Rod Clark Added to the Indiana University Men’s Basketball Staff Indiana head men’s basketball coach Darian DeVries announced the addition of assistant coach Rod Clark to his staff on Thursday. “Rod is a great young coach that we are excited to have in Bloomington,” DeVries said. “The programs he has worked with have always been among the nation’s best on the defensive side of the ball. He is a proven recruiter that has produced high-level college basketball players, including multiple conference players of the year and All-Americans.”
Clark, a native of Kansas City, Mo., spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Tennessee under head coach Rick Barnes. The Volunteers went 109-36 in his four seasons and held a mark of 51-21 in SEC play during his tenure. Tennessee appeared in every AP Top 25 poll over his four seasons on staff, including finishing a program-best fifth three times. UT earned wins over 30 AP top 25 programs over the last four seasons, won two SEC Championships, and claimed the 2023 Battle 4 Atlantis title. Tennessee heard their names called on Selection Sunday each of the four seasons and advanced to the second weekend on three occasions in the NCAA Tournament during his tenure. The Volunteers joined national runner-up Houston as the only programs to earn a top two seed in the NCAA Tournament in both 2024 and 2025. UT advanced to consecutive Elite Eight appearances, the second and third appearances in program history.
He helped coach nine total All-SEC honors, two SEC All-Freshman Team selections, five All-SEC Defensive Team plaudits, and the 2023-24 SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Three Vols, highlight by 2024 Consensus All-American Dalton Knecht, have been selected in the first 40 picks of the NBA Draft since 2022. Statistically, UT ranked inside the top three in adjusted defensive efficiency via KenPom in each season and never allowed more than 68.0 points per contest. Clark spent the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach at Austin Peay. The Governors posted a winning record and led the Ohio Valley Conference in offensive rebounding while ranking second in rebounding defense, third in turnover margin, and fourth in scoring. Terry Taylor won OVC Player of the Year, finishing the season inside the top 10 of Division I men’s hoops in both scoring (eighth, 21.6 ppg) and rebounding (seventh, 11.1 rpg).
Clark’s first stop as a collegiate coach came as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2019-20. The Flames led the Horizon League in field-goal percentage defense, 3-point defense, and blocks per game. UIC finished the season a run to the 2020 Horizon League Tournament championship game. From 2017-19, Clark honed his skills in player development, video breakdown, and scouting as the top assistant coach at Sunrise Christian Academy, a national prep basketball powerhouse in Bel Aire, Kan. The 2018-19 squad finished 22-5, earned a year-end No. 10 ranking, and made the program’s first-ever appearance at GEICO Nationals. In 2017-18, Sunrise Christian went 24-2 and finished the season ranked second nationally according to USA TODAY and MaxPreps.
Clark also spent time as a coach with the prestigious MoKan Elite program on the Nike EYBL circuit. MoKan Elite posted a 30-7 record in 2018 and reached the semifinals at the Nike Peach Jam. He built on that experience to guide MoKan Elite to the Peach Jam championship in 2019. As a collegiate player, Clark spent his first two seasons at the junior college level, first at Neosho Community College in Chaunte, Kan., and then Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla. He concluded his career at Lindsey Wilson College and received a degree in communications in 2015. Clark and his wife, Alexis, have two daughters – Zara and Zuri.
Indiana University’s Sean Mockler Qualifies on Day One of East Regional for the NCAA Championships Indiana track and field saw their first National qualifier during the first day of the East Regional meet from Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on Wednesday. Three Hoosiers also advanced to quarterfinal races that are scheduled for Today. Throws coach Megan Tomei said that “Sean (Mockler) is set up to throw far is Eugene for the National Championship. He knows that meet very well. Sean has been consistent in the ring and out of the ring. Consistency breeds excellence.” Mockler earned his third national qualifying mark of his career. His second throw had a distance of 65.36m/214-5 that earned him a top 12 spot in the regional meet.
