Tom Crean (basketball coach)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Aaron "Tom" Crean (born March 25, 1966) is an American college basketball
coach. He is currently the head coach
of the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
team. His previous head coaching job was at Marquette University
(1999–2008), where the program had averaged 20 wins a year, won a conference championship, and made six postseason appearances, including the 2003 NCAA
Final Four
, the program's third appearance all-time and first since 1977
.
, where he played basketball for four years. According to Crean, "I didn't play a lot, but I knew I wanted to coach." While a student at Central Michigan University
, Crean was an assistant coach at Mount Pleasant High School
for five seasons, and at Alma College
. Crean received his bachelor's degree in parks and recreation
from Central Michigan in 1989.
Crean is married to Joani Harbaugh, who he met through a mutual friend, Ron Burns, at a gym where she was working as an aerobics instructor. Her father, Jack Harbaugh
, was the head football coach at Western Kentucky University at the time Crean was an assistant basketball coach. She is also the sister of the first pair of brothers to serve as head coaches in NFL
history: Baltimore Ravens
head football coach John Harbaugh and San Francisco 49ers
head football coach Jim Harbaugh
(a former quarterback at both the University of Michigan
and in the NFL). Crean and his wife have three children: Megan, Riley, and Ainsley.
as a graduate assistant coach at Michigan State University
during the 1989-1990 season, at the behest of then assistant coach Tom Izzo
, whom Crean had befriended on the summer camp circuit. He was also a scout for two years, earning the trust of recruiting guru Bob Gibbons
. That season the Spartans
won the Big Ten
title
and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. Keith Key led all scorers with 91 points.
at Western Kentucky University
. In 1993, Western Kentucky beat Penny Hardaway
and Memphis
and then upset second-seeded Seton Hall
to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16. Western Kentucky then lost to Florida State
in overtime. When Willard left to become head coach at the University of Pittsburgh in 1994, Crean was considered for the position of Willard's replacement before the selection of Jacksonville University
head coach Matt Kilcullen
.
, a job that went to UCLA assistant coach Mark Gottfried
.
. He directed the staff's preparation for opponents, and wrote reports identifying several aspects on each of the opponent's players. He also handled the substitutions, called many of the plays, and formulated a play sheet that used a lot of pro sets on offense. While Crean was at Michigan State, the Spartans compiled an 88–41 record. Michigan State later went on to honor Crean with a 2000 National Championship ring; even though he wasn't on the staff at the time, he'd helped recruit many of the players on the title team.
, beating out a number of candidates, including Duke University
assistant coach Quin Snyder
, Butler University
head coach Barry Collier
, and former University of Iowa coach Tom Davis
and Steve Alford
. Marquette had been looking for a young coach and a successful recruiter from a successful program after firing Mike Deane
on March 5. Robert A. Wild, Marquette president, said Crean possessed everything the university was looking for, including "great recruiting ability, knowledge of the Midwest, successful coaching experience, a tremendous work ethic." No players decided to transfer as a result of the coaching change. According to Crean, "Once Marquette became available, that's where my sights were. I had unbelievable respect for the tradition and the name. When I thought of Marquette, I thought of a true basketball school and to me that had a lot to do with it."
Crean immediately made a number of changes at Marquette, creating a new team image by increasing the significance of the team's media day and instituting a "Midnight Madness" event commonly held by schools on the night teams are allowed to begin practice. Crean's first recruiting class was considered by experts to be among the top twenty in the country, Marquette's first in a long time.
, where the team lost in the first round at Xavier
. The team posted an identical record its next season, but did not play in the post season. Crean was chosen by USA Basketball
to be one of eight coaches for the 2001 USA Basketball men's national team trials in Colorado Springs in June 2001.
In the 2001-2002 season, Marquette came in second place in Conference USA in the regular season and the conference tournament behind the play of Cordell Henry and Dwyane Wade
. The season ended with a 71–69 loss to Tulsa
in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Marquette's first appearance since 1997. The team finished with a 26–7 record, the highest victory total by a Marquette team since 1975–1976. Crean was named Conference USA
coach of the year, and signed a long-term contract extension.
