As Indiana’s coaching search heats up, Pete Thamel reveals Hoosiers eye proven winner to lead program back to glory

The 2025 offseason will be busy for the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team. With head coach Mike Woodson set to step down from his post at the end of the 2024-25 season, ESPN reporter Pete Thamel gave his thoughts on how the hiring process should go down.

Thamel joined "College GameDay" on Saturday, providing insight on why the Hoosiers are moving on from Woodson and what they would be looking for in regards to their next head coach.

“Indiana is obviously one of the country’s most enduring brands. It has unbelievable tradition. They just simply haven’t lived up to consistent expectations in the last generation. So, what is Indiana looking for? Talking to people there in the last 48 hours, they want a proven winner, an NCAA tournament-level coach, a sitting head coach who can bring Indiana back to consistent Big Ten contention, and consistent appearances in the NCAA Tournament," Thamel said.

“Obviously, the line has never been more linear in college basketball, if you have the money to procure a top roster, you can compete in the sport at the highest level. So, Indiana is going to sell its Power Two (Big Ten and SEC) status, and that budget, and try to lure a big-name coach to Bloomington.”

What's next for the Indiana Hoosiers?

This season has been up and down for the Indiana Hoosiers.

They have a 14-10 overall record, going 5-8 in their first 13 games of conference play. The squad average 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 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 blocks. Mackenzie Mgbako follows suit 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 and 3.1 rebounds and three assists.

Following Saturday's defeat to the No. 24 Michigan Wolverines, the Indiana Hoosiers will prepare for their next ranked matchup. They face the No. 9 Michigan State Spartans on Feb. 11 at 9 p.m. ET.