), Woodson also wondered why there was no statue of his coach, Bob Knight, who won three titles in the building. "Mentally, I'm pushed to coach basketball. That component hasn't and won't be overlooked by Woodson. Finally, sitting in the press room after the game, Woodson let himself crack a smile. Just as he was starting to get serious with the game of basketball, a young Woodson also started to take on jobs to help keep the family afloat, all while trying to keep up at school. (AF) (Actually, that's true too, amazingly. BLOOMINGTON - After Indiana's road loss to Iowa on Jan. 5, Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson called the performance of the referees "bulls---.". KRAVITZ: Was it a different feeling when you got this job than previous jobs in the pros? After its regular week-long, non-televised celebrations, the annual awards ceremony concluded with its main ceremony on Saturday night. 5 University of Arizona on Dec. 10, and thought his team wasn't tough enough in a loss to Rutgers on Dec. 3. After securing a sweep of in-state rival Purdue for the first time in a decade, No. And I honestly thought I could help him make the next move to the big leagues. As their area took on more responsibilities, her role expanded and culminated with experience as a learning specialist, certifying eligibility, and athletic financial aid. 15 Indiana 90-68 on Tuesday night. Unfortunately, the pandemic kept people at home this past season. "I could have stayed in the NBA, I've lived over half my life in the NBA. Chester Woodson was. You have permission to edit this article. Mike Woodson is the answer to IU fans' dreams. In the days leading up to his IU coaching debut, Mike Woodson didnt let his excitement show. "He finally said, 'Well, damn coach, we've been sitting here watching tape and you haven't put anything on there that I've done well.'. And you've got two books by my mentor (Bloomington businessman) Bill Cook, who's no longer with us that owned Cook Incorporated. KRAVITZ: At your age, people are starting to think about boats, golf and retirement. He grew up in inner-city Indianapolis and then spent four years in Bloomington as a great player for Bob Knight. Got a lot of work that needs to be done to get this team back on top. He had already endeared himself with the fanbase during his four-year IU playing career in the 1980's, and his return back to where it all started only strengthened that implicit trust and loyalty. "That's all I know. Michael Dean Woodson is a head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers men's team. And I walked away from that game that day saying, 'If I can hold my own against Wayne Radford, I got a shot at it. I said, 'Hey, man, let's do this together. And if you're wondering what all these (AF) symbols are after every headline and paragraph, it stands for APRIL FOOLS!!!! No longer are fans and pundits askingwhy? The answer, according to Woodson, is actually quite simple. Anitra House first started tutoring IU mens basketball players when Woodson was a freshman in Bloomington. That was huge for me, because it gave me a chance to retool. They came in here and kicked our ass, it was just that simple.. But, boy, that team became a beautiful team to watch over the years. I relate to those guys. Other coaches were mentioned, too. "That's kind of how we got Davis. I know there were a lot of names surfacing about the job. (AF) (Sorry, TJD, just had to do it. There was IU's 66-58 win over No. And we sat there for about an hour and it finally registered. Wayne and I became the best of friends for more than 40 years and never had a hiccup. Woodson had promised his mother and siblings that he would go to IU and get a degree, and he had the intellect to get that done. Against crazy odds, they have all but assuredly secured themselves a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.. How does it fit? "That's the only reason that I'm back. "I feel like I've been around the world, and I've come back (to IU after) 40 years. But Murray answered with a 3-pointer, starting a string of eight consecutive made baskets for the Hawkeyes, at the end of which they led 61-40. But I'd just won an NBA title. "They liked that and they were able to commit to us. (Photo: Peegs.com) Woodson's built-in. A look back at No. My senior year in college I did an internship at the company. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. "I didn't get them all. Born in Indianapolis, Woodson was a star scoring guard under Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight from 1976-80, helping the school average 20 wins per season in his time there before the . How Mike Woodson met Anitra House Two things you have to know about Mike Woodson: his humble upbringing, and his rich loyalty. He had the honor of playing for some of the most decorated coaches in league history including Red Holzman (Knicks) Larry Brown (Nets) Cotton Fitzsimmons (Kings); Gene Shue (Clippers), Don Chaney (Clippers and Rockets). (April 1, 2021, 8 a.m. "So I had to do some damage control I had to start setting up meetings with the parents and the players. Because I know coaching is hard. "I'm not selling it any differently here as the head coach at Indiana University. I get to live the rest of my life like a schnook." WOODSON:"Well, you talk about it but, again, you like to think when they put people in place, they're the right person to get the job done and you root for that person. "I took all my NBA money and I brought it back to Bloomington. Indiana won 87-85 in overtime. Hosted by Grammy . WOODSON: "These books were left over. We've got to win the Big Ten. If you don't come ready to play, you can be beaten by anybody in the Big Ten, let alone just in college in general.". CLASS 4A: Munster: Munster: 61: Merrillville: 55: Lake Central: 70: East Chicago Central: 55: Crown Point: Hobart: 55: Kankakee Valley: 44: Valparaiso: 62: Lowell: 26 . Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. "Every year I'd come back. The folks over at The Bluebird, Bloomington's coolest music place when live music is allowed, asked him to come over and play the sax for a while and just read lyrics. Late in the second half of a game against Michigan State on Saturday, McCaffery stared down Big Ten official Kelly Pfeifer for at least 20 seconds soon after receiving a technical foul. This connection Woodson and IU basketball started to really take shape when he was in sixth grade. Even losing my dad at an early age, I just basically watched him work himself to death, trying to take care of his kids. Now we know just how much IU coveted Stevens.. And there's there's this little Southern Indiana place, population 84,000 if all the students weren't denied admission to campus because of COVID. It spurred a carousel of coaches: Mike Davis, then Kelvin Sampson, Dan Dakich and Tom Crean. I had to tell them what was on my heart and how I felt, about the individual player, as a player and how I thought that player could help us from a team standpoint. Iowa defeated Indiana 90-68. I had nine sisters and there were three boys. I've been able to do that over the years in the NBA. He gave me his blessings to do that. Andrew Jackson Smith's remarkable story of valor was almost lost to history. "But I blossomed as a player. "That's important. "I have those Cook books. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Not because he didnt want it, but because he was tied up in his NBA life. As an assistant, he has worked for greats such as Chris Ford (Bucks), George Karl (Bucks), Larry Brown (76ers and Pistons), Mike DAntoni (Knicks), Doc Rivers (Clippers), and Tom Thibodeau (Knicks). Talked about personal things from both sides. And when you say you brought your money back to Bloomington, do you own property or restaurants? KRAVITZ: This has little to do with basketball, but you come from a big family and I just wondered how that has shaped you? He pushed me and he put me in the best position to be successful. Download this stock image: BLOOMINGTON, IN - JANUARY 14: Indiana Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson coaches on the sidelines against the Wisconsin Badgers on January 14, 2023, at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. After Crean was fired in 2017, though, Woodson put his name into consideration. Staff Writer. I played 11 years in the NBA. There's fans everywhere I (went) in my walk of life in the NBA. But I'm not looking at anything else differently.". I kind of walked away from that thinking it's just not going to happen for Mike Woodson, which I was fine with that. I knew what that high was all about. A lot of the fans who have rooted all these years for these great players, hey, they all they know. He mostly took in the game on the sideline with his hands folded under his chest. New Indiana men's basketball coach Mike Woodson, right, is handed his old IU jersey by Athletic Director Scott Dolson on Monday morning after he was introduced as leader of the program with. WOODSON: "I've got to give my staff a lot of credit. (Radford, a member of IU's 1976 title team, was 64 when he died Jan. 10, 2020.). Among the All-Stars hes mentored are Ray Allen (Milwaukee Bucks), Kenny Anderson (Atlanta Hawks), Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks), Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons), Sam Cassell (Milwaukee Bucks), Derrick Coleman (Philadelphia 76ers), Baron Davis (New York Knicks), Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers), Richard Hamilton (Detroit Pistons), Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks), Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers), Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks), DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers), Shawn Kemp (Cleveland Cavaliers), Jason Kidd (New York Knicks), Kenyon Martin (New York Knicks), Dikembe Mutombo (Philadelphia 76ers), Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers), Paul Pierce (Los Angeles Clippers), Julius Randle (New York Knicks), Glenn Robinson (Milwaukee Bucks), Derrick Rose (New York Knicks), Amare Stoudemire (New York Knicks),Antoine Walker (Atlanta Hawks), Ben Wallace (Detroit Pistons) and Rasheed Wallace (Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks). Woodson joined the Knicks staff following six seasons as head coach of the Hawks, where he guided the Hawks to the NBA Playoffs in each of his last three seasons (including 2007-08, ending Atlantas eight-year Playoff