Fife was named head coach of the IPFW Mastodons basketball team in 2005 at the age of 25. 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. In his fifth season as coach, the 2009–10 Mastodons squad posted their first ever winning record as a Division I basketball team. Upon joining the Summit League in the 2007–08 season, the Mastodons finished no worse than fifth place in conference play under Fife.