"I know he’s older, but who gives a sh*t?": Jeff Goodman strongly rallies behind Rick Pitino as Mike Woodson's replacement at Indiana

The Indiana Hoosiers seem to be transitioning to an era without Mike Woodson. One college basketball analyst has an idea about who could replace the coach to lead the men's basketball program.

It was revealed on Thursday that Woodson was considering retirement until it was reported on Friday that Indiana will allow Woodson to coach for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. However, once it concludes, he will step down from the position as the program begins the hiring process to find the next man in charge.

Reporter Jeff Goodman was the first to break the news, having a big suggestion on who should take the Hoosiers job.

“For me, Rick Pitino – I know he’s older, but who gives a s***?" Goodman said Thursday. "If you’re Indiana, these days, you’re not playing for like five, 10 years down the road to hire a coach that’s gonna be there forever. No. Like, three years.

"And for Indiana? Give me a year. They just had a year of football with Curt Cignetti. You don’t think they’d take that right now in basketball? Give me a Final Four this year, and they don’t give a s*** after that. Give me another couple average years.”

What's next for Mike Woodson and Indiana?

It seems Mike Woodson's time as Indiana coach will end after four seasons.

The first two years indicated promise, achieving consecutive 20-win seasons as the Hoosiers clinched berths in the NCAA Tournament. The furthest they went was in 2023, making the second round as they lost 85-69 to the Miami Hurricanes.

However, they have since declined. Last year saw them finish 19-14 as their quality of performance got lower, and they are on pace to end up with a similar result this season.

Indiana currently has a 14-9 overall record, going 5-7 after 12 games of Big Ten play while being on a four-game losing streak. The team is putting up 76.5 points on 46.5% shooting from the field and 32.2% from beyond the arc, getting past opponents by a slim margin of 2.9 points per game.

Oumar Ballo leads the way with 14.0 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 65% shooting overall. Mackenzie Mgbako comes next with 13.2 points and 4.7 rebounds, Malik Reneau puts up 12.1 points and 5.5 rebounds, while Myles Rice provides 11.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers prepare for a matchup against a ranked opponent, facing the No. 24 Michigan Wolverines on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.