Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean is hiring one of the most decorated players to ever wear the cream and crimson. Or to play in the Big Ten for that matter.
Calbert Cheaney is returning to Bloomington, joining Crean’s staff as the Director of Basketball Operations. The job was previously held by Drew Adams, who left for a higher paying job on Steve Alford’s New Mexico staff.
This move by Crean is brilliant. Both he, Cheaney, and IU come out of the deal winners.
Cheaney, 39, will do wonders for this up-and-coming Hoosiers program. Sure, he may handle some things on the business side, but this is purely a basketball move.
“Calbert will have an impact on our program in a major way,” said Crean. “He wants to get into coaching full time and he knows the path it takes, the work ethic and the sacrifice.”
The three time All-American (1991,92, 93), was named College Player of the Year and won both the Wooden and Naismith Awards and Big Ten Player of the Year following his senior year. He is the all-time leading scorer in Big Ten history with 2,613 points.
Coach Crean understands this is a guy his players and prospects would like to imitate.
“Every kid who plays college basketball at this level aspires to achieve what Calbert did on and off the court, both collegiately and as a professional,” Crean said. “Having him here as a mentor on a day-to-day basis will be invaluable to our players.”
In Cheaney, Indiana is gaining one of the greatest players in conference play and a guy with 13 years of NBA experience. And this means a ton. Don’t think for a moment that he will be restricted to basketball operations. Coaching positions are very limited, especially at the highest level, so Cheaney is trying to learn all aspects involved.
This is a stepping stone, if you will, for Calbert who hopes to be a head coach himself down the road.
IU is three years into the rebuilding project with Coach Crean and has a stellar class coming in 2012. Calbert will be instrumental in helping these young kids grow both on and off the court. In 2009, he joined the Golden State Warriors staff as a special assistant, essentially helping to develop the players personally and professionally. Who better to learn the game from one who still has his name atop many Indiana and Big Ten records?
Friends of Cheaney told me he has wanted to return to IU in some capacity for a few years. Just two years ago, before taking a job with Golden State, Cheaney wanted to join the staff but his wife held him back—not wanting to move to Bloomington. But now he says, the time feels right.
“My family and I believe that this was the right time to begin a career in college basketball and I am especially looking forward to playing a role in the growth of the players at Indiana. I’m very grateful to Coach Crean for this opportunity to return to IU and I look forward to contributing immediately in any way possible.”
Once Indiana begins to get the talented players they are recruiting, this will matter. Why has Duke and why has Kentucky been so successful in recruiting some of the nation’s best talent? Because they win, develop players, shape their game, and send them to the NBA.
“Calbert knows the standard that it takes to be successful academically as a high-level student athlete and he knows what is expected to play at the NBA level,” added Crean.
And finally, this move ultimately connects the past with the present. There had been much disconnect between the program and former players during the Sampson era.
Tom Crean has completely embraced former players since arriving on campus. He has had alumni speak to the team, instruct at camps, records videos for game days, and he speaks highly of everyone. After the turmoil that took play in Bloomington, forcing Crean to build the program from the ground up, it is only fitting that a former player joins the staff to share his knowledge and experience.
Cheaney is an Indiana native, graduating from Evansville Harrison before coming to Indiana. While at IU, he averaged 19.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and made 55.9 percent of his field goal attempts, 43.8 percent of his three-point field attempts and 79.0 percent of his free throws.