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Dane Fife

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Dane Fife
Biographical details
Born(1979-07-26)July 26, 1979(age 44)
Clarkston, Michigan
Playing career
1998–2002Indiana
2002Gary Steelheads
Coaching career (HCunless noted)
2003–2005Indiana (grad assistant)
2005–2011IPFW
2011–2021Michigan State(assistant)
2021–2022Indiana (assistant)
Head coaching record
Overall82–97 (.458)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
As player:

Dane Fife(born July 26, 1979) is an American formercollege basketballplayer and assistant coach. Fife is the former head coach of theIndiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne(IPFW)Mastodons men's basketball teamand a former college assistant coach atMichigan State UniversityunderTom Izzofor ten years before leaving to become an assistant coach at his alma mater,Indiana University.He was let go by Indiana after one season.

Playing career

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Fife played basketball and football forClarkston High SchoolinClarkston, Michigan.In basketball, he was coached by his father, Dan Fife. After his senior season in 1998, he was namedMr. Basketball of Michiganover runner-upAntonio Gates,[1]and was also named aMcDonald's All-AmericanandParade All-American.A blue-chip recruit in basketball and also a star quarterback, Fife was recruited to play both sports in college. He ultimately committed to play basketball forIndianaunder head coachBob Knight.He chose Indiana overDuke,Michigan State,andMichigan,where his father had played baseball and his older brother Dugan had played basketball. Fife became a vocal supporter of Knight,[2]and nearly transferred from the team to Michigan State[3]following the coach's firing in 2000.[4]

Fife was a starter forIndianaduring their2002 NCAA runner-upcampaign. He finished his career with the Hoosiers having scored 736 total points. Fife also owns Indiana's all-time steals record (180) and earned theBig Ten Defensive Player of the Yearaward his senior season.

One of the more well-known plays of his college career came on a controversial call during the final seconds of a 2002 Sweet Sixteen game againstDuke.The Blue Devils were down by four points with enough time remaining for one play when Fife was called for foulingJason Williamson a three-point shot. Williams' shot was good, and he was given the opportunity to tie the game with a free throw. Fortunately for Fife, Williams failed to make the free throw, and the Hoosiers advanced to the Elite Eight by holding on for a 74–73 win. Fife is often asked about the play and denies committing the foul to this day. The Hoosiers continued their NCAA Tournament run, defeatingKent StateandOklahomabefore falling toMarylandin the national championship game, 64–52.

Fife played one season of professional basketball, in 2002 with theGary Steelheadsof theContinental Basketball Association.

Career statistics

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Legend
GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
FG% Field goalpercentage 3P% 3-point field goalpercentage FT% Free throwpercentage
RPG Reboundsper game APG Assistsper game SPG Stealsper game
BPG Blocksper game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1998–99 Indiana 33 11 17.1 .450 .243 .683 2.1 1.5 1.0 .1 3.3
1999–2000 Indiana 27 22 23.5 .455 .227 .800 3.0 2.0 1.8 .2 4.9
2000–01 Indiana 34 34 32.9 .374 .306 .629 2.8 3.2 1.4 .2 5.1
2001–02 Indiana 37 37 32.7 .461 .478 .702 2.6 2.5 1.4 .2 8.7


Coaching career

[edit]

Assistant at Indiana

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Fife spent two seasons as an administrative assistant on the staff ofMike DavisatIndiana.During his time as an assistant, he concurrently earned amaster's degreein athletic administration.[5]

Head coach of IPFW

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Fife was named head coach of theIPFW Mastodons basketball teamin 2005 at the age of 25, becoming the youngest head coach in NCAA basketball history at the time.[6]In his first season, he led the Mastodons to 10 wins, the most the team had earned in a season since jumping to Division I in 2001.[6]In his fifth season as coach, the 2009–10 Mastodons squad posted their first-ever winning record as a Division I basketball team.[6]Upon joining theSummit Leaguein the 2007–08 season, the Mastodons finished no worse than fifth place in conference play under Fife.

Before the 2010–11 season, Fife had considered assistant coaching jobs at Indiana underTom Creanand Michigan underJohn Beilein.[7][8]He ultimately remained at IPFW, where he coached the team to a program-best 18–12 record.[9]

Fife's teams at IPFW improved their winning percentage from the previous season in each year that Fife coached.

