This wasn’t how Dane Fife remembered it. The energy around the IU program was different.
Fife knows what winning basketball looks like. During his senior year at Indiana in 2002, Fife was a part of the most successful Hoosier team since the turn of the century when they made a national championship game appearance. Earlier in his career, he was coached by Bob Knight, who won three national championships.
So Fife knows the fanbase and expectations. He knows Bloomington. During his introductory press conference Tuesday, Fife said he was disappointed that Opie Taylor’s closed down.
But over the last decade, from across state lines, Fife has watched his alma mater struggle to realize a consistent level of prosperity.