West Virginia Director of Athletics Wren Baker released a statement on Tuesday evening as the Mountaineers are officially looking for their next head men's basketball coach.
The statement read:
"Coach DeVries informed me of his plans to accept the head coaching position at another institution. Coach and I had several conversations in recent weeks focused on working together to build on a strong foundation and continue to grow our program. I made it clear to him that WVU is committed to invest in him and provide the resources needed to compete in the Big 12 and nationally. Ultimately, he decided to move on, and I want to thank him for his time at WVU.
We have an outstanding basketball tradition with some of the most loyal and passionate fans in college basketball. We have tremendously generous supporters and a great partnership with the University that allow us to compete in this new era of college athletics. The alignment between the leadership of our Board of Governors, the University and Athletics Department is strong, and I am confident our momentum will continue as we work diligently to identify the next leader of our men's basketball program."
DeVries spent just one season at WVU, going 19-13 and 10-10 in Big 12 Conference play. DeVries is now headed to Indiana, becoming the 31st head coach of the Hoosiers.
"This is unquestionably one of the top jobs in America. As someone who grew up in the Midwest loving the game of basketball, I've always admired the IU Basketball program for its championship-level success, tradition, and fan support," DeVries said. "There's a passion to succeed at the very highest levels both within the Big Ten and in the NCAA Tournament, and that's a desire that as a coach I share. On top of that, the alignment is there on a department and university level to make that happen. I'm excited for this opportunity and am ready to work relentlessly to assemble a staff and a roster that competes for championships."
The Mountaineers will now begin their search to find the 24th head men's basketball coach in program history.
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