, Marquette beat Holy Cross
, coached by Ralph Willard
, 72–68, led by Travis Diener
's 29 points. In the second round, Dwyane Wade scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half, and freshman Steve Novak
hit three three-pointers in the game's last six minutes to propel the Golden Eagles to a 101–92 overtime victory over Missouri
. At Minneapolis
, Marquette ended Pittsburgh's 11-game winning streak, beating the Panthers 77-74. In the Midwest Regional final, Marquette beat number-one ranked Kentucky
83–69, led by Wade's first triple-double at any level. Marquette lost 94-61 to Kansas in the national semifinal. The team was "overwhelmed and outmatched at nearly every spot," and shot only 31 percent from the field.
Crean has referred to the team's run as "one of the greatest four or five days of my life." He was named Conference USA coach of the year for the second year in a row, and signed a long-term contract extension after the season. Later that year, Marquette accepted an offer to leave Conference USA for the Big East Conference
after the 2004–2005 season. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese
cited his friendship with Crean as contributing to the invitation, saying, "That, to me, was one of the great appeals, to get Tommy as well as Marquette into the league."
The team suffered a slide backward the next season, however. Though Diener, Novak, and freshman guard Dameon Mason took leaps forward, most of the rest of the returnees showed little or no development. Crean's 2003–2004 recruiting class also struggled, with the exception of Mason. The team lost to Iowa State in the quarterfinals of the NIT. The unsatisfying season was the first time since 1998 that a team had reached the Final Four and not made the NCAA Tournament the next year, an unexpected fall despite losing players Wade and Robert Jackson
.
Crean served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball's under-20 team in the FIBA Americas World Championship. The team won its second title since the tournament began in 1993. Crean suffered a torn disc in September 2004, the culmination of a number of issues he'd dealt with over the course of his coaching career, most notably sciatic nerve problems.
Plagued by difficulty handling trapping and presses and a late season injury to Diener, Marquette's 2004-2005 team finished 19-12. The season ended with one of the most humbling losses of Crean's tenure, a 54-40 home loss to Western Michigan in the first round of the NIT.
, Wesley Matthews
, and Jerel McNeal
into the starting lineup, and compensate for a lack of talent on the inside as Marquette played its inaugural season in the expanded Big East Conference
. Crean guided the Golden Eagles to a 20-9 regular season, a 10-6 mark and fourth-place finish in the Big East just four months after they were picked to finish 12th. The season's defining moment came in the team's Big East opening game, when they beat No. 2-ranked Connecticut
94-79. Marquette lost to Alabama 90-85 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
In September 2006, Crean signed a contract extension through the 2016-2017 season, keeping him in the upper echelon of college basketball coaches in the country. Marquette opened the 2006-2007 season ranked 12th in the Blue Ribbon Yearbook pre-season top 25. Early in the season, Marquette beat Texas Tech
and Duke on consecutive days to win the CBE Classic. They finished the regular season in sixth place in the Big East Conference. The season ended with a 61–49 loss in the NCAA Tournament to Michigan State, coached by Izzo. Marquette, playing without their star Jerel McNeal (broken wrist), did not score in the game's first nine minutes.
In the 2007–08 season, Marquette opened the campaign with a 10–1 record including a win at University Wisconsin–Madison. Injuries to forwards Trevor Mbakwe, Dan Fitzgerald and guard Dominic James kept the Golden Eagles at just 3–3 in the Big East to start, but Marquette would win 8 of their next 12 to finish 5th in the conference. The Big East tournament saw them win two games over Seton Hall and Notre Dame before falling to tournament champion Pittsburgh. The season ended in Anaheim, California as Marquette took care of Kentucky in the first round but lost to #3 seed Stanford in overtime on a last second shot, 82–81.
who replaced former IU head coach Kelvin Sampson
who resigned on February 22 after NCAA recruiting violations.
