Below is an updated IU basketball 2025 coaching search hot board after more than a week since the program publicly announced it will have a job opening.

We continue to show the candidates in four categories:  Tier 1, Tier 2, other names to know, and the candidates that seem unlikely at this point.  Moves from version 1.0 are noted.

Coaching records through Feb. 15.

Tier 1

These are the candidates where we believe Indiana will have the heaviest level of interest, and there will be enough reciprocal interest to merit a serious pursuit.  They are listed in that order of likely mutual interest.

Dusty May

• Current job:  Michigan head coach
• Age:  48
• Years as D1 head coach: 7
• D1 record: 145-74

With Brad Stevens ostensibly off the board, we suspect Scott Dolson will focus his primary energy on May.  May has demonstrated the ability to turn around a completely dormant program in Florida Atlantic.  He led them to the 2023 Final Four.  And now he is doing the exact job at Michigan that needs to be done at Indiana.  Yes, he’s an IU alumnus, but his resume would be more than enough irrespective of that.  That’s why Michigan hired him.  Some say May won’t consider Indiana because he just took over in Ann Arbor.  But that’s not relevant if he wants to the coach at his alma mater.  The opportunity is there now, and there’s no way to know when it will open up again.

Mick Cronin

• Current job:  UCLA head coach
• Age:  53
• Years as D1 head coach: 21
• D1 record: 499-231

Cronin could almost certainly bring Indiana more success than what they’ve seen over the last decade.  He’s won 27 or more games in five of his last eight seasons, while IU hasn’t won 27 games since 2016.  He also made 11 straight NCAA Tournaments before missing a year ago.  But he reached only one Final Four in that span.  Cronin is a Cincinnati native.  His defenses have generally been better than the offense, but he did boast three-straight KenPom top-25 offenses from 2021-2023.

Scott Drew

• Current job:  Baylor head coach
• Age:  54
• Years as D1 head coach: 23
• D1 record: 480-264

All Drew has done is complete the greatest rebuild in college basketball history.  It reached its completion in 2021, as he led Baylor to its first National Championship and the first Big 12 title in school history.  Entering his 22nd season in 2024-25, Scott Drew is tied as the Big 12’s longest-tenured head coach.  Drew is an Indiana native who coached at Valparaiso and attended Butler.  He has turned down top-tier job opportunities recently, including Louisville and Kentucky last spring.  It’s reasonable to wonder whether he’s at Baylor for good.  But maybe coming back to Indiana means something?

Brad Brownell

(moved up from Tier 2)

Brownell is an Indiana native.  He was a former high school teammate of Calbert Cheaney in Evansville.  He has had Clemson playing at a high level recently, especially on the offensive end.  They went to the Elite Eight in 2024, just upset No. 2 Duke and also beat Kentucky and North Carolina this year.  If you only look at the last three years, Brownell has the resume of a top-tier candidate at a historically difficult place to win.  He has 68-27 (.716) record over that span, and is currently second in the ACC and No. 23 in KenPom.

• Current job:  Clemson head coach
• Age:  56
• Years as D1 head coach: 23
• D1 record: 453-279

Grant McCasland

(moved up from Tier 2)

IU fans might remember McCasland coaching North Texas in 2021 when they upset Purdue in the NCAA Tournament.  Now he has Texas Tech rolling at 20-5 and the No. 7 team in KenPom.  His teams have consistently been among the nation’s best 3-point shooting teams, and the best and guarding the arc on the other end.  He’s a Texas native who has spent his playing and coaching career there.  He could be hard to extract from the Longhorn State, but his resume suggests a heavy pursuit is worthwhile.

• Current job: Texas Tech head coach
• Age:  48
• Years as D1 head coach: 9
• D1 record: 198-93

Tier 2

These are the candidates that certainly have some degree of appeal, and would likely have some level of reciprocal interest.  But there may be more question marks about the prospects in this group for one reason or another.  Shown in alphabetical order.

Chris Beard

Beard is a strong candidate with a Bob Knight connection, but it is difficult to see Indiana overlooking his off court domestic violence incident, even though it was a charge that was dismissed.  He’d clearly be a divisive pick among the fans.  But Ole Miss got comfortable, maybe IU could too.

• Current job:  Ole Miss head coach
• Age:  51
• Years as D1 head coach: 10
• D1 record: 209-91

Mark Byington

(moved up to Tier 2 in this update)

Byington has taken over at Vanderbilt, historically one of the most difficult jobs in the Power 4.  The SEC is the most difficult conference this season by a wide margin, and he has picked up some eye-catching wins, including over Tennessee and Kentucky.  There was report IU football coach Curt Cignetti put in a good word for his former James Madison colleague, although Cignetti denied that claim.

