Indiana head coach Darian DeVries has coached his son, Tucker, for his entire five-year college basketball career, making it especially difficult to watch him play his final home game against Minnesota on Thursday night.
The emotions did not get in the way of a 77-47 victory, but Darian DeVries admitted he battled them all day. The 50-year-old coach seemingly fought back tears in his post-game interview, saying he will always be “a dad first.”
“It's one of those where you're trying not to get too wrapped up in it — you're fighting it the whole day,” Darian DeVries said on the Big Ten Network. “You're a dad first. That part was a challenge, and still is right now. We got through it.”
"You're a dad first, so that part was a challenge—still is, right now." @IndianaMBB HC Darian DeVries shares what it was like coaching his son Tucker on Senior Night 🥹 pic.twitter.com/7US1W4Stft
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 5, 2026
DeVries has coached for three different teams in the last four years, with his son following him to each stop. DeVries began his head coaching career at Drake in 2018, with Tucker becoming a Bulldog in 2021, before being poached by West Virginia in 2024 and again by Indiana the following year.
Tucker DeVries was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year at Drake. He only played eight games at West Virginia due to a shoulder injury before leaving the Mountaineers to follow his father to Bloomington.
Tucker DeVries recorded 13 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block in his final game at Assembly Hall. Four of Indiana's five starters reached double figures to help them secure a much-needed victory to keep their slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
The win snapped a brutal four-game skid while moving Indiana to 18-12 and 9-10 in the Big Ten. They hit the road one more time to end the regular season at Ohio State, which also needs a win to remain in the NCAA Tournament conversation.