Crean inherited a thoroughly depleted team, though partially by his own choice. Between Crean's hiring and the start of the 2008–09 season, freshman Eric Gordon
opted to leave early for the NBA as expected, and DJ White graduated. But two players transferred and three others were kicked off the team following Crean's coming on board. As a result, Crean began with a roster consisting of two returning players, one of whom was on scholarship. He did, however, bring in seven new players for 2008 including two Rivals.com
150 recruits.
With a roster that included one senior, five true freshmen, and six walk-ons, Indiana plunged to a lowly 6–25 record, the worst in school history. They also finished dead last in the eleven team Big Ten Conference with just one conference win all season, a historical first for the IU men's basketball program. The team finished the season with a 66-51 thumping by Penn State in the first round of the Big ten tournament.
For the 2009 season Tom Crean signed six recruits, including 4 ranked in the top 100 according to several basketball talent rating services. The Hoosiers finished 10-21 and tied for tenth place in the league with a 4-14 in Big Ten conference play in the coach's second season. They were again booted from the Big Ten tournament in the first round, this time a 73-58 rout by Northwestern.
In his third season, Crean and IU stepped up their philosophy of building player confidence by playing a soft non-conference schedule. Thus, the season began with a somewhat misleading 9-4 record. On January 27, 2011 Crean's Hoosiers defeated their first ranked opponent after nineteen tries by beating then-23rd ranked Illinois 52-49. Crean and Hoosier fans were celebratory after the game, with IU fans storming the floor following what used to be an expected regular-season home win. Crean then greeted the fans in the lobby, celebrating with them. "I attempted to shake hands or slap hands with everybody in the building,” said Crean afterward. Six days later the Hoosiers upset their second top 25 team, #18 Minnesota (who, like Illinois, dropped out of the Top 25) at Assembly Hall in Bloomington. Tom Pritchard and Verdell Jones III led Indiana to the 60-57 victory with 12 points each. The team lost their remaining nine games to finish with a 12-20 record.
For 2011, Indiana University signed five-star recruit Cody Zeller, their highest ranking recruit since the Sampson era. Indiana has also signed five-star recruits Kevin 'Yogi' Ferrell and Hanner Perea, both members of the much hyped, 2012 class that is ranked as high as #2 in the country by the recruiting websites.
native Wesley Matthews as the biggest factor in his decision to attend Marquette instead of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, where both of his parents had been athletes.
Crean's basketball philosophy involves defensive pressure and fast breaks. His style involves contesting each of the opponents steps on the court. Crean utilizes the halfcourt defense, and requires great ball pressure, great help, challenging shots, and defensive rebounding. Shot selection is extremely important, focusing on spacing, inside-out attacks, penetration and kick. On offense, Crean has a reputation for his magnitude of offensive sets and their multitude of options, with one opposition coach estimating about 400 different sets run.
Crean is known to excel in public relations, charming alumni and press. Crean started the tradition of Midnight Madness at Marquette, which was seen as an immediate success.Between 1999 and 2006, the team saw a 70% overall increase in attendance, three total attendance records broken, and 1.5 million fans pass through the turnstiles. According to former Marquette athletic director Bill Cords, "He's done so many things outside of basketball for the good of the community and the good of people in the state."
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach. He is currently the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU...
team. His previous head coaching job was at Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
(1999–2008), where the program had averaged 20 wins a year, won a conference championship, and made six postseason appearances, including the 2003 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Final Four
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, the program's third appearance all-time and first since 1977
1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 32 American schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the National Champion of Men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1977, and ended with the championship game on March 28 in Atlanta, Georgia. A...
.
Personal life
Crean was born and raised in Mount Pleasant, MichiganMount Pleasant, Michigan
Mount Pleasant is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Isabella County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,946. The 2008 census estimate places the population at 26,675....
