Power 6 Coach Rankings Following the College Basketball Regular Season

Bill Self took the Jayhawks to the mountaintop in 2022 and has his team in position to try and repeat as they head into the NCAA Tournament. Photo Courtesy: Associated Press

More so than in professional sports, coaching in college is more important and more crucial to the pursuit of championships than any other factor. College coaches are the general managers, team presidents, and chief fundraisers in addition to their on court duties. In the era of NIL money and the transfer portal, team building has become both more doable but also more competitive. As we move into the best postseason in any sport, here are head coaches of the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and Big East, ranked.

1. Bill Self, #3 Kansas Jayhawks: What Bill Self has done this season — put the Jayhawks in position to not only repeat as national champs but do so with an almost entirely different lineup than the title winning team from a year ago, cements his status as the best coach in the game today. He’s also the only active coach with multiple national titles (2008, 2022), and has Kansas in position to be among the favorites yet again.
2. Tony Bennett, #13 Virginia Cavaliers: If this were a list of best defensive coaches, Tony Bennett would be right at the top. His ascension to the second best overall coach in the country is both a recognition of the mass retirement of Hall of Fame coaches in recent years as well as Bennett’s growth as a head man. The three-time national coach of the year finally broke through in the 2019 national final, just a year removed from the historic first round upset at the hands of UMBC. Bennett’s Cavaliers will always be a tough out for their suffocating defense, but an offense averaging under 70 points per game will be reason for concern in the eyes of many come tournament time.
3. Scott Drew, #10 Baylor Bears: Baylor’s national title victory in 2021 was a culmination of almost two decades of hard work by Drew. Hired in 2003, Drew has built what was once the laughing stock of the power conferences into a perennial contender, with lottery picks coming through the program almost yearly. Like Bennett, he’s grown with his program, having won back-to-back conference championships prior to this season. In year 20, it’s time Drew gets the recognition he’s earned.
4. Tom Izzo, Michigan State Spartans: Coming up on his 30th year in East Lansing, the Big Ten’s all-time winningest head coach has the Spartans in position for a 25th consecutive tournament appearance. His recruiting doesn’t seem to have necessarily dipped, but the Spartans haven’t been among the upper echelon of the Big Ten since the abandoned 2019–20 season, which very much could’ve resulted in Izzo’s second national championship. As his career winds down, it will be interesting to see if the King of March has one more run left in him.
5. John Calipari, #23 Kentucky Wildcats: Similar to Bennett, Calipari would no question sit atop the list of best recruiters. Coach Cal has arguably had more titles slip through his fingers than anyone else on this list, most notably his 2015 Wildcats, who won 38 straight games before a Final Four loss to Wisconsin. Cal has built an NBA factory, though some feel it’s come at the expense of Kentucky’s success in March. With four 5-stars on the way in Kentucky’s nation’s best 2023 class, big questions surround Calipari’s status in Lexington.
6. Matt Painter, #5 Purdue Boilermakers: Some may feel this is a bit high for a coach who has only one Elite Eight to his name, but allow me to present the following — Matt Painter assumed the head job in West Lafayette after Gene Keady’s 25-year tenure at the age of 34. In that time, he’s accumulated 410 wins and counting, will make his 14th tournament in 18 seasons, and taken 4 Big Ten championships. He’s done so having brought in just one 5-star recruit. On top of it all, Painter has sustained success in a tough conference and is still considered perhaps the cleanest coach in the country. With National Player of the Year Zach Edey, this could finally be Painter and the Boilermakers’ year.
7. Mick Cronin, #2 UCLA Bruins: Cronin wasn’t the Bruins’ first choice to replace Steve Alford in 2019, but they’re certainly glad he’s who they ended up with. Cronin’s Bruins have bettered every prior year of his tenure, including their 2021 run from First Four to Final Four. On the backs of three-year starters Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez, Westwood is humming following the first Pac-12 Championship in a decade. The way Cronin has the Bruins progressing, it’s only a matter of time before they’re cutting down the nets.
8. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse Orange: I’m giving Jim Boeheim this ranking out respect for a career which has spanned almost 50 years. But the facts of the matter, one top 5 finish in conference since the Orange joined the ACC a decade ago and, save for a 2016 Cinderella run to the Final Four, it seems more and more like the game has passed him by. At age 78, and with his two primary contemporaries — Krzyzewski and Williams — having retired in the past two off-seasons, one can only hope Boeheim will follow suit before his legacy suffers further.
9. Tommy Lloyd, #8 Arizona Wildcats: Perhaps the fastest riser on this list, longtime Mark Few assistant Tommy Lloyd made the step up to the head job in Tucson just two years ago, and in the time since has led the Wildcats to a Pac-12 championship and a Sweet 16 in Year 1 and a likely top 3 seed again in this year’s tournament. After the disastrous end to Sean Miller’s tenure, Lloyd has been everything the doctor ordered, and is poised to create a meaningful legacy as the head man at Arizona.
10. Rick Barnes, #17 Tennessee Volunteers: When Texas fired Rick Barnes, most likely thought that his career coaching big time basketball was winding down, if not over. But in eight seasons in Knoxville, Barnes has now 5 tournament appearances and an SEC Championship, showing he still has a lot left in the tank. Football will always be king at Tennessee, but Barnes has fans engaged deep into the winter.
