WVU's Darian DeVries, Indiana Agree to Reported 6-Year HC Contract After Woodson Exit

Indiana hired West Virginia's Darian DeVries to be its new men's basketball head coach on Tuesday, reportedly inking him to a six-year deal.

DeVries will be replacing Mike Woodson, who failed to get the Hoosiers into the NCAA tournament in the past two seasons.

DeVries, 49, went 19-13 in his lone season at West Virginia, posting a 10-10 mark in the Big 12. The Mountaineers were considered the biggest snub on Selection Sunday, left out in favor of teams like North Carolina and Xavier. DeVries' decision to depart just days later has made for a rough week in Morgantown.

Prior to joining West Virginia, DeVries spent six seasons at Drake, leading the Bulldogs to a 150-55 record, one regular-season championship, two MVC tournament titles and three NCAA tournament berths. He was also an assistant at Creighton for 20 years, working under head coaches like Dana Altman and Greg McDermott.

The hire was generally viewed as an excellent addition for Indiana:

"Drock is a grinder," McDermott wrote in a text to basketball reporter Jeff Goodman regarding DeVries. "His tireless work ethic and passion for bringing out the best in his players is unmatched. He is an outside of the box thinker on both ends of the floor. Indiana hit a home run."

The Hoosiers reached the NCAA tournament in Woodson's first two years on the job, though they failed to get past the second round. And Indiana only won 19 games in each of the past two seasons, a disappointment in Bloomington given the program's proud history.

In February, Woodson announced his intent to step down after the 2024-25 season.

"During a meeting with Coach Woodson on Wednesday, he informed me he wanted to step down as our program's head coach at the end of the current season," Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in a statement at the time. "He said it had been weighing on his mind for a while, and that it was an emotional and difficult decision. We have had subsequent thoughtful conversations about his decision and his desire to ensure that the program is in the best position it can be moving forward."

That baton will now be passed to DeVries.