drought), and into the Eastern Conference Semifinals in his last two seasons. Woodson wanted to attend Bob Knights basketball camp, but given he grew up in a family with 12 siblings in inner-city Indianapolis he didnt have enough money to pay for it. We left our game in West Lafayette, Woodson said. They're playing great basketball. "There has really not been any surprises for me, and I don't mean that in a braggadocious way," Woodson said. Im the coach, I gotta get them ready to play. That's just the nature of coaching and the nature of sports.". "A week later, we'd had some communications within that week. (AF) (Editor's Note: Sadly, that is not made up. "But I like the direction of where we are right now and where we are headed, knowing there is a lot of work that's got to be done.". I feel good about my staff that I've assembled. The demands on Woodsons time outside of school meant that he was in for a major adjustment when he arrived at IU in 1976. Sign up with TheHoosier.com here. That doesnt leave a whole lot of time to go home and do your homework. I was a 5-9 point guard in the eighth grade. On the surface, he never let his emotions get too high, too low. The untested Woodson was left to run practice on his own. Mike Dean Woodson was born on 24 March 1958 in Indianapolis. "And my staff that I rave about and will continue to rave about has put me in position to get on the phone and do Zooms with these parents and players. He said the same about his own team after the 15th-ranked Hoosiers lost to the Hawkeyes 90-68 at Assembly Hall on Tuesday night, a defeat that ended IUs hopes of sharing the Big Ten championship with Purdue. Anitra House, I know if youre listening, boy, you were very instrumental in me getting through school. They just competed, man. I apologize to our fans. 15 Indiana men's basketball had some momentum for perhaps the first time all night, junior guard Trey Galloway found himself guarding junior forward Kris Murray on the perimeter. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler), Indiana men's basketball coach Mike Woodson. Its just unacceptable the way we played tonight, Woodson said. Woodson accepted. "Hoosier Nation has always supported Indiana basketball. You've got to find players and people around you that believe in what you do. Some may disagree, but this is a great hire. What do you want people to say about the culture that you're going to establish? I was just being real. That's how it's always been. This article first appeared on FanNation Hoosiers Now and was syndicated with permission. "So to be able to get an opportunity to come back and coach, something I had been doing for a number of years at the NBA level, it was just like a dream come true because it just doesn't happen that often that a player gets to play college basketball at the highest level you can play it, go pro, go into in coaching and then circle back. ), He met with all his new players out in the lobby at Assembly Hall, out by all the statues. Now, Woodson says, it's his turn to repay the fanbase for sticking by his side over 40 years later, even when they didn't have to. In New York, "anything I wanted was a phone call away. "And you've got to get players to perform at a high level. Once I got up there and got with Tom (Thibodeau), I was back in my comfort zone. Again, a lot of it had to do with timing, but this was the perfect timing. There was Indiana's first win over then-No. BLOOMINGTON, Ind. There was the miraculous 17-point comeback win over Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis celebrates after a foul Feb. 18, 2023 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. It is, for a second, worth taking a big picture view of this moment, this night. He (Knight) taught me how to play the game of basketball from a fundamental standpoint, Woodson said. A relationship that began in 1976 whenMike Woodsonfirst came to the IU campus will be rekindled as Anitra House will assume the role of Assistant to the Head Coach for the mens basketball program. Tweet. "After watching all three, they kind of fit a need that we had here at Indiana University. BOZICH: One of the biggest recruiting wins you had was getting Trayce Jackson-Davis back for his junior year. From 2011 to 2017, he was the head coach for the University of . This has been my life. "I was a little down because after I gave my coaching speech to all the guys, I sat them down in the locker room and I asked guys to raise their hands that were going to commit to me and this university and this program and my staff. Wayne was 6-2 and 400 pounds. Want to thank you, Woodson said in his opening remarks when he was introduced as the new IU head coach in March. The defeat, just Indianas second at home this season against 14 victories, came three days after the Hoosiers had gone on the road to beat No. It was already set when I came to Indiana University. Today, they're still talked about. So thats what we did, I helped him find his voice.. Woodson was the 1980 Big Ten Player of the Year and NABC All-American as a senior in leading the Hoosiers to a conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournaments Sweet Sixteen. You would only expect that. "That," IU coach Mike Woodson said