Report: Tom Crean agrees to 2 more years

The Indianapolis Star reported Monday that IU coach Tom Crean received a two-year contract extension until the 2017-2018 season, although the coach has yet to sign an actual contract with the University. IU officials declined comment about the status of the contract.

When he was hired April 1, Crean signed a memorandum of understanding with the University outlining an eight-year deal worth an average of $2.3 million per year. The memorandum set a target date of May 15 for an actual contract to be signed; however, the two parties have not officially agreed to a contract.

Crean has been busy this summer overhauling the roster – only two players will return from last year’s Hoosier squad – and reaching out to former members of the Hoosiers to reunite the program.

When reached for comment, Crean said in a statement that he hoped the actual contract would be completed soon.

“As soon as the long form contract is finished it will be released,” Crean said in the statement. “To date, I am comfortable with the progress that is being made with finalizing the details of my contract and look forward to its completion.”

The Indianapolis Star report did not include any details about the additional two years. It is uncertain why the parties agreed to additional years, but the picture surrounding the on-going NCAA investigation of the program and former coach Kelvin Sampson has become somewhat clearer since Crean joined the Hoosiers. Last month the NCAA issued a sixth allegation against the program for “failure to monitor,” so Crean may be seeking more security in his contract if the program were to receive additional NCAA sanctions.