How a “process-oriented” Darian DeVries plans to bring IU basketball to prominence

Darian DeVries wasn’t shy about it: He wants Indiana basketball to win now.

Indiana introduced its 31st head coach in program history on Wednesday and DeVries was upfront about his intentions. He has a blueprint, an aligned vision with athletic director Scott Dolson and the program, to build and maintain success.

So, what are his priorities for achieving success?

Building a team, not a collection of players

This past season, IU boasted one of the most coveted – and expensive – transfer portal classes in the nation heading into the year. A second consecutive missed NCAA tournament later, it was evident that despite the undeniable talent of each player, not every piece fit together.

DeVries doesn’t want that to happen.

“I think the biggest thing you and where you can get yourself in trouble is you’re not building a collection of players,” DeVries said. “You have to build a team, and a team has to be able to fit together, play together, win together, be able to function together.”

Last season at West Virginia, DeVries brought in eight transfers in addition to three high school recruits and converted a nine-win team into a 19-13 crew. Even without a star player, DeVries’ son Tucker, the Mountaineers were the first team out of the NCAA tournament and arguably a snub.

CBS’ Matt Norlander reported Indiana is estimated to have an NIL and revenue-sharing pool of over $7 million available to assemble a team. DeVries reportedly had $3 million to assemble his roster last season at West Virginia, so the resources available in Bloomington represent a significant upgrade.

That being said, DeVries understands that talent alone doesn’t always translate. It takes more.

“Resources certainly are a huge part of giving you those opportunities, but resources do not win games,” he said. “We want to be a very process-oriented program with a core fabric built around that work.”

Following his recipe and winning early

Yes, this one is obvious. No incoming coach is going to say they won’t win.

But DeVries has walked the walk. He strung together six consecutive 20+ win seasons from the get-go at Drake and had a significant improvement in his sole season at West Virginia.

“I think it’s on the front end,” he said. “When you’re very particular about the guys you recruit and don’t give into it, the process is the process. Your standards are your standards. Make sure that when we go out that we’re not making exceptions to what we believe is important.”

DeVries touched a bit on his philosophies – highlighting having multiple shooters on the floor, scoring early in the shot clock on broken defenses and playing rigid, tough-nosed defense.

One thing is true: he’s won wherever he’s been.

Like he dealt with at West Virginia, DeVries has a difficult task to reconstruct IU’s roster. Three significant seniors – Trey Galloway, Anthony Leal and Oumar Ballo – have no remaining eligibility. Malik Reneau and Gabe Cupps are already in the transfer portal.

But DeVries oozed with confidence in his plan, as did Dolson in his decision. The new coach plans on building sustainable success and he plans on doing so from day one.

Operating as coach and CEO

As university president Pam Whitten introduced DeVries, she highlighted three traits DeVries checked off. One was to demonstrate how to be a CEO of a basketball organization amidst the current college athletics landscape.

When asked to expand on the topic, DeVries stressed the importance of unity.

“I want there to be a connectivity from every single person that touches our program,” he said. “That’s what I think a good CEO does. He empowers everybody to be the best they can be, and they’re all striving to do that because they know they get the opportunity to be themselves and to grow within our program.”

By the end of Woodson’s tenure, it was clear that there was an irreparable divide between Woodson, the fan base and even the athletic department. This had a visible effect on the program’s image and, at times, the production on the court.

Having endured a similar cycle at the end of the Archie Miller era, Indiana is stuck in the same dreadful cycle. If DeVries can implement his goal and find success, that would not be the case.

DeVries may not be the “home run hire” fans hoped for. He’s certainly not flashy and isn’t a household name.

However, he brings a successful track record to Bloomington and he also has a plan. He’s followed the same blueprint since taking his first head coaching job in 2018 and hasn’t looked back. Now, he has to showcase its effectiveness in one of the brightest coaching spotlights in the nation.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

Category: Media

Filed to: Darian DeVries