Tom Crean
Indiana University
Coach Crean is a native of Mr. Pleasant Michigan. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Parks and Recreation with a minor in Psychology. Crean got his start in coaching at the Division 1 level by serving on Jud Heathcoat’s staff at Michigan State. He served in assistant positions at Pittsburgh and Western Kentucky before returning to Michigan State as an assistant to Tom Izzo. He became the head coach at Marquette University in 1999. In his nine years leading the Marquette program Cream’s teams averaged over 20 wins a season and five NCAA tournament appearances including the 2003 “Final Four”. In the process Crean has earned numerous National Coach of the Year awards. On April 2, 2008, Crean was named coach at Indiana University and began the task of rebuilding the proud Hoosier Tradition. Coach Crean is a tireless worker who expects the best and gets the most out of his players. He has a real passion for the game of basketball. He respects the tradition of IU Basketball and has embraced the challenge of restoring the program to national prominence.
Lin Dunn
Indiana Fever
Coach Lin Dunn has 525 wins as a college and professional coach. She is well chronicled as one of the nation’s foremost pioneers of women’s basketball and one of the most prominent coaches and leaders. Before joining the professional ranks, Dunn was probably best known for her coaching efforts at Purdue. During her nine seasons, 1988-1996, she led the Boilermakers to three Big 10 Championships, seven NCAA tournaments, four Sweet 16 appearances and a trip to the “Final Four” in 1994. On the national level she served on the USA basketball staff for the 1992 Olympics and 1990 gold medal winning World Championship and Goodwill Games. She was head coach of the 1995 bronze medal winning USA Jones Cup team and also served for eight years on the USA Basketball team selection committee. Coach Dunn has held various positions in the Fever organization and became the fourth Fever head coach in franchise history when she was named on December 12, 2007.
John Groce
Ohio University
The Danville, IN native began his coaching career as an assistant coach at his Alma Mater Taylor University. He helped the Trojans to a 29-5 record and a #1 national ranking in 1994. Coach broke into Division 1 basketball as a member of Herb Sendek's staff at N.C. State in 1996. He then joined Thad Matta’s staff at Butler University, Xavier University, and Ohio State University where he helped lead the Buckeyes to the 2007 NCAA National Championship game and the 2008 NIT title.
In 2008, Coach Groce was recognized by both Fox Sports and Rivals.com as one of the nations top assistants. He has reached the post-season tournament 13 times in his 14 years on the collegiate sidelines. After more than a decade as an assistant or associate head coach, he spent the past season as head coach of the Ohio University Bobcats.
Chris Lowery
Southern Illinois University
Coach Lowery was a catalyst for the 1993 and 1994 SIU teams that reached the NCAA tournament. A scrappy hustling player, he still ranks among the school’s career leaders in scoring, assists and steals. He returned to his Alma Mater as an assistant coach under Bruce Weber in 2002 during SIU’s NCAA Sweet 16 Tournament run. Coach was named SIU head coach in 2004. In his first season, he led the Salukis to 27 wins, a MVC Conference regular season crown and became the youngest coach at age 32 to ever win the Missouri Valley Confernce Coach of the Year award. Under Coach Lowery’s leadership, SIU has earned a reputation for playing outstanding man to man defense. CBS analyst Seth Davis was quoted “I’ve said for years that no school plays better fundamental man to man defense than Southern Illinois”.
Billy Taylor
Ball State University
Coach Taylor is a 1995 graduate of Notre Dame and the Irish Mens' basketball team captain as a senior. He was an assistant coach at North Carolina – Greensboro and Notre Dame. In his first season as head coach in 2002-2003 at Lehigh, he guided the Mountain Hawks to the second largest turnaround in the nation, improving on the previous year’s record by 11 wins. He was selected back to back Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2004 becoming the first coach since Gonzaga’s Mark Few to win conference coach of the year honors in each of his first two seasons as head coach.
Coach Taylor just completed his second season as Ball State’s head coach. He and his staff are working very hard laying the foundation for the Cardinals program, a foundation that is rooted in four traits – character, commitment, mental toughness, and dedication.
