That was not how Dane Fife remembered it. The energy surrounding the IU program was different.
Fife knows how to win basketball. During his senior year in Indiana in 2002, Fife was part of the most successful Hoosier team since the turn of the century when they made a national championship game appearance. Earlier in his career, he was coached by Bob Knight, who won three national championships.
So Fife knows the fanbase and expectations. He knows Bloomington. Fife said during its introductory press conference on Tuesday that it was disappointed that Opie Taylor had been shut down.
But over the past decade, Fife has seen from across the state’s borders struggling to achieve a constant level of prosperity.
And when Indiana dropped its last six games last season, from an NCAA tournament to a hopeless afterthought, Fife had a front seat. Two of those losses were against the Michigan State team from Fife, including a collapse in the second half that started Indiana’s sad series.
From Fife’s perspective, however, it was not just the numbers in the column for win and loss that have changed since he played for IU. He noticed something bigger. And now, as an assistant coach under Mike Woodson, he called it straight Tuesday.
“I think it’s a cultural issue,” Fife said. “Not only with the program itself, but also with the fans, the media and the entire state.”
By returning to Indiana, that’s what Fife wants to help change. He thinks back to his playing days at the IU, where he was a 6-foot 4-inch guard, to explain the evolution of the IU program. Despite the success of his team at the IU, there were times when fans expressed their displeasure.
“We were yelled at and walked off the pitch with coach Knight,” said Fife. ‘… But the same people showed up next time to cheer their heads off. The balconies were filled to play a team that was a conference they had never heard of. ”
However, the dynamics in the loss of Indiana against Rutgers in the Big Ten tournament were different from what Fife was used to. Anger and chants of ‘fire Archie’ resounded from the seats. There was a restless toxicity around the program during the season.
“What I saw was just people picking and choosing at our program and everyone jumped on board, and it just created a giant, a snowball of an avalanche that could not be stopped,” Fife said. . “… It’s good to be upset, but what’s going on right now is pretty superficial.”
During his long term in Michigan, even while seeing Indiana crumble last season, Fife always knew he wanted to return to Bloomington.
But these experiences with the Spartans, learned from Hall of Famer Tom Izzo, will be invaluable to Indiana. Fife has teamed up with a variety of NBA players such as Miles Bridges, Denzel Valentine and Jaren Jackson Jr. worked. The Spartans reached the Final Four twice in office in Michigan State.
This off-season, when Woodson called, there were many reasons to turn down the job. East Lansing is 45 minutes from Fife’s hometown. His brother lives in Ann Arbor and his parents are close by. Fife’s two daughters grew up there. Plus, Fife did not have an existing relationship with Woodson.
But Fife was still planning to return to IU, and shared the same vision as Woodson to unite generations of IU fans.
“I think we will repair a lot of fences just because coach Woodson is here and connects the old ones with the little ones,” Fife said. “… We need to talk about how special this place is and should be.”
Fife has a plan to help build the program. He wants to invest in the life of his player and understand how to optimize their skills inside and outside the court.
“It’s so easy to get sidetracked, to be distracted by social media and people who just constantly peck at you when you’re not stuck in your circle,” Fife said. ‘But so are the staff. We have to look for signs, we have to be investigators. We almost have to be FBI to know what’s being thrown in these kids’ faces and going into their ears. ”
Fife also wants to embrace the Indiana community, by having players sign autographs after hand games instead of posting photos on social media. He wants to go on tour through the state, named New Castle, Kokomo and Fort Wayne among other cities, so fans can meet players.
“You realized that Trayce Jackson-Davis was one of the most beautiful children you would ever meet,” Fife said. ‘Race Thompson, amazing kid. (Rob) Phinisee, amazing kid. (Anthony) Leal, (Trey) Galloway, these are all kids who grew up just like you. ”
When Fife discussed his first appearance with the media as an assistant coach at Indiana, he made his point clear. He called everyone, including the media, and did not place the blame for Indiana’s recent shortcomings on a single factor. But if anything became clear during his 45-minute press conference, it is that Fife is doing it because he cares.
“I’m not afraid to dose a few people because it’s my program,” Fife said. “This is your program. This is Coach Woodson’s program. And if anyone has the right to criticize or strive for it, then it’s us. ‘
Filed by: Dane Fife