Matthew Graves officially named head coach at Indiana State

Less than a week after being named interim head coach, Matthew Graves has been officially hired as the new head coach at Indiana State. Graves spent the last three seasons as associate head coach under Josh Schertz, making him a key member of a staff that built the Sycamore program from 11 wins in year one to MVC Champions this past season.

“I look forward to partnering with Coach Graves to capitalize on our success,” AD Angie Lansing said in a statement. “He has been integral within our men’s basketball program and is absolutely the right fit for Indiana State Athletics. First and foremost, he is excited to be a Sycamore and understands the magnitude of the role he plays in the success of our student-athletes, our university and our community. Coach Graves is eager to maintain the momentum of our program and fan base, and he embraces the opportunity to lead Indiana State Basketball well into the future.”

Graves was head coach at South Alabama for four seasons, going 65-96 overall, then spent a few years on staff at Evansville and Xavier before arriving in Terre Haute in 2021. He is an Indiana-native who played for Barry Collier at Butler and got his coaching start at the high school level in his home state. Graves then returned to his alma mater in 2000 and worked with Bulldogs for thirteen seasons under head coaches Thad Matta (2000-01), Todd Lickliter (2001-07) and Brad Stevens (2007-13).

“I am very excited and appreciative about this opportunity to be the head men’s basketball coach at Indiana State University,” Graves said. “I would like to thank President Curtis and Angie Lansing for their tremendous confidence in me and working judiciously under the unique circumstances in this hiring process. My wife, Susan, and our two daughters, Abby & Lily, are looking forward to embracing the Wabash Valley community for many years to come. Let’s Go Sycamores!”

The Sycamores won 32 games and were NIT Runner-up in 2023-24 while Schertz, who was named Missouri Valley COY and won the Hugh Durham Award as the nation’s top mid-major head coach, left after the season to become the head coach at Saint Louis.

credit to Indiana State Athletics for the image