Indiana's Darian DeVries on the Father/Son Duo coming to the Hoosiers

Summary

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Eye On College Basketball Podcast

Episode: Indiana's Darian DeVries on the Father/Son Duo coming to the Hoosiers

Date: October 9, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode, host Gary Parrish sits down with Darian DeVries, first-year head coach of Indiana men's basketball, during Big Ten Media Day in Chicago. DeVries discusses his whirlwind journey through three coaching jobs in as many years, the unique experience of bringing his son Tucker (an All-American) to Indiana, his basketball philosophy, and what the future holds for the Hoosiers. The conversation also explores expectations for Indiana in the context of the long Big Ten title drought and managing a mostly new roster.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Navigating Rapid Career Transitions (01:34-02:36)

• DeVries has held three different coaching positions in three consecutive years (Drake → West Virginia → Indiana), a journey he describes as both challenging and rewarding:
  • “Anytime you make a transition, there’s a lot more to it than people think. It's not just the basketball transition.” (01:46)
  • “We’re on the back end of that and everything is... getting a little more calm and a little more like routine.” (01:58)

2. The Dream and Pressure of the Indiana Job (02:09-03:31)

• He acknowledges mixed emotions—excitement for the Indiana opportunity but difficulty leaving another program so soon:
  • “Indiana is just one of those dream jobs... it was just something that I felt like was too good to pass up.” (02:50)
• The elevated public profile and fan passion as Indiana basketball coach:
  • “I certainly understand the passion behind Indiana basketball... they love their hoops... people are very passionate about it, it’s a part of their lives.” (03:31-04:00)

3. Coaching His Son Tucker, the All-American Transfer (04:00-04:59)

• Tucker DeVries joins Indiana after repeated shoulder surgeries but is finally healthy:
  • “Probably the best he's felt maybe since his freshman year with us at Drake... Hopefully all the surgeries are behind him now.” (04:25)
  • “He feels great, he looks good, and ... that's the main thing.” (04:54)

4. Father/Son Partnerships: Lessons from the McDermotts (04:59-05:42)

• Darian worked with Greg and Doug McDermott and models his relationship with Tucker after them:
  • “They did a great job of separating like a player and coach when we were playing, and then outside of that, you know, as father and son.” (05:22)
  • “Four years with Doug and Greg was certainly helpful.” (05:39)

5. Playing Style: More Three-Pointers on the Horizon (05:42-06:22)

• Indiana fans noticed more three-point attempts during an offseason trip to Puerto Rico:
  • “It's a big part of how we play... we want to take a lot of threes... play in transition, play free, play in attack mode.” (05:59)
  • “We don’t want to get crazy, crazy with [threes] but we want to get them up and we recruit to that.” (06:09)

6. Roster Updates: Focus on Transfers and Health (06:22-06:51)

• Indiana features a mostly new team, with significant players recovering from injuries:
  • On transfer Nick Dorn: “He still hasn’t been able to practice yet... he’s getting closer every day, but we haven’t been able to see what he can do with us yet.” (06:39)

7. Big Ten Championship Drought & Expectations (06:51-07:37)

• On the Big Ten’s national championship drought (since 2000):
  • “Everybody, that’s what you’re striving for, is to win a championship... we don’t really put our sights maybe on what that end goal is, it’s just what do we got to do in the short term.” (07:17)

8. Measuring Success in Year One (07:37-08:25)

• DeVries takes a process-focused approach, not fixating on win-loss records:
  • “Not at all in terms of, like, wins and losses. I just know, like, what our group is, and, you know, how can we best maximize what group is capable of?” (07:50)
  • “As long as you can keep that mindset... are we getting better, you know, in December and January and February so that we’re playing our best basketball by March?” (08:10)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Darian DeVries on taking the Indiana job:
  "Indiana is just one of those dream jobs that... when you get the opportunity to lead this program, it was just something that I felt like it was too good to pass up."
  (02:50)

• On coaching his son through adversity:
  "For him, I hope that's all behind him and now he gets to move forward, but he feels great."
  (04:54)

• On the three-point philosophy:
  "It’s a big part of how we play... we want to take a lot of threes... play in transition, play free, play in attack mode."
  (05:59)

