BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Tom Crean couldn’t say “no” when Indiana offered him the coaching job.

He thought back to the undefeated 1976 team he watched as a child, the first coaching clinic he attended with Bob Knight, the appearance of Kent Benson in his hometown of Mount Pleasant, Mich., and the respect he had for the program.

Yes, his loyalties always seemed to be with Indiana and after his introduction Wednesday as the new coach, he’s finally a Hoosier.

“This was a heart decision,” Crean said, his voice cracking. “This was not a business decision or a legacy decision. I’d had other opportunities to walk away (from Marquette), and none of them felt like this. I’m going to miss those people a lot, but I’m excited to be here.”

Indiana fans are just as eager to have him in Bloomington.

By giving Crean an eight-year deal worth $18.24 million, an average of $2.3 million each season, the Hoosiers paid a hefty price to forget one of the darkest chapters in school history. Kelvin Sampson, who resigned amid an NCAA scandal in February, was to be paid a total of $1.1 million last year before accepting a $750,000 buyout to go away.

Sampson’s alleged NCAA violations, player suspensions and player dissension all made wins and losses moot at a school that lives and dies with basketball.

Crean’s job is to clean up the mess.

He wants to restore Indiana’s national prestige, just as he did at Marquette, and he challenged his new players to complete that task with the same energy and passion he’s bringing to the program.

“I’m going to look for people who understand why we wear the candy-striped pants and why we wear Indiana on our jerseys,” he said. “It’s going to take time.”

Yet it didn’t take long for the 42-year-old coach to turn on the charm.

Before stepping to the podium, he kissed his wife, Joani, two of his children – the 2-year-old had run off to look for stickers – and grabbed a T-shirt that read “Crean and Crimson,” a play on the school colors, cream and crimson.

“They handed this to me an hour ago,” he said. “I guess this let’s me know where I am.”

For Crean, the uncertainties will make this the most daunting task of his career.

Two players dismissed from the team Tuesday, starting guards Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis, are expected to meet with Crean soon.

Athletic director Rick Greenspan said he would not get involved in whether Crean decides to let them return, and two players who attended the news conference, guard Jordan Crawford and forward Eli Holman, remained unclear about whether Bassett or Ellis or both might be reinstated.

“I can only do so much, but that’s not up to me,” Holman said when asked if he would lobby on behalf of his friends.

Crean also understands how difficult it will be to rebuild the Hoosiers, who still have a June hearing in front of the NCAA infractions committee.