Head coach Mike Woodson has officially coached his final game at Indiana as the Hoosiers failed to be selected into the NCAA Tournament, and the program has turned down any postseason tournament. After four seasons at Indiana, Woodson is stepping down and retiring, effectively ending his time with the Hoosiers.
The announcement of retirement came during a rough patch for the Indiana basketball program as the team was in the midst of a five-game losing streak, and every time Indiana stepped on the court, fans were chanting "Fire Woodson." Now, whether or not Woodson made the choice to retire because of that or because he truly believes it was the best choice for him will never be known.
Had Woodson not retired, who knows if he would have been fired or given one more season, it seemed the administration was reaching the end of its rope with Woodson midway through the season.
In four seasons with Indiana, Woodson led the Hoosiers to two NCAA Tournaments, unable to make it past the second round both times. After making the tournament in his first two seasons, Woodson turned in two seasons without a postseason tournament appearance and now is walking out the door.
In his time at Indiana, Woodson coached some great players, one being now NBA Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis. After hearing the news of Indiana not making the tournament, Jackson-Davis took to social media to share a special message with his former coach.
"You didn't have to take the job, but you did," Jackson Davis said in his social media post. "After all the criticism and threats. you stood tall. Hell of a coach, regardless of what the trolls say. Love you Coach."
Jackson-Davis was coached by Woodson in his final two seasons with the Hoosiers when he averaged 20.9 points per game in 2021-2022 and 17.9 points per game in 2022-2023. Those were the two seasons the Hoosiers made the NCAA Tournament.
Woodson's time at Indiana may be over, but he will never be forgotten as a legendary player or his time as a coach, as well as the players he coached and sent on their way into the world.