• On the ambitions for year one:
  "I just know, like, what our group is, and... how can we best maximize what group is capable of? That’s our biggest goal every single day."
  (07:51)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:34 – Life and logistics of constant job changes
• 02:36 – Coming to terms with leaving West Virginia for Indiana
• 03:31 – The intensity of Indiana basketball’s fan base
• 04:25 – Tucker DeVries’ health update
• 05:14 – Lessons from the McDermott father/son dynamic
• 05:59 – Indiana’s new offensive emphasis on three-pointers
• 06:39 – Status of incoming transfer Nick Dorn
• 07:17 – The Big Ten's national championship drought
• 07:50 – DeVries’ year-one definition of “success”

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Episode Tone and Style

The conversation is candid, practical, and rooted in experience, with DeVries sharing philosophies that reveal a balanced, process-oriented mindset. Parrish’s questions keep the tone informed yet approachable, providing insight for both Indiana fans and general college basketball audiences.

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Summary Takeaway

This episode offers Hoosier fans and college basketball followers a detailed preview of the Darian and Tucker DeVries era at Indiana, focusing on leadership transitions, player development, and the evolving style of play at one of the sport’s most storied programs. Coach DeVries’ grounded approach, combined with his emphasis on maximizing team potential rather than fixating on outcomes, sets the tone for an intriguing season ahead in Bloomington.

Transcript

[Darren DeVries]

Foreign.

[Gary Parish]

Hey there, Gary Parish. Welcome back to the CBS Sports Eye on College Basketball podcast where we sometimes discuss camel fighting, dodo birds and leaky black. If you're watching on YouTube, you know what to do to the like button shouts to Brandon Davies. And if you haven't yet subscribed to the CBS Sports college basketball YouTube channel, please also do that while you're here. Let's get into it. Different deal today. As you'll soon realize, Matt Norlander is not here with me. And that's because I'm in Chicago for Big Ten Media day. And while here, I sat down with most of the coaches and some of the players for quick conversations about their programs and college basketball in general. And we figured, or at least we hoped that you guys might like to listen to those conversations. So we're placing them in the I Own College Basketball feed. It's me, GP At Big Ten Media Day. The conversations I had with coaches and players, they are on tap. I hope you enjoy them. Right after this word from our partners.

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[Interviewer]

With first year Indiana coach Darren DeVries. Darren Drake, West Virginia, Indiana I don't think it's in most people's plans to have three different jobs in three different years. What has that experience been like for you?

[Darren DeVries]

Yeah, there's anytime you make a transition, there's a lot more to it than people think. It's not just the basketball transition. You got, you know, a fan and housing and those things to get through or to figure out. But you know, right now, you know, we're on the back end of that and everything is, you know, getting a little more calm and a little more like routine. So it's been a good thing.

[Interviewer]

I've talked to coaches who have been in similar situations and on one hand they say you dream on some level of getting a job offer like the offer from Indiana. On the other hand, you just sort of got settled into a place and it can also kind of be like a nightmare, like I wasn't looking to leave, expect to be in this situation. What was that experience like for you to have that, you know, placed in front of you and, you know, even before your first year at West Virginia was done.

[Darren DeVries]

Yeah, I think you nailed it right there. It's like, you know, you're incredibly happy. You're just getting started and you got a lot of, like, support and great people that you're around. And then you get the opportunity to coach at a place like Indiana, and then you have to, you know, you really process, like, this opportunity and what that's all about. And, you know, for me, ultimately, it's like Indiana is just one of those dream jobs that, you know, when you get into this profession, when you get the opportunity to lead this program, it was just something that I felt like it was too good to pass up and so very excited to be here and leading Indiana.

[Interviewer]

Obviously, when you are the Indiana basketball coach, you're not just a basketball coach, you're a celebrity, you know, in some ways, you know, the biggest sports figure in the state. Have you talked to Tom Crane, Mike Davis, any of the former coaches, Archie Miller, about what it's like holding that position?

[Darren DeVries]

Yeah, I really haven't had a lot of time to do that to this point, but I certainly understand, you know, the, the passion behind Indiana basketball and, you know, which I think is awesome. I think it's a place where, you know, they love, love their hoops and, you know, they, they are, they show up, you know, and they're excited about it. And that's what you want. You want to have a program where, you know, people are very passionate about it, it's a part of their lives, and, you know, we want them to feel like we're all in this together.

