Indiana fires Tom Crean after nine seasons, on heels of NIT exit

Crean led the Hoosiers to two outright Big Ten titles, missed the NCAA Tournament this season

Indiana fired Tom Crean on Thursday after nine years at the school.

“After deliberative thought and evaluation, including multiple meetings with Tom about the future, I have decided to make a change in the leadership of our men’s basketball program,” Indiana athletic director Fred Glass said. “Tom is a good man and a good coach and we owe him a great debt of gratitude for his many positive contributions to Indiana basketball. We wish him well.”

Crean led the Hoosiers to outright Big Ten titles in both 2013 and 2016 -- and is the only Big Ten coach to win multiple outright league titles in the past nine years. But Indiana lost two starters (OG Anunoby, Colin Hartman) to season-ending injuries this season and, as a result, went 7-11 in the Big Ten. Consequently, the Hoosiers missed the NCAA Tournament for the second time in four years -- which led Glass, under pressure from influential boosters, to make this decision.

Crean’s buyout is $4 million.

He led the Hoosiers to three of the past five Sweet 16s.

Sources told CBS Sports that Indiana will pursue A-list candidates from a list that could include Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall, Dayton’s Archie Miller, Xavier’s Chris Mack, Butler’s Chris Holtmann, Virginia’s Tony Bennett, UCLA’s Steve Alford, Baylor’s Scott Drew and Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin. Among the names not expected to emerge: Brad Stevens. The former Butler coach is happy with the Boston Celtics, sources have told CBS Sports, and has no plans to return to college basketball.

“The expectations for Indiana University basketball are to perennially contend for and win multiple Big Ten championships, regularly go deep in the NCAA tournament, and win our next national championship -- and more after that,” Glass said. “We will identify and recruit a coach who will meet these expectations.”