Mike Woodson pleased with makeup of coaching staff so far – The Daily Hoosier

Mike Woodson didn’t come to Indiana with a ready-made assistant coaching staff or perhaps a group of fellow vacationers seeking to make the identical NBA-to-college transition he was. No one else on Tom Thibodeau’s staff with the New York Knicks was seeking to make the leap from a storied franchise that’s exhibiting a pulse for the primary time in a number of years, presently sitting within the eighth playoff spot within the wide-open Eastern Conference  and subsequently in place to make the playoffs for the primary time since Woodson was head coach in 2012-13.
So far the hires he has made have been considerably apparent, but additionally priceless. He stored Kenya Hunter, who was employed by fired coach Archie MIller and stored on after his firing to be half of the transition. He additionally added Dane Fife, an IU alum who helped the Hoosiers to the nationwide title sport in 2002, and had been engaged on Tom Izzo’s staff at Michigan State for almost a decade.
He’s down to 1 staff place accessible and hopes to fill that quickly. According to sources, one attainable candidate is Yasir Rosemond, who has coached at Alabama, Georgia, Samford, Seattle and Oregon.
He and Hunter had by no means crossed paths, however Woodson acknowledged the necessity to have somebody on staff with familiarity with the present gamers on the roster. It’s additionally helped that Hunter has robust recruiting connections on the East Coast. According to Pittsburgh switch Xavier Johnson, Hunter was integral in his recruitment. Hunter additionally had a relationship with the Stewart household that helped the Hoosiers land Tennessee-Martin switch guard Parker Stewart in December. Keeping Hunter round helped them preserve Stewart on the roster after Miller was fired.

“I had an opportunity to take a seat with him earlier than I employed him,” Woodson advised reporters Friday. “I had an opportunity to have a movie session with him and I had him critique some movie that we had been watching collectively of our ball membership enjoying final yr. I attempted to get some perception of how he thought of sport plans and issues of that nature. He match proper into some issues that I preferred. That’s why I employed him. He had a superb rapport with some of the gamers that had been already right here. That was very significant for me.”
Woodson had by no means labored with Fife, and Woodson’s enjoying profession at Indiana ended 18 years earlier than Fife’s started. But they crossed paths sufficient occasions to get to know one another and to consider they might make it work. Fife, the previous head coach at IPFW, was the affiliate head coach at Michigan State and had been there since 2011. The Spartans went to 5 Sweet 16s, three Elite Eights and two Final Fours in Fife’s time in East Lansing.
“To be capable of convey Dane again was large,” Woodson mentioned. “He’s had an awesome run with Tom Izzo, who I’ve nothing however respect for. I’ve come to know him over time. The means he’s run his program is a testomony to how nice of a coach he’s. For Dane to go away that scenario to return again right here and be keen to work and assist me means quite a bit to me. We’ve simply been round one another a pair of days. I’ve identified Dane from afar and been to group features right here after we’ve come again with the old-timers over time. It’s simply good to have him again right here and be capable of work with me one-on-one in a coaching basketball relationship.”
If Rosemond can be employed he can be the one coach with out a direct Indiana connection, although he coached below former Indiana assistant Bennie Seltzer at Samford. He has not been in Division I coaching since Avery Johnson was let go as head coach at Alabama in 2019 and Nate Oats was employed as his alternative. Rosemond was not retained on Oats’ staff. However, he was half of the staff that led Oregon to the Elite Eight in 2007. He additionally performed at Oregon for 2 years after spending his first two school seasons within the junior school ranks.

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