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Dane Fife made his first official comments following the news of his departure from the Indiana program on Wednesday night.

Fife spent just one season on staff at Indiana after joining Mike Woodson in a return to Indiana. He spent the previous 10 years at Michigan State.

"I love IU with every part of my soul and am grateful to those that gave me this opportunity," Fife said on Twitter. "Most importantly, I'm honored to have worked with the players on our team. They dug deep, never gave in and will forever be remembered for their accomplishments.

"I became an Indiana Hoosier 25 years ago. I'm a Hoosier today... And I'll be a Hoosier tomorrow. Go IU."

Fife helped lead Indiana to the 2002 National Title game and a share of the Big Ten Championship as a senior. He was also named co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

In 131 career games, he averaged 5.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He also shot 37.9 percent from three for his career and 47.1 percent as a senior on 140 attempts.

“I am committed to doing what I believe is best for the continued growth of our men’s basketball program as we collectively work toward returning it to the upper echelon of college basketball,” IU head coach Mike Woodson said of Fife on Wednesday. “Sometimes, that commitment can result in some very difficult decisions, and that is the case today. Ultimately, I believe that the fit must be right with a coaching staff, and I’ve decided that a change is necessary. I appreciate everything Dane has done as a member of the staff during the last year and as player for our program. He will always be a part of the Hoosier family and I wish him well in his future pursuits.”

Indiana finished the 2021-22 season 21-14 (9-11) and made its first NCAA Tournament since 2016.

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