, where he played basketball for four years. According to Crean, "I didn't play a lot, but I knew I wanted to coach." While a student at Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
, Crean was an assistant coach at Mount Pleasant High School
Mount Pleasant High School (Michigan)
Mount Pleasant High School is a public high school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan in the U.S. state of Michigan. It offers college preparatory courses to students in grades 9-12, technical preparatory courses from the Mount Pleasant Area Technical CenterMount Pleasant High School is a public...
for five seasons, and at Alma College
Alma College
Alma College is a private, liberal arts college located in Alma, Michigan. The enrollment is approximately 1,400 students, and the college is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college's 13th President, Dr...
. Crean received his bachelor's degree in parks and recreation
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on NBC that focuses on Leslie Knope , a mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series debuted on April 9, 2009; it has run for three seasons and...
from Central Michigan in 1989.
Crean is married to Joani Harbaugh, who he met through a mutual friend, Ron Burns, at a gym where she was working as an aerobics instructor. Her father, Jack Harbaugh
Jack Harbaugh
Jack Harbaugh is a former college football player and coach, and the father of NFL coaches Jim and John Harbaugh.-Playing career:...
, was the head football coach at Western Kentucky University at the time Crean was an assistant basketball coach. She is also the sister of the first pair of brothers to serve as head coaches in NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
history: Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
head football coach John Harbaugh and San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
head football coach Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
(a former quarterback at both the University of Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
and in the NFL). Crean and his wife have three children: Megan, Riley, and Ainsley.
Michigan State
Crean was hired by then head coach Jud HeathcoteJud Heathcote
George Melvin "Jud" Heathcote is a former college basketball coach. He was a head coach for 24 seasons at the collegiate level: five at Montana and 19 at Michigan State...
as a graduate assistant coach at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
during the 1989-1990 season, at the behest of then assistant coach Tom Izzo
Tom Izzo
Tom Izzo is an American college basketball coach. Since 1995, he has been the head coach for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, presiding over a prolonged period of success....
, whom Crean had befriended on the summer camp circuit. He was also a scout for two years, earning the trust of recruiting guru Bob Gibbons
Bob Gibbons
Bob Gibbons is a talent scout specializing in American high school basketball players. He is based in Lenoir, North Carolina.Gibbons founded All-Star Sports in 1974. Before that, he was a high school player and coach...
. That season the Spartans
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
won the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
title
Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball regular season champions
Big Ten Conference men's basketball regular season champions:-Championships by school:* Chicago withdrew from the conference in 1946.** Due to NCAA sanctions, Ohio State has vacated the records of 34 games in 1998-99, 16 games in ‘99-00 and the entire ‘00-01 and ‘01-02 seasons.-See also:* Big Ten...
and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. Keith Key led all scorers with 91 points.
Western Kentucky
Crean spent the next four seasons as an assistant coach under Ralph WillardRalph Willard
Ralph Willard is the former men's head basketball coach at the College of the Holy Cross, a member of the NCAA Patriot League in Worcester, Massachusetts. He held this position from 1999 to 2009 and was the 14th head coach in the 88-year history of Holy Cross basketball. Willard was also an...
at Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
. In 1993, Western Kentucky beat Penny Hardaway
Penny Hardaway
Anfernee Deon "Penny" Hardaway is a former American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association , specializing as a small forward, shooting guard, and point guard. His most productive years came in his days as a member of the Orlando Magic as well as the early...
and Memphis
Memphis Tigers basketball
The Memphis Tigers men's basketball team represents the University of Memphis in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The Tigers compete in Conference USA, in which they have won six regular season and four conference tournament championships. As of 2011, the Tigers have the 29th highest...
and then upset second-seeded Seton Hall
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16. Western Kentucky then lost to Florida State
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State participates in the NCAA's Division I . FSU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, and competes in the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a...
in overtime. When Willard left to become head coach at the University of Pittsburgh in 1994, Crean was considered for the position of Willard's replacement before the selection of Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, on the banks of the St. Johns River. The school was founded in 1934 as a two year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until 1958, when it shifted its focus to four-year university degrees and adopted its...
head coach Matt Kilcullen
Matt Kilcullen
Matt Kilcullen is an American former college basketball coach and current athletics administrator at the University of North Florida...
