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Tom Crean: 'I hope Indiana wins that national championship'

Posted at 1:46 PM, Mar 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-21 14:53:41-04

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Former Indiana University men's basketball coach Tom Crean is not bitter about being fired.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated for the first time since he was fired by IU athletic director Fred Glass, Crean said he hopes IU wins multiple national championships. 

“I love Indiana,” he said. “I loved it here. That’s not going to change. You can’t go loving something every day for nine years and then suddenly hate it. ... I hope Indiana wins that national championship. And another one. I really do.”

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Crean was fired on March 16 after nine years as coach. Under his leadership, IU won two outright Big Ten titles and played in four NCAA Tournaments, but never advanced beyond the Sweet 16. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016.

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After he was fired, Crean told his family he wouldn't return as IU's coach. 

"We didn't fail," he said. “We didn’t lose this job because we lost. We didn’t lose this job for bad things. We’re not letting this define us.”

MORE | Read more from the Sports Illustrated interview

Crean said he'd like to coach again, preferably next season. He’d like a job where it’s possible to win a national title but made it clear that he’d study all the opportunities carefully.

“A good job, a great job, those all come down to the alignment," he said. "Resources are important. Facilities are important. Tradition is important. Fan bases are important. Where can you recruit is important. But alignment is key. That, for me, is what you’re looking for.”

During his SI interview, Crean had a pile of IU T-shirts and sweatshirts near the door, ready to be donated to a church. 

Despite what some fans may think, Crean said he has no regrets about his job. 

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"I wanted to win a national championship here as bad as any fan, former player or student could have ever possibly imagined," he said.