Marian University Tabs Bethel's Steve Drabyn as New Men's Basketball Coach

Marian University found its answer to a chaotic winter in a LaPorte native with Indiana roots that run from the IHSAA level all the way to the Crossroads League. Athletic director Steve Downing announced April 9 that Steve Drabyn will become the program's next head men's basketball coach, with official duties beginning April 20.

The hire arrives after one of the more turbulent seasons in Marian men's basketball history. Pat Knight, son of the late Bob Knight, resigned February 2 after the administration asked him to fire an assistant coach he refused to let go. Associate head coach Todd Howard steadied the ship for the remainder of the season, but Marian still finished 5-23 overall and 2-16 in Crossroads League play. Downing now turns to a coach who went 118-61 in seven seasons at Bethel University, across the same conference, four NAIA National Tournament appearances (2021, 2024, 2025, 2026), and a 2022-23 NCCAA national championship.

What makes Drabyn's hire particularly resonant in Indiana high school circles is the depth of his in-state network. He graduated from LaPorte High School in 2000 as an Indiana All-Star who still ranks among the nation's all-time leaders in career free throw percentage, shooting 92.1 percent as a Slicer. That name carries real currency at IHSAA gyms. But his most direct pipeline into Indianapolis-area programs comes from three seasons as an assistant boys' basketball coach at Carmel High School from 2008 to 2011. Carmel is one of the state's most decorated programs, and those years gave Drabyn established relationships in the north Indianapolis suburbs that Marian, situated on the city's west side, can now leverage directly.

Drabyn earned his Master of Education at the University of Indianapolis in 2010, overlapping with his Carmel years, and has been a member of the Indiana Basketball Coaches' Association since 2008. That continuous IBCA presence means he didn't step away from the state's coaching community during his time at Stetson, Lipscomb, or Bethel. He stayed in the room.

His family ties reinforce the central Indiana presence further. His sister, Kristin Wodrich, serves as the women's basketball head coach at the University of Indianapolis, giving Drabyn a natural point of contact with every Indianapolis-area program that has tracked the Greyhounds' program under her direction.

At Bethel, Drabyn produced results consistent with what Marian is chasing. He developed nine Crossroads League All-Conference players and two NAIA All-Americans. His final Bethel squad finished 26-9 and ranked as high as No. 3 nationally before exiting in the second round of the NAIA Tournament and placing fifth at the NCCAA Tournament in March.

Drabyn said he is "extremely grateful" for the opportunity, while Downing cited his winning percentage, postseason pedigree, and recruiting ties as the deciding factors. With official duties beginning April 20, Drabyn's first task is roster evaluation ahead of summer programming. That timeline gives current Indiana high school seniors and transfer-eligible players a clear window to request campus visits and connect with a coach who has a documented history of turning undervalued prospects into all-conference contributors.

Marian's .659 winning percentage under Drabyn's next contract opponent had better account for what seven seasons at Bethel demonstrated: he builds, he develops, and he wins in the league Marian is trying to climb.