Darian DeVries will succeed Mike Woodson as Indiana’s head coach, the school announced Tuesday. DeVries just wrapped up his only season at West Virginia and was also in the mix for the opening at Iowa, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.
West Virginia posted a 19-13 (10-10 Big 12) record under DeVries before surprisingly being left out of the NCAA Tournament field on Sunday. However, the Mountaineers’ snub freed DeVries to peruse job possibilities at a time when other hot names on the coaching carousel are busy preparing to lead their teams in the Big Dance.
“This is unquestionably one of the top jobs in America,” DeVries said in a statement. “As someone who grew up in the Midwest loving the game of basketball, I’ve always admired the IU basketball program for its championship-level success, tradition, and fan support. There’s a passion to succeed at the very highest levels both within the Big Ten and in the NCAA Tournament, and that’s a desire that as a coach I share. On top of that, the alignment is there on a department and university level to make that happen. I’m excited for this opportunity and am ready to work relentlessly to assemble a staff and a roster that competes for championships.”
Prior to landing at West Virginia, DeVries had a six-year stint at Drake, where he amassed a 150-55 record and led the Bulldogs to three NCAA Tournament appearances while winning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament twice and the MVC’s regular season crown once.
At Indiana, DeVries, 49, is set to replace Mike Woodson, who announced in February that he would step away from the head-coaching role at his alma mater at the conclusion of the season. Indiana went 19-13 (10-10 Big Ten) play this year and lost to Oregon in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. Like West Virginia, the Hoosiers were one of the final teams left out of the NCAA Tournament field.
Indiana reached the NCAA Tournament in Woodson’s first two seasons as head coach but was left out of the field the last two years, falling short of lofty expectations. Woodson leaves IU with an 82-53 overall record but just a 41-39 mark in conference play.
“We went into this coaching search with some very specific things we were looking for in our next head coach, and Darian emerged as someone who, on paper, met and often exceeded our criteria,” Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in a statement. “Once we had a chance to talk to him, we knew we had the right person. Darian has a plan for building a championship culture that can compete at the highest level on a year-in, year-out basis.”
Indiana’s hiring of DeVries adds insult to injury for West Virginia. The Mountaineers’ NCAA Tournament snub was called a “miscarriage of justice” by West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey. Now, WVU is on the hunt for yet another new coach.
Following an unceremonious ending to coach Bob Huggins’ 16-year tenure in 2023, Josh Eilert held the coaching job as an interim during the 2023-24 season, posting a 9-23 record before the school plucked DeVries from Drake.
“Coach DeVries informed me of his plans to accept the head coaching position at another institution,” West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker said in a statement. “Coach and I had several conversations in recent weeks focused on working together to build on a strong foundation and continue to grow our program. I made it clear to him that WVU is committed to invest in him and provide the resources needed to compete in the Big 12 and nationally. Ultimately, he decided to move on, and I want to thank him for his time at WVU.”
Prior to Drake, DeVries spent 17 seasons as an assistant at Creighton under Dana Altman and Greg McDermott. DeVries’ son, Tucker, was a star on his father’s teams at Drake. He was the Missouri Valley Player of the Year in both 2023 and 2024 but was limited to only eight games this year at West Virginia due to a shoulder injury. If he receives a medical redshirt for this season, he would have one more year of eligibility and could follow his father to Indiana.
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