Hoosier nation welcomes Crean to IU

The University held a press conference Wednesday announcing Tom Crean as the 28th men’s basketball coach in IU history.\nAfter weeks of speculation of who the next Hoosier coach would be, news broke Tuesday night that Crean would leave Marquette to take over for Kelvin Sampson, who resigned this season in the midst of NCAA allegations.\nDuring his tenure at Marquette, Crean built the program back to its winning ways of the 1970s. The new Hoosier coach said he never expected to leave Milwaukee, but when former South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler contacted Crean on the behalf of the University, Crean said he had to jump at the opportunity to go to Bloomington.\n“If anybody asks me why, it’s Indiana,” Crean said. “It’s Indiana, and that is the bottom line. That is the premise we’re going to work on here. I grew up in Michigan and spent the last nine years in Wisconsin, but I know what the state of Indiana holds.”\nCrean grew up following Big Ten basketball, especially the 1976 National Championship Hoosier squad. The new coach expressed his desire to learn all there is to know about the Hoosier tradition and history. His knowledge of the program is already strong, as he rattled off names such as Calbert Cheaney, Damon Bailey and Pat Graham.\nMost importantly, Crean said, he is hoping to reach out to former IU coach Bob Knight. One of the first coaching clinics Crean attended was conducted by Knight, and it was an experience that was important for a young coach, Crean said.\nCrean said he has talked to St. Louis Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa, a mutual friend of Knight and Crean, about contacting the former Hoosier coaching legend.\n“I certainly want to reach out to Coach Knight as soon as I can,” Crean said. “I want to make sure I make the attempt to tell him how proud I am to take the seat he had and turned it into a Hall of Fame career.”\nCrean said he is going to use the Hoosier tradition to reach out to recruits and return the program to championship form.\n“I’m going to look for people that are going to understand why we wear the candy-stripe pants,” Crean said. “People that understand what that uniform stands for, why it says Indiana on the front.”\nIU President Michael McRobbie was unable to attend the press conference but issued a statement about the hire.\n“Coach Crean has had great success on the court but he is also known for his community involvement and his commitment to the academic success of his players,” McRobbie said in the statement. “I am very pleased to welcome him to Indiana.”\nCrean was joined by his wife, Joani, the sister of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh, and his three children – \ndaughters Megan, 12, and Ainsley, 2, and son Riley, 8. Family is important to Crean and is an important part of his teams.\n“I have to start with family, because that’s what I just walked into,” Crean said. “You have to understand how important family is to me. I’ve walked into a tradition that I’ve had great feelings for since I was very young.”\nBecause of his family values, the decision to leave Marquette was a difficult one, Crean said. In particular, saying goodbye to his players was one of the most difficult things he’s had to do in his life, he said.\n“I had their heart, and they had mine,” Crean said.\nBut in the end, the chance to coach at IU was too appealing to Crean. He said he consulted with several people, including Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, under whom Crean served as an assistant coach.\n“He thought this was a great move for me,” Crean said. “He has been the one constant outside of my family and the few others I turn to. He is a big fan of this University and this league, and he was very high on me coming here.”