Mike Woodson replacement: Rick Pitino to Indiana Hoosiers a move potentially on the cards, as per reports

Although unorthodox, St. John's Red Storm coach Rick Pitino might be tapped as a replacement for Indiana Hoosiers tactician Mike Woodson. This is a possibility for the 2025-2026 season, according to Trevor Andershock of 247 Sports, as the Hoosiers are in the process of finding a new head for their coaching staff.

After an up-and-down 2024-2025 campaign, Woodson and the Hoosiers program are expected to part ways when the former's contract eventually expires at the end of the season after an almost four-year partnership that started in 2021. It hasn't exactly been the best year for the unranked Hoosiers, who sit at just 6-9 in Big Ten conference play, 15-11 overall.

Despite his looming age of 72, Andershock believes Indiana could take a crack at having the legendary Pitino as their head coach, as he brings an energy that could turn the program around into a winning one.

"Pitino might be the best college basketball coach of all time. He made the Final Four with Providence, Kentucky and Louisville, winning national titles with Kentucky and Louisville. He turned around St. John's in a hurry. The Johnnies are currently winning the Big East in his second season," Andershock wrote.

"Pitino is known for his harassing defense. The defensive end has led the way for a lot of his success throughout the years. His teams are also known for their outstanding conditioning. Pitino values constant effort more than anything else," he added.

Pitino has been coaching at both the college and NBA levels since 1974, with his most well-known stint being at the helm of the Louisville Cardinals' coaching staff from 2001 to 2017. He is currently serving his second year with the St. John's Red Storm, bringing them to a 13-2 conference record thus far to top the Big East, 22-4 overall.

If the tenured tactician is truly linked to coaching the Indiana Hoosiers next season, there will surely be a shift in the program's culture. Nevertheless, the team reportedly has concerns regarding a potential Pitino for Woodson replacement.

"Pitino is looking at other options, and Indiana has many concerns about his past," Andershock reports.

We won't know who will truly be Indiana's new coach until the off-season, but Pitino is an interesting candidate and one who can be considered until the Hoosiers make a decision.

Mike Woodson is set to retire when his contract ends with the Indiana Hoosiers

After a coaching career that started in 1996 with the Milwaukee Bucks, Mike Woodson is considering retirement when his contract finishes at the end of the 2024-2025 season. While he never won the national title, the 66-year-old famously broke a five-year NCAA tournament appearance for the Hoosiers in his first season with the school.

Associate head coach Kenya Hunter asserted, per The Daily Hoosier, that their goal remains to still make it into the national tournament this year, as that could send off Woodson on a high note.