New Hoosier Coach

It appears that Steve Alford will not be asked to Bloomington for an interview.  Good.  Reports have the top two candidates being Randy Whitman, a former Hoosier player now an assistant with the Orlando Magic, and Marquette head coach Tom Crean.  As I have mentioned previously, I think Crean would be an excellent choice.  He has done well with the Marquette program in his 6 years, and could add a great deal to the program without losing anything on the recruiting front.  Also, Crean coached at Michigan State for 5 years as an assistant under both Izzo and Heathcoat, so he knows what the Big Ten used to be about.  Before Orlando, Whitman was a head coach in the NBA with Clevland, where he had a less than stellar record in the pre-LeBron era.  His coaching skills are more in doubt, but his following with loyal Hoosiers will play a role.  He likely would be the safe pick with that in mind, but he is probably not the right pick.