Introducing himself to every fan at an arena in Puerto Rico. Helping freshmen move into dorms. Addressing the crowd at the annual Traditions and Spirit rally. Meeting fans on Kirkwood Avenue at Homefield Apparel’s new brick-and-mortar location at Tracks.
Darian DeVries, Indiana’s men’s basketball coach, has been taking selfies, shaking hands and saying hello to the Hoosiers’ fanbase just about everywhere these past few weeks. It makes sense, a new coach would be wise to be present in the community, but DeVries hasn’t taken just any job.
There’s a few head coaching jobs around college athletics that are akin to being a head of state. Coaches aren’t just expected to show up in their arena on gameday, they’re supposed to be personable, communicative public figures like candidates for elected office.
This is true of programs like Kentucky men’s basketball, Alabama football, Nebraska football, North Carolina men’s basketball and Indiana men’s basketball.
DeVries is going to be one of the most photographed, widely followed and scrutinized public figures in the state for the duration of his tenure in Bloomington. People are going to know who he is, he doesn’t have to introduce himself like this. But he does.
Recently that effort has been concentrated to the student body, which will need an introduction to Indiana’s new coach more than most alumni and fans around the state. Plenty of those older fans remember Indiana winning championships under Bob Knight, reaching the 2002 Final Four and winning the Big Ten twice under Tom Crean.
The students heading to Bloomington for the first time this month have only been alive for those two Crean titles. That speaks to the program’s overall decline over the previous two decades and the need for DeVries to establish himself with them.
Indiana boasts the largest student section in the country at Assembly Hall. Any seniors in it for the 2025-26 season have only seen the Hoosiers earn a single NCAA Tournament bid during their academic career. As freshmen. What these students have been treated to is one year as a top-16 seed followed by nearly disastrous games against lesser competition and plenty of blowouts against Big Ten foes.
All it takes for them is a single glance upward into the building’s rafters to understand that the standard was far, far higher for previous classes. That’s been true for multiple graduating classes these past two decades. Coaches with different personalities and temperaments have come and gone, none having brought the program back to the top of the college basketball landscape.
Students have shown out for Indiana. Indiana has not returned the favor with a consistent winning program.
That’s at the top of DeVries’ to-do list as Indiana’s head coach. But he’s taking the extra step of making that first impression. One of the main points brought against him when he was hired, albeit not forcefully, was that he lacked the sort of big personality or presence that an environment like Indiana supposedly calls for.
He’s not about to start making headlines or giving out viral quotes like Curt Cignetti, but he’s getting along just fine with a firm handshake, a helping hand and a kind “hello.” That’s all he needs for now.
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