After four years of roaming the hallowed sidelines of Assembly Hall at his alma mater, Indiana University, Mike Woodson is returning to professional basketball.
The former Hoosiers coach has agreed to become the Sacramento Kings’ associate head coach under Doug Christie on May 7, 2025, departing the collegiate ranks where he sought to restore glory to a storied program.
Hoosiers’ Highs and Lows Under Woodson’s Leadership
Woodson’s journey from Bloomington back to the NBA represents the cyclical nature of coaching careers. He leaves behind a Hoosiers program that showed flashes of returning to national prominence.
His experience developing college talent and managing the unique challenges of collegiate athletics now adds another dimension to his extensive NBA coaching resume.
Woodson’s tenure at Indiana produced an 82-53 overall record across four seasons with the program reaching the NCAA Tournament in his first two years. The Hoosiers finished second in the Big Ten during the 2022-23 campaign with a 23-12 record, sparking hope among the passionate fan base that Indiana basketball was ascending.
Even with winning records during his stay there, he failed to reach the NCAA Tournament in two of Woodson’s final seasons in Indiana. Ultimately, that disappointment turned into the February 2025 announcement that he would step down at season’s end, when Darian DeVries took over as head coach of the program.
Woodson’s greatest strength at Indiana was his player development prowess helping several Hoosiers advance to the NBA. Under his guidance talents like Kel’el Ware, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis developed into professional prospects.
As an Indiana basketball legend himself, Woodson was the 1980 Big Ten Player of the Year and an All-American under Bob Knight, so returning to his alma mater was special.
College Experience Shapes NBA Return
Woodson’s four-year immersion in college basketball adds valuable perspective to his coaching toolkit as he joins the Kings. His experience recruiting, developing young talent, and navigating the demands of a passionate college fanbase provides skills that translate well to managing professional players and expectations.
Before returning home to Indiana in 2021, Woodson had spent over 20 years coaching NBA basketball. His resume includes assistant jobs with several franchises and head coaching stints with the Hawks and Knicks. As an NBA head coach, he posted 315 wins in 680 games.
The Kings’ decision to bring Woodson aboard signals their interest in a coach who understands both player development and the pressures of coaching in highly exciting environments. Sacramento, like Indiana, has a passionate fan base hungry for a return to basketball prominence.
Woodson’s playing connection to Sacramento adds another dimension to this coaching transition. He played four seasons with the Kansas City/Sacramento Kings from 1982-86, including when the Kings were part of the original roster before relocating to California’s capital.
For the Kings, Woodson offers collegiate-developing mentorship to a coaching staff that is trying to grow young talent while improving from an inconsistent 2024-25 season. Under Christie’s interim leadership, the team showed initial promise before struggling down the stretch.
KEEP READING: Former Indiana HC Mike Woodson Emerges As Top Candidate for Sacramento Kings Assistant Role
Now transitioning from the college game back to the NBA, Woodson has some valuable lessons from four years of being a college coach, coaching professional players, developing three or four players a season, and now assisting a franchise just trying to change the culture back to winning.
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