Indiana Head Coach Mike Woodson Considering Retirement

With his seat heating up amidst a four-game losing streak, Mike Woodson is reportedly considering retirement, per Jeff Goodman. Goodman followed up his initial post to say that most boosters are ready to move on, but want to let the former player leave "the right way as an alum."

Woodson has had success in his four years at Indiana, including back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament over his first two seasons. He's always struggled against elite competition though, and currently sits 22 games below .500 (16-38) in Quad 1 contests. 

As a recruiter, Woodson has had a similarly spotty record. He's landed commitments from a handful of elite players in his short time at Indiana and accounts for five of Indiana's top 10 rated prospects of all time, per 247 Sports. On the other hand, Woodson has missed out on a number of highly-touted players that surely would have helped this team and past teams get over the hump against elite competition. 

Maybe the best example would be Liam McNeeley, a five star prospect who committed to Indiana before re-opening his recruitment in the wake of Indiana's disastrous 2023-24 season. McNeeley now averages 13.6 points per game as a freshman at UConn and has been named to multiple midseason award shortlists. 

Complicating the situation is Woodson's status as an alum and one of the best basketball players in program history. He played four seasons for the late Bob Knight, collecting countless individual accolades like Big Ten MVP and multiple All-America selections. 

His former players have spoken highly of him as well, with Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kel'el Ware, and Jalen Hood-Schifino all crediting Woodson for getting them to the NBA. During last season's senior night, Anthony Leal defended his coach from outside criticism, telling fans to "chill" after booing the coach a number of times last season. 

Woodson was expected to right the ship this season with a team that started in the AP Top 25, but things haven't gone as expected. Indiana is legitimately at risk of missing the Big Ten Tournament and have an increasingly narrow path back to the NCAA Tournament field. 

Given Indiana's historic successes and the resources invested in the program, a second straight NCAA Tournament miss could be the end of the Mike Woodson tenure, whether it's on his terms or not. 

If nothing else, Goodman's report makes clear that Woodson knows he isn't cutting it. Apparently the boosters do not have much faith in his ability to turn it around this season, either.