Report: Crean given 2-year contract extension

[Tim Solon]

Before ever coaching a single game for the Indiana Hoosiers, the Indy Star has reported that new head coach Tom Crean has been given a 2-year contract extension. The new contract will keep Crean with IU through the 2017-2018 season. The terms of the contract have not yet been released.

Upon coming to Indiana, Crean had initially agreed to an 8-year contract worth $18.24 million. Crean had agreed to this deal but signing a Memorandum of Understanding on April 1, but he and the university never completed an official contract.

There could be a number of reasons for the extension.

The first is to reward Crean for such hard work. After taking over in April, Crean has added 5 recruits and is hoping to perform better than expectations after the IU program was torn apart following a 2-year stint by coach Kelvin Sampson.

The second reason could be that the new extension matches the length of the contract Crean had while at Marquette. The coach left the Golden Eagles after 8 very successful seasons.

The final reason could be to give Crean added job security after it was announced that the man who hired him, Athletic Director Rick Greenspan, will be forced to step down in 2009.

No one is talking specifics regarding the deal, but Crean did release this statement Monday:

“As soon as the long-form contract is done and finalized, it will be released. To date, I’m comfortable with the progress and look forward to its completion.”

Details about the contract are expected to be finalized and released later this week. We will keep you updated as more becomes available. Until then, feel free to discuss it in our IU basketball forum.

[SoFreshandSoCreanCrean]

Reggie Hayes from the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel had some good reasons why Crean got that extension too:

• Stayed within his allotted prepaid text message limit.
• Has not once been called to the NCAA principal's office.
• Refrained from throwing chairs/potted plants and/or student-athletes.
• Finished his first four months undefeated!

[student]

I don't mind this, in theory, but what happens if Crean doesn't produce after a few years? People are going to give him a two year grace period, but some measure of success is going to be demanded after that. I really don't think this will happen, but if people start calling for his head after, say, five years, it's going to cost the university a fortune.

Barring that, however, I do like the security it provides.