Dane Fife Sheds Light on Indiana Basketball Exit: 'Ineptness, Laziness and Yes Men'

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Dane Fife, a former Indiana basketball assistant coach who's perhaps more known as a standout guard from 1998-2002, opened the curtain on his departure from the program after the 2021-22 season.

An assistant on then-coach Mike Woodson's first staff, Fife had left Michigan State's bench to return to his alma mater, but his homecoming hardly proved satisfactory.

"I struggled to tolerate ineptness, laziness and "yes" men," Fife said in an X post Thursday that has since been deleted. "I did not belong there, under those circumstances. My mistake is owned by me. Impulse and passion — I trusted blindly, doing no due diligence."

The Hoosiers announced in a press release at the end of the 2022 season, which ended with a loss to Saint Mary's in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64, that Fife wouldn't be returning to the bench.

"I am committed to doing what I believe is best for the continued growth of our men’s basketball program as we collectively work toward returning it to the upper echelon of college basketball," Woodson said in the release. "Ultimately, I believe the fit must be right with a coaching staff, and I’ve decided that a change is necessary.

"I appreciate everything Dane has done as a member of the staff during the last year and as player for our program. He will always be a part of the Hoosier family and I wish him well in his future pursuits."

Fife made 104 starts in 131 appearances as a player at Indiana, recording 736 points, 307 assists and a program-record 180 steals. He's now a risk management consultant at MJ Companies, a role he started in October 2023.

Indiana announced Feb. 7 that Woodson was stepping down at the end of the 2024-25 season. He finished his tenure with an 82-53 record, and the Hoosiers missed the NCAA Tournament each of his final two seasons.

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