Indiana AD Scott Dolson releases statement on Mike Woodson departure

Indiana head coach Mike Woodson will be stepping down after this season. On Friday, Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson provided further details on Woodson’s decision.

“During a meeting with Coach Woodson on Wednesday, he informed me he wanted to step down as our program’s head coach at the end of the current season,” Dolson wrote in a press release. “He said it had been weighing on his mind for a while, and that it was an emotional and difficult decision.

“We have had subsequent thoughtful conversations about his decision and his desire to ensure that the program is in the best position it can be moving forward. At an appropriate time, Coach Woodson will articulate his feelings about his decision and his experiences these last four years.”

Indiana is currently 14-9 and 5-7 in conference play. The Hoosiers are on a four-game losing streak. Woodson has been Indiana’s head coach since the 2021-22 season.

The Hoosiers reached the NCAA Tournament during his first two seasons but failed to return last year and are on track to miss out on the Big Dance again this season. Despite Woodson’s shortcomings during his tenure, Dolson emphasized his appreciation for the head coach.

“Coach Woodson is a class act. During the last four years, he has led the program during a transformational time in college athletics and helped us become a national leader in evolving areas including NIL and the Transfer Portal,” Dolson wrote.

“No one loves IU Basketball more than he does. I want to thank him for coming back to Bloomington and accepting the challenge of rebuilding our program and re-connecting it with its past and its foundation.”

Mike Woodson is an Indiana legend. He played four seasons for the Hoosiers from 1976-80. During his time with the program, Woodson amassed 2,061 career points, the fifth-most in program history.

For his efforts, he was named the Big Ten’s Most Valuable Player, a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-American, and received the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball award during his senior season.

Despite Woodson’s individual success, he was always an ambassador for the team. That hasn’t changed now that he’s a coach.

“It’s clear to me from our discussions in the last several days that his No. 1 priority is for the attention to be off him, and instead focused on uniting Hoosier Nation in support of our student-athletes, coaches, and, most importantly, the program,” Dolson wrote.

“We still have much to play for this season as we prepare for Saturday’s game against Michigan and the remainder of the 2024-25 season, and we want to encourage Hoosier fans to rally around the program and support it in the same positive way that Hoosier fans did during Mike’s All-America and Big Ten MVP playing career.”