Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson decided not to hire assistant coach and former IU quarterback Dane Fife.
“I am determined to do what I believe is best for the continued growth of our men’s basketball program as we work together to bring it back to the top tier of college basketball,” Woodson said in a press release announcing the move. “Sometimes this commitment can lead to very difficult decisions, and today it is. Ultimately, I believe that the coaching staff should match each other, and I decided that changes were needed. I appreciate everything Dane has done over the past year as an employee and as a player in our program. He will always be part of the Hoosier family and I wish him well in his future endeavors.”
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Fife did not return a text message or multiple calls from the Herald-Times on Wednesday, but released a statement on his Twitter account Wednesday night.
“I love IU with every part of my soul and am grateful to those who gave me this opportunity,” wrote Fife. “Most importantly, it is a great honor for me to work with the players of our team. They dug deep, never gave up and I will forever be remembered for their accomplishments. I became an Indiana Hoosiers player 25 years ago. And tomorrow I’ll be a Hoosier!
Fife expressed interest in head coaching after the firing of former coach Archie Miller, but decided to join Woodson’s team after 10 years as an assistant coach for Tom Izzo at Michigan State. Prior to that, he spent six years as head coach at Purdue Fort Wayne, then known as IPFW, posting an 82-97 record with the Mastodons.
As a player in Indiana, he helped the Hoosiers to a National Title Game berth in 2002 and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year that season. He was a highly regarded recruit, receiving Michigan State Mr. Basketball honors and McDonald’s All America honors in 1998.
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This story will be updated.