Crean elevates titles of four members of coaching staff

Indiana men’s basketball Head Coach Tom Crean has elevated the titles of four members of his staff, the IU athletic department announced Wednesday.

Assistant coaches Tim Buckley and Steve McClain have been elevated to the position of associate head coach, while fellow assistant coach Kenny Johnson added the title of recruiting coordinator to his resume.

Calbert Chaeney was named director of internal and external player development in addition to his position as director of basketball operations.

“The chemistry inside of your program starts with the chemistry of your staff from top to bottom,” Crean said in a press release.  “Everyone in our program continues to work in a diligent and energized pace to keep IU on a continual rise.”

Buckley, who is entering his fifth year with IU, worked with Crean at Marquette during the 2007-08 season. The Golden Eagles made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament that year.

Prior to his season in Milwaukee, Buckley was head coach at Ball State from 2000-2006. He later followed Crean back to the Hoosier state in April 2008 to reunite with his former boss.

Indiana is the third Big Ten school Buckley has worked with over his 20-plus year career following stops at Iowa and Wisconsin.

“It’s a great honor,” Buckley said in the release.  “Our staff has been through a lot of things here over the past four years, so I think part of that comes from the success that we’ve had this past season and hopefully for the future, and it’s one that I’m very appreciative of.”

McClain boasts more than 29 years of collegiate coaching experience and is entering his third year as a member of the Hoosier coaching staff. He came to IU after three seasons at Colorado and a stint as head coach of Wyoming from 1998-2007.

Prior to Wyoming, McClain was an assistant at TCU and won a junior college national title while head coach of Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kan.

“I think, as we all talk about the staff, I don’t think anyone worries about what their titles are,” McClain said in the release. “I think the one thing that makes this staff so strong is the fact that everybody works the same every day for the same goals every day. It’s a great compliment, yet it’s a compliment of our whole staff.”

Johnson, who spent time as a high school assistant coach and on the AAU circuit, will enter his first season with IU and will immediately be charged with using that background to help the Hoosiers recruit.

“Being with the guys on staff here, just having an opportunity to work with them as well as learn from them, has been a great benefit for me,” Johnson said in a release.  “It is a privilege to earn that title and have that label. Working in coordination with the guys, we all do a little bit of everything on staff.”

Johnson joined the Hoosier coaching staff this past spring after leaving Towson.

Chaeney returned to his alma mater last summer after spending 13 years as a player in the NBA and one season as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors.

“We knew Calbert would have an immediate impact on our program but he has surpassed our expectations with what he has brought to the program,” Crean said in the release.

— Joe Popely