Indiana lost to Georgia Tech in the first round of the NIT on Wednesday. Minutes after the NCAA Tournament tipped off on Thursday, Indiana announced the firing of head coach Tom Crean.
Here is the full statement from Indiana University vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics Fred Glass:
After deliberate 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.
Tom Crean brought us through one of the most challenging periods in IU basketball history, led his players to many success in the classroom and on the court and represented our university with class and integrity.
While winning two outright Big Ten titles in five years and being named Big Ten Coach of the Year, Tom worked tirelessly to develop great young men and successful teams. However, ultimately, we seek more consistent, high levels of success, and we will not shy away from our expectations.
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.
The national search for our new coach begins immediately. The Board of Trustees and the President have expressly delegated to me the responsibility and authority for this search and hire. While I will not be establishing a formal search committee or advisory committee, I will consult with basketball experts around the country and throughout the State of Indiana, including many former Indiana University basketball players.
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. We will identify and recruit a coach who will meet these expectations.
Crean coached the Hoosiers since 2008. He finished with a 166-135 record in Bloomington.
Source: @insidethehall