Martin Segurola ran a 3:40.16 to finish fourth in his individual heat and fifth overall to advance to the quarterfinals in the 1,500 meter. Trelee Banks-Rose finished his busy day with two quarterfinal qualifications. Banks finished third in his individual heat to earn an automatic qualification to Friday’s quarterfinal of the 100m. He followed with a qualifying time of 20.98 in the 200 for Friday’s quarterfinal. Andrew Mangum set a new personal best to advance to the 800 quarterfinals on Friday. His time of 1:47.74 also moves him to seventh on the all-time program list.
The Indiana Fever drop their first game to the Washington Mystics without Catlin Clark The Indiana Fever (2-3) fell 77-83 on the road to the Washington Mystics, a game played at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore. Indiana jumped out to an early lead with Natasha Howard sinking a layup off the tipoff. The Fever kept their lead throughout the remainder of the first quarter thanks in part to eight points and five rebounds from Howard, as well as seven points and two rebounds from DeWanna Bonner. The second quarter saw Kelsey Mitchell record six points, but it was the Mystics who took the four-point lead into the halftime break. The Mystics would keep their lead throughout the third and fourth quarters, taking the win. Sydney Colson earned her first start of the season and her first as a member of the Indiana Fever. DeWanna Bonner scored her 7,500th career point, making her the first player in WNBA history to record 7,500 points, 3,00 rebounds and 1,000 assists. Kelsey Mitchell eclipsed 4,000 career points, becoming the fifth fastest guard to do so, accomplishing said feat in 238 games played. The Indiana Fever return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse this evening to host the Connecticut Sun at 7:30 PM with the game broadcast nationally on ION.
Bloomington North Scrambling as Anthony Lindsey Resigns as Head Football Coach After just one year, Anthony Lindsey has resigned as Bloomington North High School football coach. He is also leaving the school as a teacher and assistant athletic director. Lindsey handed in his letter of resignation on May 19, leaving the Cougars in a situation where all options are on the table as to how to proceed moving forward. The assistant coaching staff has taken the reins, North athletic director Andy Hodson said. “He’s exploring other job opportunities and to spend more time with family,” Hodson said Tuesday, May 27. “So, with the timing, we’re hitting the ground running with trying to find a replacement.
“We just got the job posted today, and I sent out an email to every coach and assistant coach in the state through the IHSAA site to see what interest we have. We’re not ruling out any options of a head coach, interim head coach or anything and everything. It will be open until its filled so we’ll start interviewing as fast as we can.” The 40-year-old Lindsey was a three-sport standout for the Cougars and all-time passing leader at North before going on to a storied career at St. Joseph’s College and beginning his teaching and coaching career. He was an assistant coach for 15 years at Martinsville, Bloomington South and North (from 2020-23) before his promotion to head coach, which he called his ‘dream job.’ North went 8-3 in Lindsey’s only season, beating rival South for the second year in a row the regular season only to fall to the Panthers in the playoffs.
Lindsey echoed Hodson’s comments and is committed to making a big change in his career path. For now, he’s getting out of coaching and perhaps education all together. “It was time to get out of the classroom,” Lindsey said. “I’m exploring different job opportunities right now. I love coaching, but it’s time to get out spend more time with family. “I’ve also had a couple deaths in my family the last couple years that changed my perspective in things, with my brother and mom passing away. Things happen. Things change.”
Defensive line coach Brad Engel has been named the interim head coach. Summer workouts were scheduled to start on June 2. The annual youth football camp set for July 8-10 is still on. The rest of the staff includes Alex Cotterman (offensive coordinator/offensive line), Mike Freel (special teams/OL), Kyle Goble (OL/DL), Jason Hankins (running backs), Reece Lozano (strength and conditioning/QBs), Paul Prather (defensive backs), Jesse Spurgeon (OC/WR/TE), Sam Werczynski (DBs), Brody Schaeffer (skill positions) and Michael Sukiennik. “We’ve got a more than capable assistant coaching staff,” Hodson said. “Some may be interested in the head coaching job, and we’re encouraging as many people to apply to get the best candidate for now and the future for our program.”