.
Pittsburgh
Crean followed Willard to Pittsburgh, serving as associate head coach for one year. While at Pittsburgh, Crean interviewed for the head coaching position at Murray State UniversityMurray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
, a job that went to UCLA assistant coach Mark Gottfried
Mark Gottfried
Mark Frederick Gottfried is an American men's college basketball coach and former player. He was named head coach of NC State on April 5, 2011....
.
Michigan State
In 1995 Crean rejoined Izzo, who had been named head coach at Michigan State. The two became such good friends that Crean lived in Izzo's house and Izzo was an usher in Crean's wedding. According to Crean at the time, "It was a great opportunity for me to go back home. We've been friends a long time. I don't think I would have left Ralph for anything else." Crean served as recruiting coordinator at Michigan State, and was the leader behind a shift in the recruitment of Michigan players to Michigan State instead of the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He directed the staff's preparation for opponents, and wrote reports identifying several aspects on each of the opponent's players. He also handled the substitutions, called many of the plays, and formulated a play sheet that used a lot of pro sets on offense. While Crean was at Michigan State, the Spartans compiled an 88–41 record. Michigan State later went on to honor Crean with a 2000 National Championship ring; even though he wasn't on the staff at the time, he'd helped recruit many of the players on the title team.
Hiring
On March 30, 1999, Crean was named head coach at Marquette UniversityMarquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
, beating out a number of candidates, including Duke University
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
assistant coach Quin Snyder
Quin Snyder
Quin Snyder is currently an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. Snyder, was formerly in charge of player development for the 76ers and accepted the role in June 2010 after coaching the NBDL's Austin Toros for three seasons...
, Butler University
Butler Bulldogs
All but one of Butler University's 19 intercollegiate teams compete in the Horizon League, along with Cleveland State, Detroit, Green Bay, Loyola, Milwaukee, UIC, Valparaiso, Wright State and Youngstown State...
head coach Barry Collier
Barry Collier (basketball coach)
Barry Collier is an American former college basketball coach. He is currently the athletic director at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was previously head men's basketball coach at Butler and at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.-References:...
, and former University of Iowa coach Tom Davis
Tom Davis (basketball)
Dr. Thomas "Dr. Tom" Davis is an American former college men's basketball coach. He served as the head coach at Lafayette College, Boston College, Stanford University, the University of Iowa, and Drake University from 1971 to 2007....
and Steve Alford
Steve Alford
Stephen Todd Alford is a retired American basketball player and the current head coach of the University of New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team...
. Marquette had been looking for a young coach and a successful recruiter from a successful program after firing Mike Deane
Mike Deane
Mike Deane was most recently head basketball coach at Wagner College. He was relieved of his duties on 3/1/2010. He previously held the same position at Siena College, Marquette University, and Lamar University. Michael Deane recorded his 400th career victory on December 15, 2007 against the...
on March 5. Robert A. Wild, Marquette president, said Crean possessed everything the university was looking for, including "great recruiting ability, knowledge of the Midwest, successful coaching experience, a tremendous work ethic." No players decided to transfer as a result of the coaching change. According to Crean, "Once Marquette became available, that's where my sights were. I had unbelievable respect for the tradition and the name. When I thought of Marquette, I thought of a true basketball school and to me that had a lot to do with it."
Crean immediately made a number of changes at Marquette, creating a new team image by increasing the significance of the team's media day and instituting a "Midnight Madness" event commonly held by schools on the night teams are allowed to begin practice. Crean's first recruiting class was considered by experts to be among the top twenty in the country, Marquette's first in a long time.
Early seasons
Marquette was 15-14 under Crean in his first season, and played in the National Invitation TournamentNational Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
, where the team lost in the first round at Xavier
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
. The team posted an identical record its next season, but did not play in the post season. Crean was chosen by USA Basketball
USA Basketball
USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States Olympic Committee...
to be one of eight coaches for the 2001 USA Basketball men's national team trials in Colorado Springs in June 2001.
