Mike Woodson stepped down from his position as Indiana men’s basketball head coach at the end of the 2024-25 season. Now, less than two months later, he’s found another coaching position.
Woodson will join the Sacramento Kings’ coaching staff as an assistant coach under head coach Doug Christie, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Woodson’s newest position marks his eighth as an assistant in the NBA beginning in 1996 with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Indianapolis native made a pair of head coaching stops throughout his time in the NBA, leading the Atlanta Hawks from 2004-2010 and the New York Knicks from 2012-2014.
Woodson departed his assistant coaching position with the Knicks in 2021 to return to Bloomington, where he played for former head coach Bob Knight from 1976-1980, to become Indiana’s head coach.
Across Woodson’s first two seasons, the Hoosiers made a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. Forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, who was a consensus first-team All-American in 2022-23, led the Cream and Crimson with 20.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game during his senior season.
However, the Hoosiers failed to make the NCAA Tournament in Woodson’s final two seasons. The fan base eventually turned against Woodson, which became apparent when Indiana Athletics announced Woodson would return for the 2024-25 season.
Then, ahead of a matchup against former Indiana manager Dusty May and Michigan, Indiana Athletics announced Woodson would step down at the end of the season. Indiana then hired new head coach Darian DeVries on March 18 to replace Woodson.
Woodson now joins Christie’s staff in Sacramento, California. Christie was named the interim head coach after former Kings head coach Mike Brown was fired in late December. On May 1, Christie’s interim tag was removed.
Woodson will now be tasked with helping guide the Kings back to the playoffs after finishing the 2024-25 season with a 40-42 record and a loss in the play-in tournament to the Dallas Mavericks.
Dalton James covers Indiana women's basketball and football for the Indiana Daily Student. You can follow him at @DaltonMJames on X and contact him via email at jamesdm@iu.edu.