The next two MCCSC school board meetings are set for June 24 and July 22. Hodson said the school could get a waiver to get a new coach on the job before full schoolboard approval if the timing dictated that need. The football head coach and the assistant AD position have been linked for many years now. Hodson was not sure if that would continue. It’s been a tough stretch for Hodson, who already has openings for girls volleyball, girls golf and gymnastics to be filled. Plus MCCSC is currently in a budget crisis, announcing deep cuts to support staff.
Former Indiana University Men’s Basketball Player A.J. Moye Named the Athletic Director at Jeffersonville High School The Indiana basketball-Jeffersonville High School link was already strong with former Hoosier Sherron Wilkerson as head coach of the Red Devils. Now another former Indiana player will be associated with the far southern Indiana school. A.J. Moye, who played at Indiana from 2000-04, was named Jeffersonville’s athletic director earlier this week. The Greater Clark County Schools Board of Trustees made the announcement.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome A.J. Moye back to Southern Indiana and the Red Devil family,” Jeffersonville principal Pam Hall said in a press release. Moye, who was a member of Indiana’s 2002 national runner-up team, was most recently an assistant coach at Valparaiso. He spent one year on head coach Roger Powell’s staff. Before his stint at Valparaiso, Moye was a high school assistant coach in California as well as a trainer who played a role in the development of NBA stars like DeMar Derozan and Markelle Fultz. Moye averaged 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds at Indiana and started 33 of the 129 games he played. He is best remembered for blocking a shot by Duke’s Carlos Boozer in Indiana’s upset win over the Blue Devils in the Sweet 16 of the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Moye’s professional playing career came to a halt in 2010 when he suffered a stroke after an on-court practice collision with a teammate while playing in Germany. Moye recovered after a long convalescence. Moye and Wilkerson were not teammates at Indiana, but Wilkerson has been a runaway success at his high school alma mater.
Wilkerson coached the Red Devils to the Class 4A state championship with a 67-66 overtime victory over favored Fishers – a team that had won 43 games in a row going into the state title game. Wilkerson was a player when Jeffersonville won its last state title in 1993. Wilkerson played at Indiana from 1993-96. He played 45 games and averaged 4.8 points for the Hoosiers. He played the most during his freshman season, when he played 28 games. It was during his freshman season that he and Indiana coach Bob Knight bumped heads when Knight was angry at Wilkerson during a timeout in a game against Michigan State. Wilkerson has coached high school basketball in Indiana since 2009. He’s had stops at Indianapolis Herron School, Madison Shawe Memorial, Madison Consolidated and Logansport before he arrived at Jeffersonville in 2022. Wilkerson is 57-22 as Jeffersonville’s head coach. According to the IHSAA, Wilkerson is the sixth person to win a state title as a player and coach at his alma mater. He is the 25th person to coach his alma mater to a state championship.
The Indianapolis Colts to Honor Late Owner Jim Irsay with a Jersey Patch The Indianapolis Colts will honor late team owner and CEO Jim Irsay with a black jersey patch during the upcoming season, the team announced Tuesday. The patch features Irsay’s initials and his signature, with a smiley face on it. Irsay made it his personal trademark to include the smiley face when signing autographs for fans. The patch also includes seven grommets, tying in the seven grommets that adorn the team’s iconic horseshoe logo. Irsay died in his sleep on May 21 at the age of 65. He is survived by his three daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Irsay Foyt, and Kalen Jackson, all of whom are co-owners of the team. The Irsay family and the Indianapolis Colts will hold a private memorial service for late team owner and CEO Jim Irsay this coming Monday. The service, to be held in Indianapolis, will not be open to the public or the media. Plans for a public tribute will be announced soon. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Kicking The Stigma mental health initiative at kickingthestigma.org/donate.