• Current job:  Vanderbilt head coach
• Age:  48
• Years as D1 head coach: 13
• D1 record: 237-145

Chris Collins

(moved up to Tier 2 in this update)

Collins led Northwestern to the program’s first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017.  In total he has produced four 20 win seasons and three NCAA appearances (with a win each time) at a place very difficult to win.  The prior two seasons he won 22 games and finished second and third in the Big Ten, respectively.  He has a great pedigree with his father Doug Collins and time at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski.

• Current job:  Northwestern head coach
• Age:  50
• Years as D1 head coach: 12
• D1 record: 191-186

Todd Golden

(moved down to Tier 2 in this update)

He’s having the kind of year three you look for in a new high major head coach while playing in the nation’s most difficult conference this year.  And Golden’s offense has been KenPom top-12 each of the last two years.  Golden has a wide range of influences, including Randy Bennett at St. Mary’s, Bruce Pearl at Auburn, and Kyle Smith at San Francisco.

• Current job:  Florida head coach
• Age:  39
• Years as D1 head coach: 6
• D1 record: 119-68

Chris Jans

Jans is flying under the radar in Starkville, but doing a solid job at a tough place to win.  He wouldn’t be a sexy pick, but he’ll probably get a big chance somewhere.

• Current job:  Mississippi State head coach
• Age:  55
• Years as D1 head coach: 9
• D1 record: 203-78

Ben McCollum

McCollum might be the closest thing to the Curt Cignetti of basketball.  He won four NCAA Division II national titles in a six year span (2017-2022) at Northwest Missouri State.  And now he has Drake off to a fast start in his first year at D-1.  The only questions — is it too soon to take the risk?  And will he end up at his hometown Iowa sometime soon instead?

• Current job:  Drake head coach
• Age:  43
• Years as D1 head coach: 1
• D1 record: 23-2

Greg McDermott

The longtime head coach at Creighton might not ever leave.  But he could bring some modern, spaced and up-tempo offense to IU.  Defense held his teams back early in his career, but McDermott’s teams have been improved on that end.

• Current job: Creighton head coach
• Age: 60
• Years as D1 head coach: 31
• D1 record: 623-362

T.J. Otzelberger

Otzelberger just signed an extension, so there’s some who believe he’ll be in Ames for the long haul.  But ESPN hinted that extension might have lowered his buyout.  And he’s from Big Ten country (Wisconsin), so there could be appeal.  Otzelberger inherited a 2-22 team and has Iowa State among the nation’s best.

• Current job:  Iowa State head coach
• Age:  47
• Years as D1 head coach: 9
• D1 record: 189-103

Shaka Smart

Smart’s teams play with great energy and there’s something very unique about his program.  He hasn’t brought in a player from the transfer portal since the start of the 2022-23 season.  Smart has had a KenPom top-25 offense for three straight years, and he almost always has a good defense.  It’s very possible he’s quite content at Marquette.

• Current job:  Marquette head coach
• Age:  47
• Years as D1 head coach: 16
• D1 record: 366-178

Buzz Williams

Williams might have one of his best teams this year, and he’s doing it a very challenging conference.  His 20-5 season includes a win over Ohio State, Creighton, Purdue, Missouri, Texas and Texas Tech.  He’s had six seasons of 25 or more wins.  But he’s only made it past the Sweet 16 once in his career — an Elite Eight appearance with Marquette in 2013.

• Current job: Texas A&M head coach
• Age: 52
• Years as D1 head coach: 18
• D1 record: 368-222

Other names to know

• Darian DeVries (West Virginia)
• Pat Kelsey (Louisville)
• Tommy Lloyd (Arizona)
• Bucky McMillian (Samford)
• Porter Moser (Oklahoma)
• Nate Oats (Alabama)
• Bruce Pearl (Auburn)
• Rick Pitino (St. John’s) — moved up from don’t count on it this update
• Micah Shrewsberry (Notre Dame)

Mentioned but don’t count on it

• Steve Alford (Nevada)
• Randy Bennett (St. Mary’s)
• Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls)
• Dennis Gates (Missouri)
• Fred Hoiberg (Nebraska)
• Josh Schertz (St. Louis)
• Brad Stevens (Boston Celtics) — moved here from Tier 1 this update
• Will Wade (McNeese State)
• Jay Wright (retired)

For complete coverage of IU basketball, GO HERE.    

The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

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