Tom Crean Annoucement

Tom Crean Named Bulldogs' Head Coach

March 15, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Watch Coach Crean be introduced as new head coach at 3:00 PM press conference.

ATHENS, Ga. — Tom Crean, who for nearly two decades has regularly led his basketball teams to national rankings and postseason bids, has been named head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs. Greg McGarity, Georgia's J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics, announced the hiring on Thursday.

"Tom Crean is one of the most successful coaches in college basketball over the past two decades," McGarity said. "His teams have consistently been participants in postseason play, and his players have been extremely successful in the classroom. He's going to be a great fit for the University of Georgia. I'm extremely excited to have him leading Georgia Basketball into the future and to welcome his family into the Bulldog Nation."

"I am honored an humbled to join the University of Georgia family," Crean said. "I am sincerely grateful to President (Jere W.) Morehead and Greg McGarity for an incredible opportunity. Make no mistake, this is a basketball program inside of a great university that can compete for championships doing it the right way. We will work diligently and with great energy to make everyone associated with the University of Georgia very proud of our efforts. We're going to need everyone in the Bulldog Nation to help us to create the energy and excitement that will take Georgia to the highest levels of success."

Crean compiled a 356-231 record in 18 seasons at Marquette and Indiana from 1999-2017. His teams have reached postseason play during 13 of those campaigns, with nine NCAA appearances and four NIT bids. Crean led Marquette to the 2003 NCAA Final Four and has reached four Sweet 16s at Marquette and Indiana. All told, Crean's teams have been ranked in the Associated Press and/or USA Today polls during 12 seasons, including top-10 finishes in 2003 and 2013. 

Individually, Crean has coached eight players who have won All-America honors. All 52 seniors to play for Crean during his head coaching career have earned a degree.
 

Crean Quick Facts

Full Name: Thomas Aaron Crean

Born: March 25, 1966

Hometown: Mount Pleasant, Mich.

High School: Mount Pleasant '85

Alma Mater: Central Michigan (Parks & Recreation '89)

Family: Married to the former Joani Harbaugh and the parents of Megan (22), Riley (18) and Ainsley (12)

Most recently at Indiana, Crean inherited a program with only one returning player, pending NCAA probation and scholarship restrictions due to poor academic performances. He compiled a 166-135 record from 2008-17. Indiana was 28-66 in his first three seasons before compiling a 138-69 mark in his final six years in Bloomington, including a pair of outright Big Ten Championships in 2013 and 2016. Indiana was ranked in each of those last six campaigns, including 11 weeks at No. 1 during 2012-13. Crean was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, the same season he was a finalist for Naismith National Coach of the Year honors. Three Hoosiers earned All-America honors under Crean - Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell (2016), Cody Zeller (2013) and Victor Oladipo (2013).

Crean inherited a program faced with reduced scholarships due to a deficient APR score. Four years later, the Hoosiers sported a perfect score of 1000 and maintained that mark for four years.

Crean served as head coach at Marquette from 1999-2008, leading the program to the 2003 Final Four and four more NCAA bids. Marquette also participated in three NITs under Crean and reached the 2004 quarterfinals. Marquette obtained AP top-25 rankings during six of Crean's last seven seasons in Milwaukee, including final rankings of No. 9 in 2003, No. 12 in 2002, No. 20 in 2007 and No. 25 in 2008. 

Crean was named Conference USA Coach of the Year in both 2002 and 2003, with Dwyane Wade earning Player of the Year honors in 2003 as well. Three Marquette players earned All-America accolades under Crean - Wade (2002 & 2003), Travis Diener (2005) and Dominic James (2007). After Crean departed for Indiana, two of his Marquette players later earned All-America honors - Jerel McNeal in 2009 and Lazar Hayward in 2010.

Crean's winning ways were well established before he became a head coach. In 10 seasons from 1989-99, Crean was a member of the staffs at Michigan State, Western Kentucky and Pittsburgh. Those squads combined to win four regular-season and two conference tournament titles. They also reached postseason play eight times (five NCAAs and three NITs). The season before assuming the reigns at Marquette, Crean helped Michigan State to a 33-5 finish and the Final Four in 1999.

A native of Mount Pleasant, Mich., Crean graduated from Central Michigan in 1989. Crean is married to the former Joani Harbaugh, and they have three children - Megan (22), Riley (18) and Ainsley (12). 
 

Coaching Career

School Position Season Years
Michigan State Graduate Assistant 1989-90 1
Western Kentucky Assistant Coach 1990-94 4
Pittsburgh Assistant Coach 1994-95 1
Michigan State Assistant Coach 1995-97 2
Michigan State Associate Head Coach 1997-99 2
Marquette Head Coach 1999-2008 9
Indiana Head Coach 2008-17 9

Crean's Non-Head Coaching Career Year-by-Year Record

Season School Record League Postseason
1989-90 Michigan State 28-6 Big Ten regular-season champs NCAA Sweet 16
1990-91 Western Kentucky 14-14
1991-92 Western Kentucky 21-11 NIT round of 32
1992-93 Western Kentucky 26-6 Sun Belt tourney champs NCAA Sweet 16
1993-94 Western Kentucky 20-11 Sun Belt regular-season champs NCAA round of 64
1994-95 Pittsburgh 10-18
1995-96 Michigan State 16-16 NIT round of 16
1996-97 Michigan State 17-12 NIT round of 16
1997-98 Michigan State 22-8 Big Ten regular-season champs NCAA Sweet 16
1998-99 Michigan State 33-5 Big Ten regular-season & tourney champs NCAA Final Four
10-season totals 207-107 4 regular-season & 2 tourney champs 5 NCAAs / 3 NITs

Crean's Head Coaching Career Year-by-Year Record

Season School Overall Conf / Finish Postseason
1999-2000 Marquette 15-14 8-8 / 4th CUSA Am. NIT round of 32
2000-01 Marquette 15-14 9-7 / 3rd CUSA Am.
2001-02 Marquette 26-7 13-3 / 2nd CUSA Am. NCAA round of 64
2002-03 Marquette 27-6 14-2 / 1st CUSA Am. NCAA Final Four
2003-04 Marquette 19-12 8-8 / 8th CUSA NIT quarterfinals
2004-05 Marquette 19-12 7-9 / 9th CUSA NIT round of 32
2005-06 Marquette 20-11 10-6 / 4th Big East NCAA round of 64
2006-07 Marquette 24-10 10-6 / T-5th Big East NCAA round of 64
2007-08 Marquette 25-10 11-7 / T-5th Big East NCAA round of 32
9-season Marquette totals 190-96 (.664) 90-56 / 1 regular-season title 5 NCAAs / 3 NITs
2008-09 Indiana 6-25 1-17 / 11th
2009-10 Indiana 10-21 4-14 / T-9th
2010-11 Indiana 12-20 3-15 / 11th
2011-12 Indiana 27-9 11-7 / 5th NCAA Sweet 16
2012-13 Indiana 29-7 14-4 / 1st NCAA Sweet 16
2013-14 Indiana 17-15 7-11 / T-8th
2014-15 Indiana 20-14 9-9 / T-7th NCAA round of 64
2015-16 Indiana 27-8 15-3 / 1st NCAA Sweet 16
2016-17 Indiana 18-16 7-11 / t-10th NIT round of 32
9-season Indiana totals 166-135 (.551) 71-91 / 2 regular-season titles 4 NCAAs / 1 NIT
18-season career totals 356-231 (.606) 161-146 / 6 regular-season & 2 tourney titles 9 NCAAs / 4 NITs
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