Darian DeVries outlines blueprint to 'sustain success' at Indiana

Darian DeVries isn’t promising flash. He’s not trying to be someone he’s not. He won’t be shouting at pep rallies or delivering firebrand speeches.

But what Indiana’s new men’s basketball coach is promising is something the Hoosiers have been chasing for nearly three decades: sustained success.

Speaking on “The Field of 68” podcast with Jeff Goodman, DeVries outlined his blueprint not just for winning, but for building something lasting in Bloomington — a culture that extends beyond the scoreboard and into the community, the locker room and relationships behind closed doors.

“For us, it’s really just dedicating yourself to that process and what is going to help you, not only in the short term but in the long term to sustain success,” DeVries told Goodman. “That’s what everyone in the country is trying to do. It certainly has its challenges now with the portal.”

That “process” has clear meaning for DeVries. It’s about daily improvement, team continuity and building a program where development and retention are more than buzzwords.

It’s an ambitious goal in the evolving landscape of college basketball, where the transfer portal and NIL era have made stability increasingly elusive.

Since Indiana’s last Sweet 16 run in 2016, consistency has been hard to come by. Two NCAA Tournament appearances in the past nine seasons — including none in the last two — paint a picture of a program teetering on the edge of relevance.

Mike Woodson’s tenure briefly reignited hope with back-to-back tournament berths, but his inability to maintain momentum ultimately led to his departure.

DeVries, who, in the past, found sustained success at Drake, is approaching the Indiana job with a firm grasp of its challenges and its opportunities.

“I believe when you’re at a place that has the commitment and the resources that we have [at Indiana], that you can have retention and be able to keep players year after year,” DeVries said. “That’s how you can ultimately build it into something where you can manage that success year after year after year.”

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In DeVries’ view, retention isn’t just about NIL deals or state-of-the-art facilities. It’s about authenticity and embedding yourself in the culture of the program and the town.

“I think for every coach in any sport, you have to be who you are,” he said. “You don’t try to be somebody else. My hope would be that I’d just be somebody that’s out in the community, approachable and can relate to people.”

In Bloomington — and across Indiana, where basketball is part of the cultural fabric — that visibility matters. DeVries said he wants to be the kind of coach who’s seen grabbing coffee downtown or chatting with fans at events — not just for appearances, but to genuinely connect with those who support the program.

“For me, it’s just about being part of this community. I want to be relatable to the community and have them be supportive,” he said. “It’s a two-way street. I want to support them, and hopefully they’ll come out and support us.”

That commitment also extends to Indiana’s donors and boosters — often the unseen backbone of modern college athletics. DeVries inherited a well-organized NIL structure and a motivated base, something he said has helped him hit the ground running.

“They have it in a really good place,” DeVries said. “For me, it’s more just about building those relationships. It’s something that is a very critical piece in college athletics.”

While DeVries continues making appearances, such as at last week’s Hoosier Connect event at Huber’s Winery, he has been able to spend more time where he believes it matters most early on: in the gym, getting to know his new team.

“We’re still out in the community trying to do those things and raise money,” he said. “But it certainly is nice — the luxury to be in that gym a little bit more.”

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It’s that blend of relational investment, structural stability and day-by-day work that DeVries believes can not only return Indiana to national relevance, but help the program stay there.

He’s not promising instant results. But in an era dominated by quick fixes, DeVries is betting on something different — something slower, something stronger.

And if Indiana fans can be patient with the process, it just might be what gets the Hoosiers back to where they belong — and keeps them there.

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