"Fire Woodson!": Hundreds in the crowd angry at Mike Woodson as Indiana Hoosiers suffer humiliation at home vs Illinois
Indiana Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson is enduring a rough stretch in the 2025 Big Ten Conference season as his team continues to struggle. Following an 85-60 blowout loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday, another lopsided defeat seemed imminent on Tuesday.
With 6:51 left in the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini, the Hoosiers trailed by 25 points, 45-20, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
In a video posted by The Field of 68 media network on X (formerly Twitter), Hoosiers fans were shown voicing their frustration with the team’s lackluster performance. The crowd directed its anger at head coach Mike Woodson, repeatedly chanting:
"Fire Woodson!"
See the full clip of the Indiana crowd booing Mike Woodson below:
Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, their chants did not serve as a wake-up call for the Hoosiers, who ended the first half down by an even larger margin — 28 points, 60-32. The chants persisted as Indiana cut the lead to 18 points at the 17:35 mark of the second half, with the crowd hoping for a potential comeback.
Still, the Illini kept their lead intact, exchanging baskets with Indiana but maintaining their advantage. Despite the Hoosiers’ offensive efforts, they could not stop Illinois’ scoring barrage. With about six minutes remaining in the game, the Illini pulled away for a commanding 94-69 victory.
Despite the two-game losing streak, Woodson and the Hoosiers still have a winning record in the conference at 4-3. With their next game scheduled for Friday against the Ohio State Buckeyes, the 66-year-old coach may need to implement significant defensive adjustments to avoid a three-game losing streak and get back in the win column.
Indiana Hoosiers suffer second-worst loss in their homecourt's history
With a final score of 94-69, CBS Sports writer Matt Norlander reported that the 25-point margin is the second-largest loss in the history of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The worst loss at home for the program was a 32-point defeat, 78-46, against the Wisconsin Badgers in 2010.
The Hoosiers' late field goals, mostly 3-pointers, helped prevent them from suffering their worst home loss. If they can recalibrate their game plan, there is hope that Indiana can return to winning ways and notch its 14th win of the season on Jan. 17.