Top 10 Realistic Hires for Indiana Basketball

On this list, we are going to act like Brad Stevens doesn’t exist because he has a high-paying, less stressful job than this one.

10. Josh Schertz, Saint Louis

The distance from Terre Haute to Bloomington is just 61 miles, although it becomes a bit longer if you detour past the Gateway Arch. Schertz has made a name for himself as a coaching star by leading Indiana State to a remarkable 32-win season, an NIT final appearance, and a regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title. He maintains a relatable style on the bench while employing a sophisticated strategy on the court. Indiana would welcome Schertz in their Cream and Crimson colors. He moved on from the Sycamores to be the Head Coach at St.Louis, which is more of a lateral move from Indiana State, so I am sure he would have some interest in being a Hoosier.

9. Rick Pitino, St. Johns

Pitino is a winner, and he has done it everywhere he’s been, from Providence to Kentucky, Louisville, Iona, and now St. Johns. He comes with as much baggage as any coach could have; if you hire him, hide your secretaries! But Pitino will make you a winner in short order. The question is, would it be worth winning with him?

8. Dusty May, Michigan

May was a student-manager under Coach Knight at Indiana, he led Florida Atlantic to a Final Four appearance and now in less than a season he has turned around the fortunes of the Michigan Wolverines. Would he be willing to move on after just one season in Michigan? I put Coach May this low because I think the Hoosiers probably missed the opportunity to get him last season.

7. Steve Forbes, Wake Forest

He achieved a winning record in over 90% of his junior college games at Northwest Florida State, not impressive enough for you? He led East Tennessee State to five consecutive seasons with 24 or more wins, earning two bids to the NCAA Tournament. His last three teams at Wake Forest all won at least 19 games, and this year’s team is on track to reach that milestone in the coming weeks. No matter where he coaches, he consistently finds success. His teams play an attractive style of basketball, and he is personable and approachable. This coaching scenario would be a great fit. I know a lot of Hoosier fans will say, who? But Forbes is the real deal.

6. Greg McDermott, Creighton

One of the best coaches in the country that people don’t talk enough about, McDermott has led the Bluejays to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four years and has won a March Madness game in each of the past four seasons. He has amassed 618 wins as a head coach and is one of the best offensive minds in basketball, not to mention he’d fit the Indiana fan base well. He’s doing this a Creighton and unlike the past decade of Indiana teams his offense is imaginative, and his players can shoot the rock.

5. Bruce Pearl

Pearl has Indiana roots as he was the Head Coach at southern Indiana University for a decade, he has been great everywhere he has been, He ranks this low because of his age and his possible buyout at Auburn.

4. Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls

Billy Donovan was the last coach to win back-to-back national championships for nearly 20 years, until Dan Hurley achieved this feat at UConn in the past two seasons. Donovan also led his teams to two additional Final Four appearances and three trips to the Elite Eight before transitioning to the NBA. At 59 years old, he guided the Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs in each of his five seasons there. However, his time with the Chicago Bulls has not been as successful; he has only made one playoff appearance in four years and currently has a 22-30 record this season. Some might argue that the ownership situation in Chicago has contributed more to these challenges than Donovan’s coaching. Additionally, if Donovan were to return to college coaching, he would have to navigate transfer portal regulations and NIL responsibilities that weren’t present when he left Florida in 2015.

3. Ben McCollum, Drake

McCollum won four NCAA Division II championships at Northwest Missouri State before accepting the head coaching position at Drake in the spring of 2024. In his first season at the Division I level, he has experienced great success and, at just 43 years old, seems to have a promising future ahead. The question now is whether he has proven enough to be a serious candidate for the Indiana job, do Hoosier fans look at him as another Archie Miller? Then again, he is much more qualified that Mike Woodson was at the time he was hired.

2. Chris Beard, Ole Miss 

A disciple of Bob Knight and a proven winner, Chris Beard is one of the most talked-about candidates in the coaching search. If offered the position, he would likely accept it. The main question is whether Indiana’s administration would be willing to hire Beard after his controversial exit from Texas in 2022. The 51-year-old was fired following a felony domestic violence charge for allegedly strangling his fiancée, although the charges were dropped in February 2023. Beard first gained attention by leading Arkansas-Little Rock to the NCAA Tournament in a 30-win season in 2016. He then became the head coach at Texas Tech, where he led the Red Raiders to three NCAA Tournaments in five years, including a run to the national championship game in 2019. The resume is not the question, the question is can the Indiana administration move past the domestic abuse charge? Ole Miss has and they now look like they could make a deep run into Match this season behind the guidance of beard.

1. T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State

If I were in charge of Indiana and could hire any coach in the country right now, I would choose this 47-year-old coach. He is a dedicated and hardworking individual who has done an incredible job at Iowa State. This season, his team has a record of 17-5, has the potential to reach the Final Four, and is currently ranked eighth in the nation. As a Midwest native, he has successfully built one of the top programs in college basketball, and his teams consistently play with a high level of intensity and effort. A high-level of intensity and effort is something that has not been seen in Bloomington in a long time.