NCAAB insider Jeff Goodman lists Chris Beard and two others as top replacements of Mike Woodson after he retires from Indiana

On Thursday, reports emerged that Indiana head coach Mike Woodson is likely to step down at the end of the 2024-25 season, sparking discussions about potential successors for the historic program. Analyst Jeff Goodman from "The Field of 68" shared his insights on Indiana's dilemma.

“The one that everybody’s gonna talk about the most is Chris Beard,” Goodman said. “Chris Beard, I believe – and I haven’t talked to him about it – but [he] would walk from Oxford, Mississippi to Bloomington, Indiana if you told him he could have the Indiana job."

Why would Chris Beard make sense?

Jeff Goodman went on to discuss why Chris Beard would be a logical hire for the Hoosiers.

"Obviously, there’s connections. He was an assistant for both the late Bob Knight, for Pat Knight," Goodman said. "He and Pat were super close years ago, not as close now. There’s, obviously, off-the-court concerns with what got Chris Beard fired at Texas. He was cleared of those charges. But I just don’t know if Scott Dolson would take a chance on Chris Beard right now. I don’t know. So that’s a wild card. That’s a, ‘Who knows?'”

NCAA Basketball: Auburn at Mississippi - Source: Imagn

Beard currently serves as the head coach of No. 25 Ole Miss, having joined the university in 2023 after being fired by Texas for a third-degree felony charge for family violence. The charges were later dropped, but Goodman questions whether Indiana would accept Beard. Goodman highlighted Beard's connections with Pat Knight, a veteran coach who played at Indiana in the 1990s and served as an assistant coach there from 1999-2000. However, due to his off-the-court concerns, Goodman offered up other possible names.

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Who else could lead the Hoosiers?

Another alternative that Goodman suggested is current Big Ten coach and UCLA head coach Mick Cronin. Cronin is in his sixth season with the Bruins and has head coaching experience dating back to 2003 when he was hired as the head coach at Murray State. He's led UCLA to three Sweet Sixteen appearances and a Final Four in 2021.

“Mick Cronin is a name that will certainly be mentioned. UCLA head coach who’s from the Midwest, did a great job at Cincinnati, kind of beats to his own drum. I think he could be in the mix, as well,” Goodman said.

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Jeff Goodman also turned to the SEC, suggesting Mark Byington, who is in his first season leading Vanderbilt after serving as the head coach at JMU from 2020-24. Byington led the Dukes to their first conference tournament title since 2013 and guided them to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament in 2024.

“Mark Byington, if you go down to Tier 2 … was at JMU when Curt Cignetti was at JMU. They were the football and basketball coaches together. Byington is [in] his first year at [Vanderbilt], they were picked to finish last in the SEC and right now, they’re in the NCAA Tournament. So Byington would have to be a guy that would be, again, on that secondary list.”

News of Mike Woodson's likely retirement has sparked a lot of speculation about the future of Indiana basketball. Analysts like Goodman have offered a variety of viable options.