Sources: Woodson to return as Hoosiers' coach

Mike Woodson will return as Indiana‘s head coach for the 2024-25 season, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday, ending speculation regarding his future in Bloomington.

The Hoosiers are nearing the end of their worst season under Woodson, sitting at 17-13 overall and 9-10 in Big Ten play with one game left in the regular season after Wednesday night’s 70-58 win over Minnesota.

The Hoosiers started the season 10-3 and 2-0 in the Big Ten, but they lost 10 of 14 games before righting the ship and winning three in a row.

Woodson’s return was first reported by the Indianapolis Star. He declined to comment when asked about his return after Wednesday’s game.

The Hoosiers reached the NCAA tournament in each of Woodson’s first two seasons, including last season’s second-place Big Ten finish. They earned a 4-seed in the NCAA tournament before falling to eventual Final Four participant Miami in the second round.

Woodson, 65, is a former Indiana star who played under Bob Knight from 1976 to 1980 before being selected in the first round of the 1980 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. After an NBA career that included 11 years as a player and 25 years as a head coach and assistant coach, he was hired by his alma mater in 2021 to replace Archie Miller.

Woodson would have been owed $12.6 million if Indiana let him go, although his contract would have allowed the school to pay it in $1 million annual installments.