Report: Indiana to add former B1G coach to assist with Mike Woodson’s staff

While nothing official has been announced yet, reports continue to build that Indiana is hiring former IU star and ex-NBA head coach Mike Woodson to lead the Hoosiers.

Woodson, a star for the Hoosiers under Bob Knight in the 1970s, has served two head coaching stints in the NBA and is currently an assistant for the New  York Knicks. He has never been a coach at the collegiate level.

As fans wait to see if that does indeed become official, another report has surfaced about an addition to the Indiana basketball staff. According to Gregg Doyel with the Indy Star, Indiana is hiring former Butler, Xavier, and Ohio State head coach Thad Matta.

According to Doyel, Matta’s title will be associate AD for men’s basketball administration. Zach Osterman, also with the Indy Star, reported that Matta’s role and title will not be a countable position, meaning the Hoosiers will still have three assistant coach spots to fill:

IU is hiring former Butler and Ohio State coach Thad Matta as associate AD for men's basketball administration. Matta will assist an IU staff that will be led by new coach Mike Woodson.

— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) March 28, 2021

Matta will not fill a countable position, which means IU will still have three fully fledged assistants that will handle off-campus duties (recruiting, primarily). #iubb

— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) March 28, 2021

While the details may still be a bit murky, it would appear that the addition of Matta would help make up for Woodson’s lack of experience at the collegiate level. Matta is a three-time B1G Coach of the Year and has over 400 wins, including 337 at Ohio State, on his résumé.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.