Marquette

Tom Crean has decided to leave Marquette in order to take the head coaching position at Indiana University. Crean was introduced as Indiana’s new head coach at a press conference Wednesday, and has reportedly signed a contract worth $18.4 million over eight years. Crean, who coached the Golden Eagles for nine seasons, compiled a 190-96 record including a Final Four appearance in 2003. In the five years since that magical run, Crean’s teams made three NCAA tournament appearances, but did not win a game until this season when they beat Kentucky in the first round before falling to Stanford.

Crean will take over an Indiana program that has fallen from grace since the Bob Knight era ended in 2000. In the eight years since Knight’s dismissal Indiana has won eight NCAA tournament games, but only three in the six years since making the national title game in 2002. This season was an especially turbulent one as Head Coach Kelvin Sampson was dismissed following NCAA allegations of recruiting violations. The Hoosiers hobbled down the stretch, finishing 3-4 including a season ending loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Marquette is now beginning its own search for a head coaching candidate. Xavier Head Coach Sean Miller, Virginia Commonwealth Head Coach Anthony Grant, and Davidson Head Man Bob McKillop are all potential candidates for the Golden Eagles. Boston Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers, former player for the Golden Eagles and father of Georgetown sophomore guard Jeremiah Rivers, told ESPN that he would “make the extra calls needed” to find a successor, but that he was not interested in leaving his post with the Celtics, who are in first place in the Eastern Conference.

Providence

Providence College continues its search for a men’s basketball head coach after former player and current George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga turned down the offer. Larranaga, who played for Providence from 1967-1971 and was the team captain his senior year, signed a three-year contract extension with George Mason, whom he led to the Final Four in 2006.

Providence has been searching for a head coach since the firing of former Head Coach Tim Welsh on March 15th. Welsh’s teams had been hampered by injuries in recent years and only made one post-season appearance – the 2006 NIT tournament – in the last four years. This season Providence finished 15-16, losing seven of their last nine games to close out the season.

— Compiled by Ryan Travers