Below is an updated IU basketball 2025 coaching search hot board after more than two week since the program publicly announced it will have a job opening at the end of the season.
The first two weeks have brought meaningful changes, as two of Indiana’s perceived top targets have made moves to take their names out of contention for the job.
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 earlier versions are noted.
Coaching records through Feb. 21.
Tier 1
With the two candidates we suspect Indiana wanted the most seemingly off the board, version 3.0 broadens and flattens Tier 1.
Some candidates have been moved up to Tier 1 on this update, and everyone is listed in alphabetical order.
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.
Brad Brownell
(moved up from Tier 2 in version 2.0)
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
Mick Cronin
- Current job: UCLA head coach
- Age: 53
- Years as D1 head coach: 21
- D1 record: 499-232
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: 480-265
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?
Grant McCasland
(moved up from Tier 2 in version 2.0)
McCasland just wins. Google him. 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: 198-94
Ben McCollum
(moved up from Tier 2 in version 3.0)
The clear favorite from the probably still too unproven but wow look at the incredible track record ranks. While this is his first year at the Division I level, all he has done previously is win 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? Would his approach translate with highly ranked and paid players? And will the Iowa City native end up at his hometown Iowa sometime soon instead? McCollum is worthy of a very close look.
- Current job: Drake head coach
- Age: 43
- Years as D1 head coach: 1
- D1 record: 24-3
T.J. Otzelberger
(moved up from Tier 2 in version 3.0)
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 multiple national commentators have mentioned Otzelberger as a good fit in Bloomington. 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 with a KenPom top-10 defense each of the last four years. He went 29-8 last year and won the Big 12 Tournament. He is on a similar trajectory in 2025.
- Current job: Iowa State head coach
- Age: 47
- Years as D1 head coach: 9
- D1 record: 190-103
Buzz Williams
(moved up from Tier 2 in version 3.0)
Williams might have one of his best teams this year, and he’s doing it a very challenging conference. His current season includes wins over Ohio State, Creighton, Purdue, Missouri, Texas and Texas Tech. He’s had six seasons of 25 or more wins. Williams has a peculiar resume with lateral moves from Marquette to Virginia Tech to Texas A&M after five to six year stays. He’s in year six at A&M. It’s reasonable to wonder what he could do with elite talent and resources. Williams’ best NCAA success was way back in 2011-13 with Marquette, when he made the Sweet 16 three straight years, with one Elite Eight.
- Current job: Texas A&M head coach
- Age: 52
- Years as D1 head coach: 18
- D1 record: 368-223
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 an arrest 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: 209-92
Mark Byington
(moved up to Tier 2 in version 2.0)
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: 237-146
Chris Collins
(moved up to Tier 2 in version 2.0)
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. Very few coaches have done more with less. He has a great pedigree with his father being NBA coaching great Doug Collins and long time at Duke under legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski.
- Current job: Northwestern head coach
- Age: 50
- Years as D1 head coach: 12
- D1 record: 192-187
Todd Golden
(moved down to Tier 2 in version 2.0)
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. He was recently cleared of an off-court incident that raised some eyebrows.
- Current job: Florida head coach
- Age: 39
- Years as D1 head coach: 6
- D1 record: 120-68
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. He’s been to the NCAA Tournament five times in the last seven years at low profile schools with difficult paths to the Big Dance. And Jans appears to have Mississippi State head back in 2025. His MSU teams have not shot the three ball well, which could be a turnoff given IU’s recent history.
- Current job: Mississippi State head coach
- Age: 55
- Years as D1 head coach: 9
- D1 record: 204-78
Greg McDermott
The longtime head coach at Creighton might not ever leave. But he has been mentioned some during this search. And he could bring some modern, spaced and up-tempo offense to IU. He had four-straight sub- .500 teams at Iowa State — a place where Fred Hoiberg and Otzelberger had no trouble flipping the switch. Defense held his teams back early in his career, but McDermott’s teams have been improved on that end. With 31 years as a head coach, how motivated is McDermott to jump into this high profile job?
- Current job: Creighton head coach
- Age: 60
- Years as D1 head coach: 31
- D1 record: 623-363
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, but his resume speaks for itself. Smart is worthy of a very close look.
- Current job: Marquette head coach
- Age: 47
- Years as D1 head coach: 16
- D1 record: 367-179
Other names to know
- Darian DeVries (West Virginia)
- Dennis Gates (Missouri)
- Pat Kelsey (Louisville)
- Tommy Lloyd (Arizona)
- Bucky McMillian (Samford)
- Porter Moser (Oklahoma)
- Nate Oats (Alabama)
- Bruce Pearl (Auburn)
Mentioned but don’t count on it
- Steve Alford (Nevada)
- Randy Bennett (St. Mary’s)
- Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls)
- Fred Hoiberg (Nebraska)
- Dusty May (Michigan) — moved here from Tier 1 this update
- Rick Pitino (St. John’s) — moved here from other names to know this update
- Josh Schertz (St. Louis)
- Micah Shrewsberry (Notre Dame) — moved here from Tier 3 this update.
- Brad Stevens (Boston Celtics) — moved here from Tier 1 in version 2.0
- Will Wade (McNeese State)
- Jay Wright (retired)
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