Former Hoosier Michael Lewis Named Head Coach at Ball State

Michael Lewis left Indiana as the school's all-time assist leader, and has spent the last 18 years as an assistant coach in college. After three years at UCLA, the Jasper, Ind., native was named the head coach at Ball State on Friday.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Former Indiana basketball player and current UCLA coach Michael Lewis has been named the new head coach at Ball State. 

Ball State athletic director Beth Goetz announced the hiring on Friday. The former Indiana University standout who is a Jasper, Ind., native will take over at the Muncie, Ind., school once UCLA is finished playing in the NCAA Tournament. They are here in Philadelphia in the East Regional, and play North Carolina on Friday night. 

“Basketball in our state is personified in Michael Lewis,” Goetz said. “His outlook on the game, relationship building, recruiting network, pedigree and proactive approach to engagement with our stakeholders resides at a high level. 

"Additionally, his program values and standards on the court, in the classroom and the community will create a road map for the Cardinals to move onward, compete for Mid-American Conference titles and position our institution for a return to the NCAA Tournament. We are thrilled to welcome him, his wife Nichole along with their daughters Avery and Emma to Ball State.”

Lewis had a great career at Indiana from 1996 to 2000, and was a team captain and all-Big Ten player as a senior. He left Indiana as the school's all-time assists leader, until he was passed by Yogi Ferrell in 2016. He is still second all-time, and was Indiana's assists leader his final three years. He also had a school-record 15 assists in a game, tied with Keith Smart in school annals.

Lewis played professionally for two years, but has been an assistant coach ever since. He has been at UCLA the past three years, helping them reach the Final Four a year ago.

“Along with my family, I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead the men’s basketball program at Ball State University,” Lewis said in a release from Ball State. “Thank you to University President Geoff Mearns and Beth Goetz, with whom I shared a vision for our program that will be aligned with their leadership and the values of Ball State. That united vision is paramount for success. We are very excited to return to the state of Indiana where basketball means so much to lead a program with tremendous history and great potential.”

Lewis finished his high school career in 13th place on Indiana’s all-time high school scoring list with 2,138 career points at Jasper High School. He was named to the Indiana All-Star Team in 1996, following a senior season in which he captured Gatorade State Player of the Year acclaim. 

He was a graduate assist for two years at Texas Tech in 2002-04, working for his college coach, Bob Knight. He then spent a year at Stephen F. Austin, six years at Eastern Illinois, five years at Butler and three years at Nebraska. Lewis and his wife, Nichole, have two daughters, Avery and Emma.

He replaces James Whitford, who spent nine seasons at Ball State. The Cardinals were 14-17 this season, and finished 9-10 in the Mid-American Conference. 

Lewis was in Portland, Ore. last week with his UCLA team, the same first-round site where Indiana was playing. He said then that he was ''very happy at UCLA — how could you not be? — but I have my ears open'' about potential head-coaching jobs. He is also here in Philadelphia, and said hello on Thursday prior to UCLA's practice while the deal was being worked out with Ball State.

UCLA plays North Carolina on Friday night in the second game of the doubleheader at the Wells Fargo Center. Purdue plays the first game at 7:09 p.m. ET against Saint Peter's. 

“Everyone at UCLA and I couldn’t be happier for Michael and his family," Cronin said in a statement released by UCLA Athletics. "He has been a huge part of our success over the last three years in Westwood. Ball State is getting a rising star in college coaching in Coach Lewis. 

"Michael has the entire package of coaching acumen, player relation skills and recruiting chops to build the Cards into a force in the Mid-American Conference. I cannot wait to root for the Cardinals and watch Coach Lewis bring the excitement back to campus in Muncie. We will definitely miss Michael, but we are all very excited for him.”