Assistant at Michigan State

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Following the2010–11 seasonFife was contacted byPurduebasketball head coachMatt Painterto fill the associate head coach position. On April 15, 2011, Fife withdrew his name from consideration for the Purdue job.[10]Fife was named assistant coach at Michigan State by Tom Izzo on April 20, 2011. He replacedMark Montgomery,who was named head coach atNorthern Illinoisin March 2011.[11]

Fife brought the defensive intensity he possessed as a player to his role as a coach, as the Spartans held opponents below a.400 field-goal percentage from 2011 to 2015, including ranking second nationally in both2015–16(.382) and in2011–12(.379), marking the best effort by MSU since 1959. He is also instrumental in MSU's scouting and recruiting efforts. Jeff Goodman andJay BilasofESPN.comnamed Fife one of the best head coaching candidates in the nation.[12]

On March 23, 2017, it was rumored that Fife was close to accepting the head coaching position atDuquesne,but shortly thereafter it was reported that he had declined the position.[13]His name was also mentioned as a possibility for the vacant head coaching position at his alma mater,Indiana,in both 2017 and 2021.[14]

Assistant at Indiana

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On April 5, 2021, it was announced that Fife would be leaving Michigan State to joinMike Woodson's staff atIndiana.[15]On March 23, 2022, Woodson announced that he had decided not to retain Fife and he would not be returning to the coaching staff.[16]

Personal life

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Fife is the son ofClarkston High Schoolhead coach and formerMinnesota TwinspitcherDanny Fife.[17]He is the younger brother of former Michigan basketball captain Dugan Fife.[18]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
IPFW Mastodons(Independent)(2005–2006)
2005–06 IPFW 10–18
IPFW Mastodons(United Basketball Conference)(2006–2007)
2006–07 IPFW 12–17 6–4 3rd
IPFW Mastodons(The Summit League)(2007–2011)
2007–08 IPFW 13–18 9–9 5th
2008–09 IPFW 13–17 8–10 5th
2009–10 IPFW 16–15 9–9 5th
2010–11 IPFW 18–12 11–7 4th
IPFW: 82–97 (.458) 43–39 (.524)
Total: 82–97 (.458)

National champion Postseason invitational champion
Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion
Conference tournament champion

References

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  1. ^"Michigan High School Basketball Record Book".peschstats.com.
  2. ^"Fife on Knight's final team meeting: 'A unique and special moment'".USA Today.Archived fromthe originalon June 28, 2011.RetrievedAugust 26,2017.
  3. ^Rexrode, Joe (April 20, 2011)."Fife: 'I want to be part of something special'".noise.typepad.com.Archived fromthe originalon April 26, 2011.RetrievedApril 21,2011.
  4. ^Mayo, David (December 19, 2009)."IPFW coach Dane Fife, Spartans' Tom Izzo maintain bond that started on recruiting trail".mlive.com.RetrievedFebruary 28,2024.
  5. ^"Dane Fife - Men's Basketball Coach".Indiana University Athletics.Archived fromthe originalon April 17, 2024.RetrievedApril 8,2021.
  6. ^abcWarden, Steve (December 4, 2010)."Mastodons off to best start as D-I team".journalgazette.net.Archived fromthe originalon March 16, 2012.
  7. ^Davis, Tom (April 20, 2010)."Dane Fife: 'I expect to be at IPFW next year'".news-sentinel.com.Archived fromthe originalon December 30, 2010.
  8. ^Burkhardt, Dylan (April 20, 2010)."Report: Dane Fife Turns Down Michigan".UM Hoops.com.RetrievedAugust 2,2017.
  9. ^"2016-17 Men's Basketball Schedule".Purdue University Fort Wayne.RetrievedFebruary 28,2024.
  10. ^Clardie, Stacy (April 15, 2011)."Purdue's next assistant could be from Butler".JournalGazette.net.Archived fromthe originalon March 16, 2012.RetrievedOctober 17,2022.
  11. ^"Fife Named Men's Basketball Assistant Coach".msuspartans.com.April 20, 2011. Archived fromthe originalon August 2, 2017.RetrievedAugust 2,2017.
  12. ^"16–17 Michigan State Spartans"(PDF).Michigan State University.2016. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on April 15, 2019.RetrievedOctober 17,2022.
  13. ^Charboneau, Matt (March 23, 2017)."Report: MSU's Dane Fife not taking Duquesne hoops job".The Detroit News.RetrievedFebruary 28,2024.
  14. ^Warnemuende, Jeremy (March 24, 2017)."Michigan State's Tom Izzo feels for Tom Crean, wouldn't discourage Dane Fife if Indiana came calling".SpartanTailgate.RetrievedFebruary 28,2024.
  15. ^"Fife returns to Indiana to join Woodson's staff".ESPN.com.April 5, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 28,2024.
  16. ^Dopirak, Dustin (March 23, 2022)."Dane Fife won't return to IU coaching staff: 'I'm a Hoosier today, and I'll be a Hoosier tomorrow'".indystar.com.RetrievedFebruary 28,2024.
  17. ^Berkow, Ira(February 18, 2006)."Division I's Youngest Coach Is Finding His Own Way".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 28,2024.
  18. ^"Dane Fife basketball profile".
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