On Tuesday afternoon, Indiana officially announced former West Virginia coach Darian DeVries as its 31st head coach in program history.
DeVries joins the Hoosiers with an 169-68 overall record following six years as the head coach at Drake and one year at WVU. In his 24 years of D1 coaching experience, DeVries has won three conference championships and made three NCAA Tournament appearances.
“This is unquestionably one of the top jobs in America,” DeVries said. “As someone who grew up in the Midwest loving the game of basketball, I’ve always admired the IU Basketball program for its championship-level success, tradition, and fan support. There’s a passion to succeed at the very highest levels both within the Big Ten and in the NCAA Tournament, and that’s a desire that as a coach I share.”
DeVries takes over the Hoosiers in place of former IU head coach Mike Woodson, who decided to step down following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. Woodson led Indiana to a 82-53 overall record (41-39 Big Ten) with two NCAA Tournament appearances in his four years in Bloomington.
In his one season with the Mountaineers, the Iowa-native led West Virginia to a 19-13 overall record, following a 9-23 season in 2023-24. DeVries added three wins over top-10 teams this season, with victories over No. 2 Iowa State, No. 3 Gonzaga, and No. 7 Kansas. WVU landed as the First Team Out of this year's NCAA Tournament, topping the Hoosiers as the second team out.
DeVries’ most successful stint in his coaching career came in 2019-24 as the head coach of Drake University, leading the Bulldogs to three NCAA tournament appearances in four years, 20-win seasons in all of his seven years – 25 or more wins in his final four years – while going 24-10 in his first year in Des Moines.
Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, DeVries joins the Hoosiers on a six-year deal.
DeVries will officially be introduced as the program’s next head coach on Wednesday.
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Statement from Indiana University Athletic Director Scott Dolson:
“We went into this coaching search with some very specific things we were looking for in our next head coach, and Darian emerged as someone who, on paper, met and often exceeded our criteria. Once we had a chance to talk to him, we knew we had the right person. Darian has a plan for building a championship culture that can compete at the highest level on a year-in, year-out basis. He has extensive D-1 coaching experience that includes 15 trips to the NCAA Tournament as a head coach or as an assistant. This past season at West Virginia, he inherited a last-place Big 12 team with no significant contributors returning, and managed to more than double its win total despite a pair of significant season-ending injuries. Finally, he is passionate about the opportunity to lead our program. We are excited to welcome Darian and the entire DeVries family to our Hoosier family.”
Statement from Indiana University President Pamela Whitten:
“As President of IU, it is my expectation that our university strives for greatness in everything we do from academics to athletics. Darian has demonstrated that he embraces that elite standard. In fact, he has a well-established track record of elevating programs to new levels of success. This is a great day for IU Men’s Basketball and Indiana University.”
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