postgame, mincing zero words, "was a bullshit performance He'd come home to Bloomington, he figured, and work alongside his friend Scott May at a real. Didn't get it. We've got to make the playoffs. Katy, Texas (TX), US. A person with knowledge of the decision confirmed the hiring to The Associated Press on Sunday, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images) - 2NHDRKD from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. Homes - Celebrity - Sports - Basketball Links: en . We just have to come in tomorrow and work.. I think when you're recruiting players you've got to put them in the best positions to be successful. (AF) For you young people, a phone book is a large printed object that has names and phone numbers in it of everyone who lives in your town. Do you mind telling me what any of them are? I couldn't sell it no other way when I went to Atlanta. ''His voice is so cool,'' the Bluebird guys said, ''that we could probably sell out the place even if he was just reading the phone book.'' I've said it time and time again: Indiana University basketball is Bob Knight. That's not to say it's going to happen. "Coach Woodson is doing great," the statement read. I kind of think I helped Michael find his voice, House said. The athletic department said Friday in a news release that Woodson . It hasn't been that way for awhile. BLOOMINGTON, Ind. She was a natural choice for the job. "Well, everybody committed except the five best players. Woodson responded immediately, scoring 27 points in an upset win against Kentucky the weekend after Knight's punishments were announced. He played for a demanding coach in high school in Broad Ripples Bill Smith, but Indianas Bob Knight wrote the book on high expectations. Woodson captained the USAs Pan American Games team to a gold medal during the summer prior to his senior year and was all set to have a perfect season with the Hoosiers who were ranked No. I'm not going to do that. Asked if his emotions were any different heading into Tuesday than when he coached for a new team in the NBA, Woodson said: I dont know.. Because, again, I've never recruited at the college level, but I've recruited at the NBA level. I get that. I'm new at this. But what wasn't immediately clear waswhy? "I was like, 'Take me to the court.' (AF) (We all concur on that one.). 15 Indiana's 90-68 home loss to Iowa. In Big Ten games, the Hoosiers also led the league in field goal percentage defense at 41.3%. All rights reserved. And now it has all come full circle for House. "I think what has helped me is I've had relationships with people in my NBA world all these years. It's a secretary role, but one that is critical in keeping the men's basketball office functioning. Woodson was the MVP after playing in only six league games that season. BOZICH: In addition to Trayce, you were also able to recruit Xavier Johnson (from Pittsburgh), Miller Kopp (from Northwestern) and Tamar Bates (a top-50 high school recruit). . BOZICH: When you played at Indiana (from 1976-80), IU was feared as one of the top programs in the country. Woodson, the boy who was hooked on IU basketball after receiving a T-shirt from Knight in grade school and who once couldnt fathom a coaching career, was at the epicenter of the Hoosier basketball world, winning his first career game. "Because if you don't push that and sell it, then it becomes second nature to these guys. He said the same about his own team after the . "I'm really back now, and that means a great deal to me," Woodson said. The Knicks selected Woodson with the 12th pick of the 1980 NBA Draft and he enjoyed an 11-year NBA playing career, averaging 14.0 points over 786 games for the Knicks (1980-81), New Jersey (1981-82), Kansas City/Sacramento (1981-82 through 1985-86), the LA Clippers (1986-87 through 1987-88), Houston (1988-89 through 1990-91) and Cleveland (1990-91). Meanwhile, Woodson watched IUs basketball program face an array of struggles from afar. Woodson approached her to join his staff just weeks after taking the job. Woodson returned to the Bloomington campus in the spring of 2021 with a vast experiences and knowledge after playing in the NBA for 11 seasons beginning in 1980 and serving as a coach in the league beginning in 1996 for seven NBA franchises, including nine years combined as a head coach with the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks. "Unfortunately we've had our ups and downs over the years but I'm still there rooting. "That's all I needed to hear. Mike Woodson accomplished a lot playing for Indiana under Bob Knight. Indiana and Woodson learned the harsh reality of that numerous times last season: blowing a 22-point lead against Wisconsin, losing to a Penn State team which hadn't played in over three weeks due to health and safety protocols, falling to Rutgers at home on a buzzer-beater three-pointer from Ron Harper Jr., the list goes on. "The Knicks called (last fall) and asked me to come back (as an assistant coach). That's the only reason why I'm here. (AF), Big cities, big fun. He was inducted into the IU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. And when Chester Woodson passed away in 1971, a 13-year-old Michael Dean Woodson followed suit he put his head down and got work.