In the 2001-2002 season, Marquette came in second place in Conference USA in the regular season and the conference tournament behind the play of Cordell Henry and Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. nicknamed Flash or D-Wade, is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. Awarded 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, Wade has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league...
. The season ended with a 71–69 loss to Tulsa
Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball
The University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane basketball team represents the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team participates in Conference USA. The men’s team is currently coached by Doug Wojcik....
in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Marquette's first appearance since 1997. The team finished with a 26–7 record, the highest victory total by a Marquette team since 1975–1976. Crean was named Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
coach of the year, and signed a long-term contract extension.
Final Four and after
Despite losing three players in the off-season, Marquette won the Conference USA regular season championship. In the first round of the NCAA tournament in IndianapolisIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Marquette beat Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
, coached by Ralph Willard
Ralph Willard
Ralph Willard is the former men's head basketball coach at the College of the Holy Cross, a member of the NCAA Patriot League in Worcester, Massachusetts. He held this position from 1999 to 2009 and was the 14th head coach in the 88-year history of Holy Cross basketball. Willard was also an...
, 72–68, led by Travis Diener
Travis Diener
Travis Lyle Diener is an American professional basketball player who used to play in the NBA. In August 2010, he was signed by Dinamo Sassari .-Biography:...
's 29 points. In the second round, Dwyane Wade scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half, and freshman Steve Novak
Steve Novak
Steve Novak is an American professional basketball player who last played with the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association. He is listed as 6'10", 240 lbs. He played college basketball in the NCAA at Marquette University...
hit three three-pointers in the game's last six minutes to propel the Golden Eagles to a 101–92 overtime victory over Missouri
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
. At Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Marquette ended Pittsburgh's 11-game winning streak, beating the Panthers 77-74. In the Midwest Regional final, Marquette beat number-one ranked Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...
83–69, led by Wade's first triple-double at any level. Marquette lost 94-61 to Kansas in the national semifinal. The team was "overwhelmed and outmatched at nearly every spot," and shot only 31 percent from the field.
Crean has referred to the team's run as "one of the greatest four or five days of my life." He was named Conference USA coach of the year for the second year in a row, and signed a long-term contract extension after the season. Later that year, Marquette accepted an offer to leave Conference USA for the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
after the 2004–2005 season. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese
Mike Tranghese
Michael "Mike" Tranghese was the commissioner of the Big East Conference and helped create the conference as founder Dave Gavitt's right-hand man in 1979.Tranghese retired as commissioner in the spring of 2009. John Marinatto succeeded him as commissioner....
cited his friendship with Crean as contributing to the invitation, saying, "That, to me, was one of the great appeals, to get Tommy as well as Marquette into the league."
The team suffered a slide backward the next season, however. Though Diener, Novak, and freshman guard Dameon Mason took leaps forward, most of the rest of the returnees showed little or no development. Crean's 2003–2004 recruiting class also struggled, with the exception of Mason. The team lost to Iowa State in the quarterfinals of the NIT. The unsatisfying season was the first time since 1998 that a team had reached the Final Four and not made the NCAA Tournament the next year, an unexpected fall despite losing players Wade and Robert Jackson
Robert Jackson
Robert Jackson may refer to:*Robert Jackson , Australian Army general during World War II*Robert Jackson , British musician*Robert Jackson , US political figure in New York City...
.
Crean served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball's under-20 team in the FIBA Americas World Championship. The team won its second title since the tournament began in 1993. Crean suffered a torn disc in September 2004, the culmination of a number of issues he'd dealt with over the course of his coaching career, most notably sciatic nerve problems.
Plagued by difficulty handling trapping and presses and a late season injury to Diener, Marquette's 2004-2005 team finished 19-12. The season ended with one of the most humbling losses of Crean's tenure, a 54-40 home loss to Western Michigan in the first round of the NIT.
