Story byIndyStar | The Indianapolis StarBrian Haenchen, Indianapolis StarFri, December 5, 2025 at 1:37 AM UTC·4 min readBLOOMINGTON — Steve Aird describes himself as a "lunatic" during practice in August. But when the calendar turns to December and the NCAA tournament begins?"It's Cancun, baby," the longtime Indiana volleyball coach laughed. "I'm chilling."AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAird's approach to the season's biggest stage was inspired by his mentor, legendary Penn State coach Russ Rose, and perfected during his 25 seasons in college volleyball, a run encompassing six Final Fours and two national championships. The eighth-year IU coach is loose and "kind of weird" this time of year, but as he sees it: "The hay's already in the barn.""This is a really good team and as a coach, you don't want to stress them out any more than they already are," Aird continued. "It's about staying loose — making sure they know you love them and are proud of them."The longtime coach's energy set the tone for No.