The End of the Tom Crean Era

My first recollection of Indiana Basketball was the team headlined by Eric Gordon and DJ White in 2008. After Mike Davis flamed out of Bloomington, it seemed like Sampson was bringing the good times back to Indiana - and a 6th banner would shortly follow. Flash forward to the offseason, and the NCAA was knocking on doors investigating reports of recruiting improprieties. Next thing everyone knew Indiana was worse than it had ever been since Bob Knight was unceremoniously dismissed, and the program was crippled. Whatever coach that would come to Bloomington would have one of the biggest reclamation projects in all of college sports, and a fan base that demanded excellence was not going to make this process an easy one. Eventually the man that had the audacity to undergo this daunting task was Tom Crean.

Everyone remembers the first press conference where Crean held up a "Crean and Crimson" t-shirt, and when asked why he decided to take the job Crean made his now famous refrain - "It's Indiana". The next few years seemed to live up to the difficulty that people around the country thought the rebuilding task would be. Crean led the Hoosiers to a record of 28-66. These growing pains would eventually turn in to one of the most unforgettable Indiana seasons of recent memory in 2012. Indiana toppled the hated rival and undefeated Kentucky Wildcats at home in the "Watshot" game, won the Big 10 Conference Title outright with a defensive stand on the road at Michigan, and fell in the Sweet 16 to the future National Champions Kentucky. Everything seemed in place in Bloomington for Indiana to return to their rightful spot among college basketball's elite programs. Crean was recruiting at a high level, and beating some of the best teams in the country. Indiana rode this momentum to a preseason number 1 ranking before bowing out in the Sweet 16 for a second consecutive season to Syracuse. This is where things seemed to begin to unravel. Seniors graduated, underclassmen left early, star recruits never panned out, and Crean was on the hot seat after missing the tournament and then just squeaking in back to back years.

Then something magical happened last year. The Hoosiers struggled mightily out of the gate, and after a horrid performance in the Maui Invitational the chorus calling for Crean's head was never louder. But something changed in the 2nd half of the Crossroads Classic matchup against Notre Dame, and the Hoosiers would storm to another Conference Title with two games in hand. Roster Turnover and injuries would strike again this year, and while I am not sure if this team would still be playing if the likes of Collin Hartman and OG Anunoby were at full strength all season, I am sure this team would have competed to defend the Big 10 crown. Unfortunately these circumstances were not enough to protect Crean, as he was relieved of his duties as the NCAA Tournament began last Thursday.

I have been a relatively staunch Crean supporter, sans the 12 hours after the Duke game last year, but I understand the reasoning behind moving on. At a certain point if a coach cannot push his team over the top, you have to look your program in the mirror and evaluate whether or not you can continue on this path. Fred Glass was forced to make this decision, and at the end of the day I think he made the right one. That being said, a little part of me will miss seeing Coach Crean patrol the sidelines in Assembly Hall next year.

Tom Crean's legacy at Indiana is much bigger than X's and O's and records. Crean came to a program that was in shambles, and brought Indiana back to the national conversation. I am not sure if players like Cody Zeller, Yogi Ferrell, or Thomas Bryant ever don the Candy Stripes without the work that Crean has put in to resurrect the program. Crean also instilled an environment that championed academics, evidenced by perfect or near-perfect NCAA APR scores year after year. And you would be hard pressed to find someone that ever said a negative thing about Tom Crean as a man. Whether it was helping others through his faith, or serving as a true father figure for the players he coached - the image of him embracing Thomas Bryant following the NCAA Tournament loss last year shows you that he was man inspired by more than just winning basketball games.

Courtesy: kentsterling.com

Sometimes in relationships people have to break up to move to a better place. It is not that each person is unhappy, but in order to reach their potential people have to move on. That is where I think Indiana Basketball found itself with Tom Crean. Any true Indiana fan will always appreciate what Crean has done for this program, but this appreciation does not mean that we are satisfied. Coach Crean will land somewhere, even if he makes a stop in the media in the interim, he is too good of a coach and person to stay unemployed. And Indiana Basketball will move on, and I honestly believe that with the right coach Indiana is closer to unfurling a 6th Banner than unveiling the 5th. Whenever that 6th Banner is hung in Assembly Hall, I will be sure to drink a toast to Coach Crean because without him none of this possible.

Duncan Hensley
Indiana University
Kelley School of Business '18