Mike Woodson on IU coaching future: 'I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.'
BLOOMINGTON – Speaking Tuesday ahead of his team’s midweek visit from Nebraska, IU coach Mike Woodson said he doesn’t see himself slowing down any time soon.
Woodson, who will turn 66 next month, has been in coaching for more than 30 years, including more than a decade now as a head coach across three stops.
He has three more years on his current contract with Indiana — a contract that was reworked to include a substantial pay rise and strengthened buyout protections, but did not add additional years, this offseason. Asked about his “mindset” regarding his age Tuesday, Woodson suggested he remains ambitious and energetic about the job at hand.
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“I came back to try and put this team in the best position possible,” Woodson said, “and I’m going to continue to do that. I mean, I’m almost 66, but I feel good and still move around, and I think I still think well in terms of the game, and I still think I can teach the game.
“I don’t know. There are coaches that are coaching into their 70s I don’t know if that’s something I’ll do. I don’t know. But at this point I’ll take it a day at a time, a year at a time. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, guys. I’m just not.”
This marks Woodson’s third season in Bloomington, of six outlined in the contract he signed with IU when his alma mater hired him from Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks staff in 2021.
After consecutive NCAA tournament appearances in 2022 and 2023, Woodson received a pay raise of a little more than $1 million last spring. His contract was reworked to remove certain bonuses and make other conditional compensation assured, his overall annual guaranteed pay rising to roughly $4.2 million.
Additionally, Woodson received additional buyout protections. Under the terms of his original deal, Woodson would have been owed 100% of remaining guaranteed compensation before April 1, 2025, and 50% thereafter. Last year’s renegotiation pushed the 100% promise to April 1, 2026, than 50% for the remaining year of the deal. For reference, on April 1 of this year, his buyout would stand at roughly $12.6 million.
The fact the revised deal did not lengthen the contract in terms of years did call into question Woodson’s long-term intentions, at least to some extent. Tuesday’s answer suggested those intentions remain firmly planted in Bloomington for the foreseeable future.
“I’m going to continue to build this team,” he said, “and put it in the best position possible, and see where it leads us.”
Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana basketball: Mike Woodson says he's not walking away from job
