Assistant coach Dane Fife is out after one season with the Indiana men’s basketball team, head coach Mike Woodson announced Wednesday.
“I am committed to doing what I believe is best for the continued growth of our men’s basketball program as we collectively work toward returning it to the upper echelon of college basketball,” Woodson said in a news release. “Sometimes, that commitment can result in some very difficult decisions, and that is the case today. Ultimately, I believe that the fit must be right with a coaching staff, and I’ve decided that a change is necessary.
“I appreciate everything Dane has done as a member of the staff during the last year and as player for our program. He will always be a part of the Hoosier family and I wish him well in his future pursuits.”
Fife graduated from IU in 2002 after helping lead the Hoosiers to the NCAA championship game. He was the Big Ten co-defensive player of the year in 2002 and remains the school’s all-time leader in steals.
Fife spent two seasons as an administrative assistant at IU under Mike Davis. He then joined Tom Izzo’s staff at Michigan State, where he remained until taking a job with IU last year.
Indiana went 21-14 in Woodson’s first season as the head coach and earned an NCAA berth for the first time since 2016.
Lander in portal
Sophomore guard Khristian Lander has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal.
A five-star recruit out of Evansville Reitz, Lander appeared in 26 games as a freshman and averaged 2.1 points per game for Archie Miller. But this season, he appeared in just 13 games, averaging 0.8 points per game.