Big East Conference
The 2005–2006 season was considered by some to be Crean's best coaching performance. He had to replace Diener, the team's leader, integrate freshmen Dominic JamesDominic James
Dominic James is an American basketball player. James' career with the Marquette University Golden Eagles men's basketball team was thought to have ended a few weeks prematurely when he broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot during the Golden Eagles' loss to Connecticut on February 25,...
, Wesley Matthews
Wesley Matthews
Wesley Matthews, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles...
, and Jerel McNeal
Jerel McNeal
Jerel McNeal is an American professional basketball shooting guard with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League. In March 2011, McNeal signed a brief 10 day contract with the New Orleans Hornets. In college, McNeal played with the Marquette Golden Eagles...
into the starting lineup, and compensate for a lack of talent on the inside as Marquette played its inaugural season in the expanded Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
. Crean guided the Golden Eagles to a 20-9 regular season, a 10-6 mark and fourth-place finish in the Big East just four months after they were picked to finish 12th. The season's defining moment came in the team's Big East opening game, when they beat No. 2-ranked Connecticut
Connecticut Huskies
The Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut in the United States. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Ice...
94-79. Marquette lost to Alabama 90-85 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
In September 2006, Crean signed a contract extension through the 2016-2017 season, keeping him in the upper echelon of college basketball coaches in the country. Marquette opened the 2006-2007 season ranked 12th in the Blue Ribbon Yearbook pre-season top 25. Early in the season, Marquette beat Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
and Duke on consecutive days to win the CBE Classic. They finished the regular season in sixth place in the Big East Conference. The season ended with a 61–49 loss in the NCAA Tournament to Michigan State, coached by Izzo. Marquette, playing without their star Jerel McNeal (broken wrist), did not score in the game's first nine minutes.
In the 2007–08 season, Marquette opened the campaign with a 10–1 record including a win at University Wisconsin–Madison. Injuries to forwards Trevor Mbakwe, Dan Fitzgerald and guard Dominic James kept the Golden Eagles at just 3–3 in the Big East to start, but Marquette would win 8 of their next 12 to finish 5th in the conference. The Big East tournament saw them win two games over Seton Hall and Notre Dame before falling to tournament champion Pittsburgh. The season ended in Anaheim, California as Marquette took care of Kentucky in the first round but lost to #3 seed Stanford in overtime on a last second shot, 82–81.
Indiana University
Crean was hired on April 1, 2008 as head coach of the Hoosiers. He succeeded interim head coach Dan DakichDan Dakich
Dan Dakich is an American college basketball coach, most recently serving as the interim head coach at Indiana University, following Kelvin Sampson's resignation due to NCAA recruiting violations...
who replaced former IU head coach Kelvin Sampson
Kelvin Sampson
Kelvin Sampson is an assistant coach of the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. He previously was a men's college basketball coach at Montana Tech , Washington State University , the University of Oklahoma and Indiana University .-Early life and coaching:Sampson was born in the...
who resigned on February 22 after NCAA recruiting violations.
Crean inherited a thoroughly depleted team, though partially by his own choice. Between Crean's hiring and the start of the 2008–09 season, freshman Eric Gordon
Eric Gordon
Eric Ambrose Gordon, Jr. , nicknamed "EJ", is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. In high school, he was named "Mr. Basketball" of Indiana during his senior year while playing at North Central High School...
opted to leave early for the NBA as expected, and DJ White graduated. But two players transferred and three others were kicked off the team following Crean's coming on board. As a result, Crean began with a roster consisting of two returning players, one of whom was on scholarship. He did, however, bring in seven new players for 2008 including two Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
150 recruits.
With a roster that included one senior, five true freshmen, and six walk-ons, Indiana plunged to a lowly 6–25 record, the worst in school history. They also finished dead last in the eleven team Big Ten Conference with just one conference win all season, a historical first for the IU men's basketball program. The team finished the season with a 66-51 thumping by Penn State in the first round of the Big ten tournament.
