Who Will Replace Paul Corsaro at IU Indy?

We were truly hoping we weren’t going to have to do this for IU Indy for a long time.

But things being as they are, we’re going to dive into potential candidates to replace Paul Corsaro, who was fired as Jaguars head coach. Given that we’re in May, and players are slowly but surely getting snapped up from high school, the juco ranks and the transfer portal, time is of the essence. And if there’s an opportunity to retain the players that have already committed and are already on the IU Indy roster, all the better.

This is also not going to be the IU Indianapolis program that has consistently struggled to locate resources, either. A new facility is being built, and many of disadvantages that have plagued IU Indy compared to other Horizon League schools will be greatly diminished.

So, here’s the list of candidates we think could fit to fill the void for the Jaguars.

Linc Darner, head coach, Tampa: Looking into the Division II ranks is where IU Indy found Corsaro (although being down the street at UIndy was kind of an advantage, too). Darner, however, has the advantage of not only having Division I coaching experience but Horizon League experience at that. While at Green Bay, Darner took the Phoenix to an NCAA Tournament in 2016 and finished no worse than fourth place during his tenure. While at Tampa, he’s also had no trouble snagging Division I players as transfers. Would he want to take another bite at the HL apple? You never know.

Ben Howlett, head coach, West Liberty: We’ve heard plenty about the Jim Crutchfield coaching tree during multiple coaching searches during the last couple of months. Part of that tree includes Howlett, who took over for his old boss when he went to Nova Southeastern. The Hilltoppers have been on a tear ever since, with Howlett racking up 217 wins to this point and leading West Liberty to NCAA Tourney appearances every year (except 2020, of course). The IU Indy job may be the opportunity for him to make the leap to D1.

Stan Gouard, head coach, Southern Indiana: There’s no telling if Gouard, who was Corsaro’s predecessor at UIndy, would jump ship at USI to return back from Indianapolis. But it’s always possible. Prior to his move to Southern Indiana, Gouard reinvigorated his alma mater into a consistent Division II force. At the helm of USI, he’s facilitated the Screaming Eagles’ transition to D1, although the last two years have been tough sledding. This may give him pause to make a move at this point.

Ryan Sharbaugh, assistant coach, Missouri: Sharbaugh is one of the first coaches that Dennis Gates brought on when he took the Cleveland State job in July 2019. Since that time, three of Gates’ assistants, Dru Joyce III, Travis Lewis and, most recently, Rob Summers, have all taken on head coaching roles. And Gates has long said that all of his assistants had head coaching potential. So with IU Indy, this could very well be Sharbaugh’s moment. He certainly has the experience in putting together a competitive roster on the fly, if need be. And that may very well be the case with the Jags.

LaVall Jordan, assistant coach/general manager, DePaul: Indianapolis is Jordan’s town. Well, at least it was. His playing days at Butler were legendary. His coaching tenure with his alma mater? Kind of up and down, at least enough to warrant his ouster in 2022. After a brief stint in broadcasting, Jordan ended up back on the sidelines on Chris Holtmann’s staff at DePaul. The allure of returning home to Indy, as well as a return to the Horizon League, where he coached at Milwaukee for a season before taking to Bulldogs job, could be enough for him to put his name in for consideration.

Terry Johnson, assistant coach, Purdue: Like Jordan, Johnson has some pretty deep Butler roots, having served 10 years as an assistant before heading to Ohio State to join Holtmann’s staff. He’s currently with on Boilermakers bench, who have been on a tear of their own in recent years. Johnson’s name has come up at least a few times during mid-major coaching searches across the Midwest, so it stands to reason that a job closer to his old stomping grounds would certainly appeal to him.