Darian DeVries Says He Had the 'Intention' of Staying and Building at West Virginia

A blue blood came calling and Darian DeVries couldn't say no.

Schuyler Callihan | Mar 19, 2025

Jan 12, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Darian DeVries claps in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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West Virginia Mountaineers

When Darian DeVries was announced as the head coach at West Virginia last March, he felt like he had found a place that he would call home for a very long time. The Mountaineers had a tremendous first season and instead of staying put and continuing to build on that momentum, he jumped at the first opportunity to lead a blue blood program, such as Indiana.

In his introductory press conference Wednesday morning in Bloomington, DeVries briefly addressed his decision to leave West Virginia.

“One year ago today, I took the West Virginia job after I left Drake University. I felt like it was a great fit for myself, my family. It had an administration that I greatly respected, a fan base that was very supportive, and a community that was filled with great people. All that turned out to be true in that past year, and we were welcomed with open arms. We met some terrific people, and my family and I are beyond thankful for that. Obviously, my intention was to continue down that path and build on the progress that we made during this first year. However, the opportunity came along to possibly be the head coach at Indiana - a dream job for anyone - but especially for someone that grew up in the Midwest. The chance to lead one of the biggest brands in college basketball was something I could not pass up.”

One of the first questions DeVries was asked pertained to the interview process. Who he was able to meet with, when, and so on. He didn't divulge the details but it does sound like he was approached during West Virginia's season.

“The process is the process on how it plays out. As you were going through their season, they were very respectful of making sure that my focus continued to be on our team, and I certainly appreciated that.”

For everyone who doesn't know how these coaching searches work, it takes several weeks of communication and negotiating before a deal is finalized. This didn't happen over the course of the last 48 hours, meaning this was in the works while the Mountaineers watched the Selection Sunday show to find out they had been snubbed from the NCAA Tournament.

Indiana will pay a little over $6 million to West Virginia for the buyout.

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