IU coaching legends

James “Doc” Counsilman & Hobie Billingsley
Counsilman and Billingsley took the Hoosiers to 20 straight Big Ten titles, as well as six consecutive NCAA National Championships from 1968 to 1973. Counsilman was the head coach of the most successful U.S. swimming team in history (1976 Montreal Olympics), winning 12 gold and 10 silver medals.

Jerry Yeagley
Yeagley was the IU men’s soccer coach from 1973 to 2003. Yeagley led the Hoosiers to 10 Big Ten titles, six NCAA National Championships and the most College Cup appearances of any team in the nation. Jerry’s son Todd Yeagley followed in his father’s footsteps when current IU athletics director Fred Glass named Todd the men’s soccer coach after the 2009 season.

Billy Thom
Thom, IU wrestling coach from 1927-45, led the Hoosiers to eight Big Ten championships and the 1932 NCAA Championship.

Bo McMillen
IU’s football coach from 1934-47, McMillen led the 1945 team to the only undefeated Big Ten championship in IU history.

Bill Mallory
Mallory, IU’s winningest football coach, led the Hoosiers from 1984-96. He led the team to six bowl game appearances.

Branch McCracken
McCracken was the IU men’s basketball coach from 1938-42 and 1946-65. He led the team to two NCAA championships, three Big Ten championships and one co-championship. The Hoosiers’ home basketball court in Assembly Hall is named in honor of Coach McCracken.

Bob Knight The ‘Godfather’ of Hoosier Nation
Coach Bobby Knight led the IU men’s basketball team to three NCAA Division I championship titles and 11 Big Ten titles. He coached the 1975-76 undefeated Hoosier squad, the last NCAA Division I men’s basketball team to be undefeated champions. In 2007 Knight became as the winningest NCAA Division I basketball coach.

Creating tradition
Knight coached the 1984 U.S. men’s national basketball team, which included Michael Jordan, to a gold-medal finish.

“The Chair”
On Feb. 23, 1985, Knight infamously threw a chair across the court in Assembly Hall to protest the officiating during a game against rival Purdue.

Still a legend
Knight was dismissed in 2000 by then-President Myles Brand for violating a zero-tolerance policy with regard to his coaching behavior and methodology. Fans still associate Knight with IU basketball 10 years after his dismissal. He was inducted into the IU Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in November 2009.