IU men’s basketball head coach Mike Woodson is not expected to return next season, according to an ESPN report.
The report goes on to say that Woodson is expected to coach the rest of this season. Woodson and IU are in talks about the details of the exit. If Woodson is fired, he is owed the remaining amount due on his contract, which is over $8 million.
The buyout would be paid in $1 million annual increments. IU has lost six of its past seven games. Of its nine losses this season, six of them have been by 12 points or more.
The Hoosiers are tracking towards missing the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. They entered the season with lofty expectations after bringing in highly touted transfers like Oumar Ballo and Myles Rice.
IU was ranked 17th in the preseason AP poll, but is now just 14-9 overall and 5-7 in Big Ten Conference games. IU made the tournament in Woodson’s first two seasons, which included earning a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament in his second year in Bloomington.
IU has not made it past the second round in Woodson’s tenure.
Woodson has gone 77-49 in his time as IU’s head coach. Prior to coming to IU, he was an assistant coach with the New York Knicks. He was also previously the head coach of the Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hoosiers play No. 24 Michigan inside Assembly Hall on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. EDT.