It's been nine years.
For nine incredibly inconsistent, drama-filled, topsy-turvy seasons, Tom Crean has been the head coach of the Indiana men's basketball program. He walked into an impossible situation in Bloomington in 2008 following the Kelvin Sampson era and restored the Hoosiers to national relevance as a clean program with strong academics. Crean deserves credit for doing so. But Indiana has reached both its ceiling and the end of the road with Crean at the helm.
Crean has led Indiana to a pair of outright Big Ten regular season championships in 2013 and 2016. The Hoosiers have reached the Sweet Sixteen three times during his tenure. Both accomplishments are admirable.
But not enough.
Nor should past accomplishments imply future success.
Setting aside his first three years at Indiana, when the program was still recovering from the depleted state Sampson left it in, the Hoosiers have finished 5th, 1st, T-8th, T-7th, 1st and T-10th. With the right collection of talent, Crean can win a Big Ten championship. Without it, his team is likely to finish in the bottom half of the conference.
In nine years at Indiana, Tom Crean has won 10 total games in the postseason. That includes the Big Ten Tournament, the NCAA Tournament and the NIT. The Hoosiers are 4-9 in their conference tournament, having never won more than one game in a single Big Ten Tournament and making the semifinals just once.
Crean has advanced past the Sweet Sixteen just once in his 18-year career as a head coach, when his Dwyane Wade-led Marquette team made the Final Four in 2003. Sure, two of his Sweet Sixteen exits have come against the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament but he hasn't proven he can lead a program to the tournament consistently, nor deep in March once he gets there. A program with the caliber and expectations of Indiana can't afford to miss the Big Dance twice in the last four seasons.
The last year in which Crean was seriously on the hot seat at the season's end was in 2015. After missing the tournament in 2014, Indiana back-doored its way into the field as a No. 10 seed in 2015 and was bounced in the first round. Crean's job status was in jeopardy but help was on the way.
He had a blue-chip recruit, Thomas Bryant, preparing to enroll at Indiana, while Yogi Ferrell, Troy Williams and James Blackmon Jr. wisely opted to return to school instead of seeking possible professional futures. Soon, Michigan graduate transfer Max Bielfeldt committed to the Hoosiers. Under-the-radar recruit OG Anunoby developed into a critical contributor.
Indiana doesn't have a clear savior on the horizon in its 2017 recruiting class. There is no Thomas Bryant, ready to step in Day One as a starter and change a program's trajectory. Nor is there a high-major transfer sitting out this season, ready to take over the team next year.
As has become a trend in recent years, Indiana's success on the recruiting trail has plateaued at a level far too low, especially for a program that many consider to be a blue blood in the sport. The Hoosiers' 2017 recruiting class is ranked 36th nationally, following classes ranked 22nd, 29th and 22nd, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.
Indiana's offseason is just a day old but it's only a matter of time until the process of roster attrition begins. It's not unreasonable for some combination of OG Anunoby, Thomas Bryant and James Blackmon Jr. to forgo their remaining years of eligibility in favor of professional futures. Collin Hartman may decide to walk away from basketball and not pursue a medical redshirt for his injury this season. Plus, players transfer by the masses every offseason in college basketball.
A talent exodus from Bloomington isn't out of the question this offseason. There was reportedly some level of mutual interest between Crean in Missouri regarding the head coaching vacancy in Columbia. Indiana then declined to host a first round game in the NIT. There's a tenuous relationship between the athletic department, coach and fan base at Indiana.
The signs aren't just on the wall. They're on the ceiling, the floor and everywhere in between. Whether Indiana chooses to fire Crean, he elects to parachute to another school or both sides mutually agree to part ways, the marriage between Crean and Indiana needs to end.
It's been nine years.
And it shouldn't reach a 10th.
For nine incredibly inconsistent, drama-filled, topsy-turvy seasons, Tom Crean has been the head coach of the Indiana men's basketball program. He walked into an impossible situation in Bloomington in 2008 following the Kelvin Sampson era and restored the Hoosiers to national relevance as a clean program with strong academics. Crean deserves credit for doing so. But Indiana has reached both its ceiling and the end of the road with Crean at the helm.
Crean has led Indiana to a pair of outright Big Ten regular season championships in 2013 and 2016. The Hoosiers have reached the Sweet Sixteen three times during his tenure. Both accomplishments are admirable.
But not enough.
Nor should past accomplishments imply future success.
Setting aside his first three years at Indiana, when the program was still recovering from the depleted state Sampson left it in, the Hoosiers have finished 5th, 1st, T-8th, T-7th, 1st and T-10th. With the right collection of talent, Crean can win a Big Ten championship. Without it, his team is likely to finish in the bottom half of the conference.
In nine years at Indiana, Tom Crean has won 10 total games in the postseason. That includes the Big Ten Tournament, the NCAA Tournament and the NIT. The Hoosiers are 4-9 in their conference tournament, having never won more than one game in a single Big Ten Tournament and making the semifinals just once.
Crean has advanced past the Sweet Sixteen just once in his 18-year career as a head coach, when his Dwyane Wade-led Marquette team made the Final Four in 2003. Sure, two of his Sweet Sixteen exits have come against the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament but he hasn't proven he can lead a program to the tournament consistently, nor deep in March once he gets there. A program with the caliber and expectations of Indiana can't afford to miss the Big Dance twice in the last four seasons.
The last year in which Crean was seriously on the hot seat at the season's end was in 2015. After missing the tournament in 2014, Indiana back-doored its way into the field as a No. 10 seed in 2015 and was bounced in the first round. Crean's job status was in jeopardy but help was on the way.
He had a blue-chip recruit, Thomas Bryant, preparing to enroll at Indiana, while Yogi Ferrell, Troy Williams and James Blackmon Jr. wisely opted to return to school instead of seeking possible professional futures. Soon, Michigan graduate transfer Max Bielfeldt committed to the Hoosiers. Under-the-radar recruit OG Anunoby developed into a critical contributor.
Indiana doesn't have a clear savior on the horizon in its 2017 recruiting class. There is no Thomas Bryant, ready to step in Day One as a starter and change a program's trajectory. Nor is there a high-major transfer sitting out this season, ready to take over the team next year.
As has become a trend in recent years, Indiana's success on the recruiting trail has plateaued at a level far too low, especially for a program that many consider to be a blue blood in the sport. The Hoosiers' 2017 recruiting class is ranked 36th nationally, following classes ranked 22nd, 29th and 22nd, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.
Indiana's offseason is just a day old but it's only a matter of time until the process of roster attrition begins. It's not unreasonable for some combination of OG Anunoby, Thomas Bryant and James Blackmon Jr. to forgo their remaining years of eligibility in favor of professional futures. Collin Hartman may decide to walk away from basketball and not pursue a medical redshirt for his injury this season. Plus, players transfer by the masses every offseason in college basketball.
A talent exodus from Bloomington isn't out of the question this offseason. There was reportedly some level of mutual interest between Crean in Missouri regarding the head coaching vacancy in Columbia. Indiana then declined to host a first round game in the NIT. There's a tenuous relationship between the athletic department, coach and fan base at Indiana.
The signs aren't just on the wall. They're on the ceiling, the floor and everywhere in between. Whether Indiana chooses to fire Crean, he elects to parachute to another school or both sides mutually agree to part ways, the marriage between Crean and Indiana needs to end.
It's been nine years.
And it shouldn't reach a 10th.