For the 2009 season Tom Crean signed six recruits, including 4 ranked in the top 100 according to several basketball talent rating services. The Hoosiers finished 10-21 and tied for tenth place in the league with a 4-14 in Big Ten conference play in the coach's second season. They were again booted from the Big Ten tournament in the first round, this time a 73-58 rout by Northwestern.
In his third season, Crean and IU stepped up their philosophy of building player confidence by playing a soft non-conference schedule. Thus, the season began with a somewhat misleading 9-4 record. On January 27, 2011 Crean's Hoosiers defeated their first ranked opponent after nineteen tries by beating then-23rd ranked Illinois 52-49. Crean and Hoosier fans were celebratory after the game, with IU fans storming the floor following what used to be an expected regular-season home win. Crean then greeted the fans in the lobby, celebrating with them. "I attempted to shake hands or slap hands with everybody in the building,” said Crean afterward. Six days later the Hoosiers upset their second top 25 team, #18 Minnesota (who, like Illinois, dropped out of the Top 25) at Assembly Hall in Bloomington. Tom Pritchard and Verdell Jones III led Indiana to the 60-57 victory with 12 points each. The team lost their remaining nine games to finish with a 12-20 record.
For 2011, Indiana University signed five-star recruit Cody Zeller, their highest ranking recruit since the Sampson era. Indiana has also signed five-star recruits Kevin 'Yogi' Ferrell and Hanner Perea, both members of the much hyped, 2012 class that is ranked as high as #2 in the country by the recruiting websites.
Coaching philosophy
Crean established a reputation as a strong recruiter, selling recruits on the notion of joining a family and making sure that players' families are involved in the program. While at Marquette, Crean had been considered by some to be one of college basketball's best talent evaluators. Crean's attention was cited by MadisonMadison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
native Wesley Matthews as the biggest factor in his decision to attend Marquette instead of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball
The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at the Kohl Center, located on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in Madison, Wisconsin....
, where both of his parents had been athletes.
Crean's basketball philosophy involves defensive pressure and fast breaks. His style involves contesting each of the opponents steps on the court. Crean utilizes the halfcourt defense, and requires great ball pressure, great help, challenging shots, and defensive rebounding. Shot selection is extremely important, focusing on spacing, inside-out attacks, penetration and kick. On offense, Crean has a reputation for his magnitude of offensive sets and their multitude of options, with one opposition coach estimating about 400 different sets run.
Crean is known to excel in public relations, charming alumni and press. Crean started the tradition of Midnight Madness at Marquette, which was seen as an immediate success.Between 1999 and 2006, the team saw a 70% overall increase in attendance, three total attendance records broken, and 1.5 million fans pass through the turnstiles. According to former Marquette athletic director Bill Cords, "He's done so many things outside of basketball for the good of the community and the good of people in the state."
Coaching tree
A number of Crean's assistants have become head coaches elsewhere.- Tim BuckleyTim Buckley (coach)Tim Buckley is a current assistant coach at Indiana University. Buckley was the former head coach at Ball State University. He is best known for leading the Cardinals to upset wins over Kansas and UCLA during the 2001 Maui Invitational...
– formerly Ball State UniversityBall State CardinalsBall State University's athletic teams are called the Cardinals. The Cardinals are part of the NCAA Mid-American Conference and located in Muncie, Indiana... - Tod KowalczykTod KowalczykTod Kowalczyk is an American college basketball coach and current head men's basketball coach at the University of Toledo. He was the head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay from 2002–10, before accepting the head coaching position at Toledo on March 30, 2010.- Career record...
– University of ToledoUniversity of ToledoThe University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...
, formerly University of Wisconsin–Green Bay - Darrin HornDarrin Horn-External links:*...
– South CarolinaSouth Carolina Gamecocks men's basketballThe South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in the Southeastern Conference. The program attained national prominence under hall of fame coach Frank McGuire, posting a 205-65 record and three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances from 1967-1976... - Kyle Green – Lewis UniversityLewis UniversityLewis University is a private Roman Catholic and Lasallian university located in Romeoville, Illinois, United States . The enrollment is currently around 6,800 students...