Following the Hoosiers 27-9 season that ended in a Sweet Sixteen loss to Kentucky, head coach Tom Crean has upgraded the job titles for his staff.
In short, Tim Buckley and Steve McClain each named associate head coach. New assistant Kenny Johnson has will also be the recruiting coordinator and Calbert Cheaney, who enters his second year as director of basketball operations, adds the title “director of internal and external player development.”
The new titles aren’t a big deal, except to the coaches themselves. A better and bigger title looks more prestige. Crean has said in the past that he has one of the best staffs in the country and they will be moving on soon because they are that good.
The full release from IU media relations:
Bloomington, Indiana—Indiana University men’s basketball coach has named Tim Buckley and Steve McClain to the position of associate head coach, added the title of recruiting coordinator to assistant coach Kenny Johnson and named Calbert Cheaney director of internal and external player development in addition to his duties as director of basketball operations.
“The chemistry inside of your program starts with the chemistry of your staff from top to bottom,” said Crean. “Everyone in our program continues to work in a diligent and energized pace to keep IU on a continual rise.”
Buckley is the senior member of the staff entering his fifth year with the program. He was the head coach at Ball State from 2000-2006, returned to the Hoosier state in April 2008, as an assistant coach at Indiana after helping Marquette to a second round NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007-08. It was the second time that Buckley had been on Crean’s staff at Marquette and will be the third Big Ten school that he has worked at in his 20-plus year career, which has included stops at Iowa and Wisconsin.
“It’s a great honor,” said Buckley. “Our staff has been through a lot of things here over the past four years, so I think part of that comes from the success that we’ve had this past season and hopefully for the future, and it’s one that I’m very appreciative of.”
“Tim has been instrumental from day 1 at Indiana with dealing with every aspect of this program,” added Crean. “He administers, teaches, coaches and recruit at an extremely high level.
McClain, who boasts more than 29 years of coaching experience on the collegiate level, is in his third year as a member of the Hoosiers coaching staff. McClain came to IU after spending three seasons at Colorado, including the last two as associate head coach. He also served as interim coach for a portion of his last season and was the head coach at Wyoming from 1998-2007. He was an assistant at TCU prior to that and the head coach at Hutchinson Community College where he won a national JC title.
“I think, as we all talk about the staff, I don’t think anyone worries about what their titles are,” said McClain. “ I think the one thing that makes this staff so strong is the fact that everybody works the same every day for the same goals every day. It’s a great compliment, yet it’s a compliment of our whole staff.”
“To have two head coaches on this staff, in Tim and Steve, has been instrumental in the program moving forward the last two years,” said Crean. He has exhibited a daily intensity, passion and skill level that has been felt by everyone associated by IU basketball. Along with Tim and Jayd Grossman, there are very few things that happen in our program that they don’t have a hand in.
Johnson will begin his first year with the team and Cheaney enters his second campaign at IU.
Johnson came to IU this past spring from Towson University after spending several years as an assistant coach in high school and on the AAU circuit.
“Being with the guys on staff here, just having an opportunity to work with them as well as learn from them, has been a great benefit for me, said Johnson. “It is a privilege to earn that title and have that label. Working in coordination with the guys, we all do a little bit of everything on staff.”
“In a short period of time at IU, Kenny has made his presence felt on the coaching floor, in our offices and in recruiting,” said Crean. “His work ethic, energy level, and attention to detail are at a very high level and I think in due time he will be an outstanding head coach. He now will have the ability to organize, shape and coordinate our recruiting efforts.
Cheaney returned to his alma mater last summer after spending 13 years as a player in the NBA and one season as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors.
“This has been an outstanding experience for me and I enjoy working with this group of players and coaches,” said Cheaney. “I think you always want new challenges in whatever you do and this new role with provide that opportunity for me.”
“We knew Calbert would have an immediate impact on our program but he ha surpassed our expectations with what he has brought to the program,” said Crean. “He has a knowledge base and life skill teaching ability and the understanding of what it means to be an IU student-athlete. We want to shine a bright light with not only what they do on the floor, but with how they develop as young men and leaders. Calbert is a living example of what success looks like.”