Former IU men's head basketball coach Tom Crean spoke out for the first time since being fired from IU, and talked with Sports Illustrated in a story published online Tuesday morning to discuss his firing and his future.
Crean remained positive about his time at IU but said he has not spoken with IU Athletics Director Fred Glass since Glass made the decision to fire Crean.
“I love Indiana,” Crean told SI. “I loved it here. That’s not going to change. You can’t go loving something every day for nine years and then suddenly hate it.”
According to the article, Crean’s agent sent him a text last Wednesday night that indicated he would likely be let go the next morning. When Glass reached out to Crean via text Thursday morning, Crean declined to meet with him in person. Later that day Glass announced Crean’s firing at a press conference while the former coach traveled to Florida for a vacation with his family.
Moving forward, SI said Crean is avoiding any feelings of self-pity, and the 50-year-old coach also talked about what he would look for in his next job.
“A good job, a great job, those all come down to the alignment,” Crean said. “Resources are important. Facilities are important. Tradition is important. Fan bases are important. Where can you recruit is important. But alignment is key. That, for me, is what you’re looking for.”
Andrew Hussey
