Indiana finally got their man or should I say, they finally got their man and their back up man. On Sunday it was announced that the Hoosiers had finalized a 6-year deal with former Hawks and Knicks head coach Mike Woodson who played at IU for Bobby Knight from 1976-80.
They also announced that they were hiring former Ohio State, Xavier and Butler head coach Thad Matta as an associate athletic director for men’s basketball administration.
Now just last week it was reported that Matta had been offered the head coaching job but failed to pass his physical. Now a week later he’s hired as an associate athletic director for men’s basketball?
The great thing about growing up in the hood is that I can spot a hustle getting out of the car with a hoodie on and sunglasses down the street at midnight with no street lights.
Mike Woodson is a great hire because he’s got 25 years of coaching experience, played at IU and he’s from Indianapolis. Therefore, he understands the game, the program and the state. He’s only the third person of color to lead the program in Bloomington joining Mike Davis and Kelvin Sampson. He’s the first Indiana alum hired as head coach since Lou Watson took over after Branch McCracken in 1965.
Therefore, the initial fanfare of it all is easy for the fan base to get behind. He’s an IU guy coming home.
But why was Thad Matta hired? Is he the back up plan once the good ole boys down there get tired of Woodson? Matta was their choice after Boston Celtics head coach and Indiana native Brad Stevens turned them down. However, Matta wasn’t physically ready to take the position right now.
Indiana is known for running coaches out of town that the boosters and fan base don’t like. Look at what happened with Sampson. In less than two seasons with the Hoosiers he had the best winning percentage in program history and they ran him out of town because of some text messages. A rule that was equivalent to J-walking at the time and isn’t even a rule anymore.
Oh and by the way, he’s got Houston in the Elite 8 right now.
Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! After they couldn’t find a coach and players started bouncing, six in all at this point, they had to get someone in place ASAP before the ship completely sank. Mike Woodson is a great appetizer because he played for Bobby Knight and he could at least keep the fans at bay for now.
The real question is, will they give him a legitimate chance to turn the program around or will they look for reasons to get rid of him once Matta’s able to pass the physical?
Giving Matta that position allows him to understand everything going on within the program in the event he has to take over. It’s an easy transition plan when they’re ready to run Woodson out.
The program is in shambles at this point. It’s going to take more than a few years to turn it around. He’s got to rebuild the current roster and then lay a foundation for recruiting the future of the program. That isn’t going to be done overnight and he’s going to need time. Will they be willing to give it to him?
The kids he’s about to start recruiting don’t know anything about Mike Woodson as a former Hoosier. They haven’t seen an IU program that’s a winner. All they’ve ever seen is the best kids in the state with the exception of a couple leave the state to follow their hoop dreams.
Now he’s got to convince them to stay at home and ball out in front of their friends and family. However, he’s got to do all of that while constantly looking over his shoulder because Thad Matta is sitting in the cut. Stop me when I start lyin’!