[Interviewer]

One of the things that should make the move easier than it otherwise would have been is you're bringing an all American player with you who happens to be your son, Tucker. He's had shoulder surgery, I believe, three different times on both shoulders, has just been banged up, you know, one year after another. Everything I've heard lately, though, suggests that he's feeling as, as good as he's felt in a long time with. Where is he at health wise right now?

[Darren DeVries]

Yeah, as you mentioned, probably the best he's felt maybe since his freshman year with us at Drake. So I'm excited for him to finally be healthy. Hopefully all the surgeries are behind him now and, you know, he can, you know, have a, you know, just a good healthy year and people have dealt with injuries like that. They understand, like, you know, everything that comes with that and rehab and things. So, you know, that can be very frustrating. So for him, I hope that's all behind him and now he gets to move forward, but he feels great. You know, he looks good and, you know he's feeling good and that's the main thing.

[Interviewer]

One of the great father son combos in college basketball history is probably Greg McDermott and Doug McDermott. You obviously had a front row seat to watch that. Do you pull anything from that experience and implement it in the ways that you coach your own son?

[Darren DeVries]

Yeah, I think you pull a lot of how that went and their relationship. You know, I'm sure they got some other stories behind the scenes, but Greg and Doug were terrific about it. I thought their approach every day was really good. You know, I thought they did a great job of separating like a player and coach when we were playing and then outside of that, you know, his father, son and we've really tried to do that as well, but you know, there get to, you know, get to do that. Four years with Doug and Greg was certainly helpful.

[Interviewer]

Earlier this off season, you take your team to Puerto Rico, you guys went three and oh there and I know one of the things Indiana fans notice is that the program was shooting more threes than maybe they had been used to watching in recent years. Is that an emphasis for you? Will Indiana prioritize the three point shot this season?

[Darren DeVries]

Yeah, it's a big part of how we play is, is. Is we want to take a lot of threes. You know, it's, it's a huge part of our offense. Play in transition, you know, play free play in attack mode. But, but we do want to, you know, shoot threes. You know, we don't want to get crazy, crazy with. But we want, we want to get them up and we recruit to that. So because it is such a big philosophy of ours on the.

[Interviewer]

Obviously it's a mostly new team. It's just sort of the nature of the sport these days, particularly with the coaching change. But one of the transfers you brought in, Nick Dorn from Elon, who averaged more than 15 points per game last season. I know he had foot surgery this offseason and has been limited, but where is he at right now?

[Darren DeVries]

Yeah, he still hasn't been able to practice yet, so he's still on the, on the road to recovery. He's getting closer every day, but we haven't been able to, you know, see what he can do, you know, with us yet. But we're hoping that time comes very, very quickly.

[Interviewer]

Last thing before I get you out of here. Every year when we come to thing, somebody points out that the Big Ten has Not won a national championship since Michigan State in 2000. You are in charge of one of the programs that is set up in many ways to compete for that annually. Does that mean something to you, not just bringing a championship to Indiana someday, but bringing a championship to the Big Ten someday?

[Darren DeVries]

Well, I think, everybody, that's what you're striving for, is to win a championship. I think for us, we don't really put our sights maybe, on what that end goal is, is just what do we got to do in the short term to put ourselves in the best position? That's our only focus right now, is what do we got to do to hopefully have that be the end result to get us there?

[Interviewer]

What does success look like to you in year one? Obviously, it's a new team, and you've got a guy who should be a rotation player still sidelined. Do you have in your head what a successful first year would be?

[Darren DeVries]

Yeah. Really? Not at all in terms of, like, wins and losses. I just know, like, what our group is, and, you know, how can we best maximize what group is capable of? That's. That's our biggest goal. Every single day is, you know, when we meet, every morning, it's like, all right, where are we at? What did we do well this week? What did we do yet? Well, yesterday? What do we need to do better today? And as long as you can keep that mindset going along and you can keep making progress, not only in the off season here, but as the games start to come, are we getting better, you know, in December and January and February so that we're playing our best basketball by March, and. And then if you are now, you're in a good place.

[Interviewer]

Hey, congrats on all your success. I appreciate your time today.

[Darren DeVries]

Thank you. Appreciate it.

[Interviewer]

Thank you.