.
Time to move forward. Pretty exciting news.
The guy knows how to coach. If Woodie had been coaching a winning franchise there wouldn't be any doubt. The fact that he dramatically improved the offensive ability of both teams speaks volumes. He is a Indy guy which will help with recruiting.
I am in the excited department. It plays on many levels. NBA Coach mixed with others who have recent legit credibility. Maybe we all see things differently but the list of NBA All Stars that Woodson has coached? That resonates in a living room. Sure we all want a Stevens hire....but it didn't happen.
He’s certainly better than anyone other than Sampson, and he brings tons of goodwill and none of the drama.
I think it is a great hire. Stevens would have been the home run. But I’ll take Woodson over all of the others mentioned.
I give the Woodson hire an A-. It is personal for him, and former IU greats, and he will have the gravitas needed given his NBA chops. It will translate to HS kids and he'll get the right assistants in place.
Mike Woodson = Captain Kirk. Thad Matta = Mr. Spock. The potential is there, folks.
Winning cures all. Many people don't like the hire, and that's fine. I'm squarely on the fence. All Woodson needs to do is bring in players and win. If he does that, all will be well.
I slept on this.....Frankly, I was somewhat optimistic yesterday with Woodson/Matta....Today, I am getting pumped about IU basketball again....starting with hiring hungry assistant coaches....and getting the recruiting process moving. My impression arrow is pointing this way^^^^^^^^!
It looks like Dolson is building a basketball program, So Matta can over see daily operations! Mike will put a team of assistant coaches together and I hope one is a shooting coach! By November we all will like our basketball program! Oh yeah, people please quit posting about Dane Fife!
Purdue fans have no right to criticize any IU hire until they can finally get back a final 4. I mean It's been almost a half century.
Mike will be able to relate to these kids ... he played on the streets of Indianapolis, fought through four years of tough Big Ten play to be one of 5 players who have scored over 2,000 points ... and then carved out an 11 year NBA playing career and has stayed in the coaching ranks for almost 25 years in the NBA (which chews players and coaches up).
Frankly I applaud Dolson for the guts to go down a different route. IU has tried all other avenues and they've all crashed and burned so going back to the roots makes sense in some regard.
Woodson is a good hire. IU players from the past want to be involved and that can only help.
I would put this on par with any of my choices that aren't Brad Stevens. I think his NBA experience is going to be huge on the recruiting trail. Kids might not know who he is, but once someone tells them, they will be impressed. He has a reputation as a great developer of talent and lots of NBA guys will attest to that. I don't have an opinion as to his ability with x's and o's, but if he is lacking (and he may not be), then Matta is more than capable of filling that gap. I like it.
I hope Woody brings in Knight occasionally to consult with and to observe practice now and then. If Knight is still lucid enough. Woody has a good relationship with one of the greatest coaches in college history and I'd expect him to take advantage of that.
Seriously, Mike Woodson and Thad Matta together might just transcend our expectations and the conventional wisdom that goes with it.
It may turn out to be a bad choice but as an IU fan I'm really happy for Mike Woodson. No way I could ever be disappointed. Be assured he'll give it his best and appreciate he's going to try.
All in all I'm very happy for Woody and I know he'll coach/recruit his heart out to to bring Indiana back.
This is a great move. Woody alone is great... but Woody and Thad? Incredible hoops horsepower. Very smart people with a proven record of success at the pro and college levels I'm excited to see where this goes.
The national media also claimed Archie was a home run hire. You know why? They aren’t the brightest bulbs. Woodson is a better hire than Archie and most of the national media will miss that. He’s also the best coach IU has hired since Knight (Sampson would have been, but he can’t follow rules). He wasn’t one of my top choices, but he should be successful and stabilize the program.
I like the idea of Mike Woodson as HC. I know a lot here aren’t thrilled, and there are some unknowns, but after reading more and considering comments others have made here, he really has a good probability to bring IU back to where we all want it. If it’s 8 years or 15 years, I don’t know. But we need somebody who can right the ship, and he is better than the majority of the candidates brought up over these past couple of weeks.
But I've gone from pretty underwhelmed to cautiously optimistic. Woodson is a good coach. He took two terrible NBA franchises to the playoffs. He showed he could win consistently in the NBA. Matta can help him adjust to managing a college program, I hope he keeps Hunter for recruiting and brings in Lewis or Fife, preferably Lewis. Not sure who I'd like to see for the last assistant.
It was time to get the program back to its roots. It’s 15 years late and it hasn’t felt like Indiana basketball in a long time.
I truly believe that's why so many national media clowns are shitting all over this hire. They know Woodson doesn't need them, so they have no problem shitting all over him to get clicks.
I mean, I appreciate the positives people are bringing up, but it still feels like I’m having to talk myself into this being a good hire rather than knowing it’s a good hire. Agreed that we’ll get a pretty quick indicator of where this is going based on what guys he can get back from the current group.
I’m not going to lie and say this was my top choice. I’m going to get behind him though and see where this goes. Until given reason to feel otherwise...My coach is on the floor.
I really hope this works out and IU becomes relevant again. I only have so many years left on this earth. Unless I change my diet.
DELUSION
This hire will be big news because it's Indiana and it's new. Sports writer's love to talk about this. Lots of free pub. What is Indiana doing? Is it like UM? Is this the trend in CB? Will it work? Buckle up guys and gals!
Please be like Howard...please be like Howard...please be like Howard...
If he gets everyone back including TJD he should be in the tournament next year. He needs to be in the tournament by year 2.
He will have Indy locked down. NY loves him - east coast checked. His time with Atlanta should have connections to south.
If Woodson can get TJD, Lander, Franklin, Geronimo and Thompson back into the fold... we can win next season, and finish top 5 in the conference. We were in almost every game this past season. I don’t honestly know much about Stewart, but if we can add a solid transfer or two... we could win a lot of those games that we lost this year.
From and X and I perspective, he's going to be one of the best coaches in the Big Ten. The NBA is far more advanced schematically than college basketball is.
I'm excited to watch him take a 12-15 team with Archie's players and win 20+ games with them. Winning will take care of some of the recruiting.
There is a new Sheriff IN town and his name is Mike Woodson.
We will be in the tournament next year, and we will start making some noise in year two, and will be a top 2 seed in year three.
The guy to get to work on is Trey Kaufman.
If Kaufman was annoyed by Archie, well now we have a coach who knows exactly what a pro with his skill set looks like. That’s something Painter can’t match. They also have a crowded front court.
Maybe we could get Keion Brooks to transfer from UK. He might benefit from a fresh start as much as we would.
Listening to the presser I believe we have hired Gandoff the Great!
It doesn't bother me at all, love the hires, just get good assistants and players. Matta included was a genius move. My God, if we can get good assistants and get back in recruiting soon, it could become a UCLA like dynasty. Both these guys can coach and recruit.
Any shot breaking UCLA win streak of 88 games?
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