Treloar leaves IU for position at LSU

In a spiral of change, another familiar face has left the Hoosier basketball program. \nIU associate head coach John Treloar has accepted an assistant coaching position at Louisiana State University under long-time friend and Tigers coach John Brady.\n"Growing up in the south, growing up following SEC basketball as a kid and so forth, it was something that was interesting for me," Treloar said.\nCoach Brady made the announcement at a Monday press conference by Brady, but a trip down to Baton Rouge by Treloar and his wife Sunday sealed the deal.\n"My wife went down, and that was the final piece," he said. "Coach Brady, myself and (Athletics Director) Skip Bertman had spoken before that point. But my wife had a chance to see the area."\nTreloar begins his coaching duties at LSU July 1. \nTreloar has spent the past seven years at IU, serving as an assistant to Bobby Knight and associate head coach to Mike Davis. \n"John Treloar brings a wealth of background to our program in terms of being a basketball coach," Brady said during Monday's press conference. \nHe also spent eight years as a coach in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), and also coached overseas in Germany during the 1980s. \nEarlier this year, Treloar interviewed with Southern Mississippi and Southern Methodist for their head coaching positions, but was not selected for either.\nTreloar said the move to the purple and gold wasn't something that he had planned.\nThe Clinton, Miss., native doesn't look at LSU as a stepping stone, but more as another experience. \n"I think having a chance in a different conference than the Big Ten will certainly help me. You get a chance to compete against a lot of new people, new coaches, athletic directors and so forth," he said.\nTreloar's exit south comes at a rebuilding time for the IU men's basketball program. After missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 18 years, many Hoosier faithful questioned Davis' ability to lead the Hoosiers. But Treloar said there was nothing that IU did to cause him to leave.\n"(My experience at IU) was nothing but positive," he said. "I had the chance to work under coach Knight and learn under him. I worked under coach Davis, which was a great experience, and I had the chance to work with some great kids through my years here at Indiana."\nFor Treloar, the road to LSU began accidentally. \nDavis had contacted Brady about one of his assistant coaches, and the conversation eventually turned to Treloar -- Brady's college teammate at Belhaven College. \nTreloar and Brady then touched base and began catching up, and the pair began talking about Treloar coaching at LSU. \nTreloar looks back at his time at IU without harsh feelings. \n"Certainly the national championship run, competing in the national championship game. It's something not a lot of coaches and players have a chance to do," he said. "The experience of competing with all the IU players I've competed with, I have nothing but the fondest of memories." \nTreloar's departure comes just days after former Utah interim head coach Kerry Rupp was hired by Davis as an assistant coach. \nTreloar returned from Louisiana Tuesday afternoon and had yet to speak with Davis, but is assured that he has the coach's support.\n"I think coach Davis supports (me), just like he does any of his players," Treloar said. "I think he is supportive as I am of him, as he is of all his players."\nTreloar said he will still cheer for the Hoosiers except under one condition.\n"IU has a great basketball program, but there's only one time I won't be pulling for the Hoosiers -- and that's when LSU plays Indiana in the NCAA Tournament."\n-- Contact Editor in Chief Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu. The Associated Press contributed to this story.