Woodson has more than 20 years coaching at the highest level - including 5 seasons as the Hawks head coach and 2.5 seasons as the Knicks head coach. He played more than 10 years in the NBA and has a ring as part of the Pistons 2004 coaching staff. He has earned a reputation for demanding that his players play tough defense, in part because that's the way he was taught to play both in high school and college.
Woodson grew up in Indianapolis and scored more than 2,000 career points at Indiana playing under RMK. If that doesn't make you an "Indiana guy" I don't know what does. But being an "Indiana guy" is probably more important to alumni and boosters than it is for players and recruits.
I don't have the ability to fully articulate the life-long lessons [and coaching lessons] that are learned from playing four years under Knight - either you get it or you don't. He currently works alongside the modern-day NBA version of RMK - Thibodeau. Again, you either get what that entails or you don't. He's bright, hard working, determined, disciplined and loyal. And by all outward appearances, Woodson WANTS the job.
I don't know that Stevens does NOT want the Indiana job, but I'm convinced Stevens is nowhere close to being fully invested in becoming the next Indiana head coach. And I for one don't want to hire someone who only has one foot in the water while keeping the other planted on dry land. You're either all in or all out.
Woodson just turned 63. Who cares? That means he has at least 12 good coaching years in him. I'm sure some of the younger generation will argue that today's high school recruits have no idea who Mike Woodson is, and that's probably true. But until he became the head coach at Misheegan today's high school kids had no idea who Juwan Howard was. And I'm pretty sure you'll never seen Woodson embarrassing the program or the university by acting like he wants to fight a 5-10 opposing coach on the sidelines and then attribute his arrogance and stupidity on being "from Chicago."
While at 63 Woodson currently isn't a household name with today's high school recruits. But at only 63 most of today's high school coaches in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and the rest of the midwest still know who and what Mike Woodson is. He's a damn good coach and straight-shooter who is going to demand that his players give their best.
Mike Woodson would be a great hire as the next Indiana head basketball coach.
Woodson grew up in Indianapolis and scored more than 2,000 career points at Indiana playing under RMK. If that doesn't make you an "Indiana guy" I don't know what does. But being an "Indiana guy" is probably more important to alumni and boosters than it is for players and recruits.
I don't have the ability to fully articulate the life-long lessons [and coaching lessons] that are learned from playing four years under Knight - either you get it or you don't. He currently works alongside the modern-day NBA version of RMK - Thibodeau. Again, you either get what that entails or you don't. He's bright, hard working, determined, disciplined and loyal. And by all outward appearances, Woodson WANTS the job.
I don't know that Stevens does NOT want the Indiana job, but I'm convinced Stevens is nowhere close to being fully invested in becoming the next Indiana head coach. And I for one don't want to hire someone who only has one foot in the water while keeping the other planted on dry land. You're either all in or all out.
Woodson just turned 63. Who cares? That means he has at least 12 good coaching years in him. I'm sure some of the younger generation will argue that today's high school recruits have no idea who Mike Woodson is, and that's probably true. But until he became the head coach at Misheegan today's high school kids had no idea who Juwan Howard was. And I'm pretty sure you'll never seen Woodson embarrassing the program or the university by acting like he wants to fight a 5-10 opposing coach on the sidelines and then attribute his arrogance and stupidity on being "from Chicago."
While at 63 Woodson currently isn't a household name with today's high school recruits. But at only 63 most of today's high school coaches in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and the rest of the midwest still know who and what Mike Woodson is. He's a damn good coach and straight-shooter who is going to demand that his players give their best.
Mike Woodson would be a great hire as the next Indiana head basketball coach.