Indiana men’s basketball coach Mike Woodson announced Tuesday the appointment of former Indiana coach Jose Calbert Cheney as director of player development. Here’s what you need to know:
- Shinney, who has spent the past three years as an assistant with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, will work in a “non-hiring role” depending on the program.
- Cheaney previously served at IU as Director of Operations in 2011-12 and oversaw player development in 2012-13.
- The former Indiana star is one of four players in IU history to win National Player of the Year honors, along with Scott May, Kent Benson and Victor Oladipo.
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the athleteInstant Analysis:
What does that mean for Indiana?
Indiana fans may primarily remember Cheaney for his stellar career, but he’s now a longtime basketball coach in his own right, someone with no modicum of NBA experience — and the kind of mundane but valuable experience that NBA players like Woodson tend to appreciate. : Grind the bar late at night, and go early to work with one player on specialized individual skills. Ostensibly, he can help develop Indiana players toward the league, and he can do so with his own experience as a college star at IU — not to mention his experience doing similar jobs at Indiana in the past.
But whatever his value as a coach or player developer, the real value of this ad is symbolic. Woodson remains as eager as ever to unite the Indiana family once and for all, to build on the things that make Indiana basketball unique. Chaney is a legend on the show and an in-between conduit, the kind of hire that can get your fans excited like the responses to Indiana’s tweet announcement on Tuesday. Your average director of basketball operations doesn’t get that kind of love. Woodson wants Indiana to feel like Indiana, and it doesn’t hurt to have Cheaney around. – Brennan
background story
Cheney, a native of Evansville, Indiana, was a three-time Indiana State All-American and the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,613 career points. He helped guide the Hoosiers to a 105-27 record during his four seasons with the team from 1989-93, as well as a Final Four appearance in 1992. Cheaney was awarded the Naismith College of the Year Award and the John R. D. Award his senior season in 1992-23. He holds the record for field goals (1,018).
He spent the last three seasons on the Pacers focusing on player development. Prior to that, he was an assistant for the Erie BayHawks and College Park Skyhawks of the NBA’s G League, and also spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Saint Louis University.
Cheaney was selected #6 by the Washington Bullets in the 1993 NBA Draft. His career spanned 13 seasons and included stints with Washington, Boston, Denver, Utah, and Golden State.
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