Top candidate emerges for Indiana's coaching search and fans have mixed feelings

The Drake head coach is suddenly becoming a top candidate for the Indiana job, but fans are split on how they feel about him.
Mar 8, 2025; St. Louis, MO, Drake Bulldogs head coach Ben McCollum reacts during the second half against Belmont at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Mar 8, 2025; St. Louis, MO, Drake Bulldogs head coach Ben McCollum reacts during the second half against Belmont at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

While head coach Mike Woodson and the Indiana Hoosiers wait to see if they will get a few more games with their head coach in the NCAA Tournament, the Indiana fan base is turning their attention to the coaching search, which seems to be heating up.

There have been so many different names thrown around in Indiana coaching search, from Chris Beard to Brad Stevens to Dusty May to Bruce Pearl. I am surprised Indiana fans don't have whiplash from watching the coaching search at Indiana move like a tennis match on 10x speed.

Now, there are two candidates that seem to be hailing over the rest, and Indiana fans are split on how they feel about one of them. Clemson head coach Brad Brownell seems to be the top candidate, but the longtime Tigers coach spoke a little about the job in a press conference earlier this week, and it doesn't seem like he has any interest in leaving where he is.

The other coach to come up in conversations is Drake head coach Ben McCollum, who just led the Bulldogs to a Missouri Valley Conference title, earning them an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Before joining the Bulldogs, McCollum won four national championships at the Division II level with Northwest Missouri State.

It seems like McCollum has really impressed Indiana AD and could be the lead candidate now the Brownell has made his intentions about the job clear.

Indiana fans are split on how they feel about McCollum. Some see him as someone who can come in and get the job done and, in a sense, be like Curt Cignetti, but others think Indiana could do better.

The fact that we are talking about being a Indiana football fan before an Indiana basketball fan is absolutely wild.

That is a very polite way to put it, honestly.

Short and sweet and to the point, no sugarcoating it here.

Indiana could lose a quality candidate here, so the Hoosiers better decide quickly what they want.

Well, at least we have options here.

With the Hoosiers waiting to see if they will make the NCAA Tournament, fans will still have to wait as well to see who the next head basketball coach will be.

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