New Indiana University Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Woodson is bringing a distinctly Hoosiers flavor to his staff by hiring former standout player Dane Fife as associate head coach, IU announced Monday.
Fife spent the last 10 seasons working on Tom Izzo’s coaching staff at Michigan State University, the final three as associate head coach.
Fife played on former IU Coach Bob Knight’s final team and helped lead Indiana to the 2002 national championship game, the Hoosiers’ most recent Final Four appearance. After graduating, he served two seasons as an administrative assistant for then-Hoosiers coach Mike Davis.
“Dane is someone who I have always had the utmost respect for,” Woodson said in a statement. “His knowledge of the Big Ten and his success as a recruiter will be an invaluable asset as we look to continue building a staff that will help elevate this program to the highest levels. I know his love for the Hoosiers and this university comes across the moment you talk to him.”
In 2005, Fife became the youngest head coach in Division I men’s basketball when he took the job at Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne—a title he held for the first five seasons he was there. Fife went 82-97 in six seasons at IPFW, which is now known as Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Fife was named the Big Ten’s co-defensive player of the year as a senior and holds the school record for steals (180). His shooting percentage (47.8%) in 2001-02 ranks sixth on the program’s single-season list. He won Michigan’s Mr. Basketball Award in 1998.
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Just a great move. He will definitely bring both mental and physical toughness to the IU program which has been sorely missing for several years. Many people thought Fife was heir apparent for the MSU head coaching job so this comes as a bit of a surprise to some, including myself. I can see IU do with Fife what Purdue did with Matt Painter. Good luck!
I’d imagine in a few years we will see Fife as the IU Head Coach…