11. Eric Musselman, Arkansas Razorbacks: What Eric Musselman has done in 4 seasons in Fayetteville is nothing short of remarkable. Returning the Razorbacks to national prominence is an impressive feat, but back-to-back Elite Eight appearances and multiple recruiting classes bolstered by 5-stars has the Arkansas faithful gearing up for many years of success.
12. Sean Miller, #15 Xavier Musketeers: An NCAA investigation spelled the end to what was a successful run at Arizona for Sean Miller, and after a year away from the game it was time for a homecoming, as Miller returns to the school where he had a successful run as head coach almost two decades ago. In the era of the transfer portal, programs can rebuild quickly, as Miller and the Musketeers have shown in returning to the top of the Big East this season.
13. Nate Oats, #4 Alabama Crimson Tide: What little questions there were about Nate Oats’ coaching abilities have been soundly answered this season, with the Crimson Tide likely to secure the first NCAA Tournament 1-seed in program history. But it’s impossible to evaluate Nate Oats without recognizing the organizational failures within his program in recent weeks and months. One of his players, Darius Miles, was charged with murder and, more recently, it was revealed that star freshman Brandon Miller had dropped off the murder weapon. What followed has been a PR nightmare that has without question affected the Tide’s performance on the court. How Oats handles this situation from this point on will no doubt have lasting effects on his program, as Bama limps into March Madness.
14. Jim Larrañaga, #14 Miami Hurricanes: The architect of George Mason’s now infamous Cinderella run to the 2006 Final Four, Jim Larrañaga has proven he can win at the top level of the sport, leading the Canes to an ACC Regular Season Championship a year removed from an Elite Eight run. As we look toward the tournament, expect Larrañaga’s squad to be a trendy pick to make the Final Four, if not go even further.
15. Brad Underwood, Illinois Fighting Illini: This season has been full of ups and downs, but the facts remain: Brad Underwood will lead a veteran Illini squad into March that has been battle-tested in one of the best conferences in the country, and no one would be surprised to see them make the second weekend of the tournament. Known for his fiery on-court persona, Underwood gets the most out of his players and that will be on full display in the postseason.
16. Bruce Pearl, Auburn Tigers: Bruce Pearl has had an up and down tenure at Auburn, but as he ascends to the status of one of the SEC’s elder statesmen, he’ll need the on-court results to match what have become lofty expectations following a 2019 Final Four and a 2-seed in last year’s tournament. This year’s team has certainly fallen short, but there is certainly reason for optimism around Pearl’s program for the foreseeable future.
17. Greg McDermott, #24 Creighton Bluejays: Nobody puts together a tournament dark horse on an almost annual basis quite like Greg McDermott. But with defensive stalwart Ryan Kalkbrenner and sharpshooter Baylor Scheierman, McDermott may have, in his thirteenth year in Omaha, the best chance he’s ever had to pull off the improbable. It would shock no one to see the Bluejays as a major factor on the second weekend of the tournament.
18. Bob Huggins, West Virginia Mountaineers: A legend of the game who’s never quite had the success most would expect, Bob Huggins definitely does not have his best team in Morgantown this year. That said, 932 victories is no small number, and Huggins has earned this status. It remains to be seen just how Huggins will lead the Mountaineers, but definitely has the right to decide for himself when he’ll be done.
19. Jon Scheyer, #24 Duke Blue Devils: Say what you will about Mike Krzyzewski, but when he feels strongly enough about a coach to make him his hand-picked successor, you have to think the guys is probably pretty good. Coach K wasn’t going to leave his legacy in the hands of just anyone. In Year 1, Scheyer’s Blue Devils have predictably struggled to reach the level Duke is accustomed to, but it’s only year 1, and Scheyer led the squad to a second-place finish in the ACC and will be solidly in the tournament, the envy of their hated rivals in Chapel Hill.
20. Shaka Smart, #6 Marquette Golden Eagles: The revival in Milwaukee of both coach and program has become one of the best stories in the country as this season has moved along. Two years ago, Shaka Smart was coming off yet another disappointing season at Texas when the Longhorns were upset by 14-seed Abilene Christian in the first round. Similarly, the Golden Eagles had decided it was the end of the road for Steve Wojciechowski, who never won a game in the tournament in 7 seasons, having only made the field twice. Smart and Marquette has been a dream partnership, and the outright Big East champions will be major player in the tournament, led by a potential Coach of the Year.
21. Hubert Davis, North Carolina Tar Heels: Okay. I think Hubert Davis is a good coach. In his first year filling the monumental shoes of Roy Williams, he led the Tar Heels on a run that began with an upset of arch-rival Duke in Coach K’s final game in Durham and ended in a narrow defeat at the hands of Kansas in the National Title game, with a Final Four defeat of the Blue Devils along the way. But this season, returning nearly everyone from last year and adding prized Northwestern transfer Pete Nance, the expectation was the Tar Heels would be THE best team, and that just hasn’t been the case. The locker room leadership of Brady Manek is sorely missed, but it’s the job of Davis to find someone to bridge that gap, or implore another player to do so. Instead, every time it’s felt like Carolina could turn their season around, they haven’t met the moment, most recently with a home loss to Duke to end the regular season. It looks like they’ll miss the tournament, and with the expectations they had to begin the season, Davis has no one to blame but himself.
22. Jamie Dixon, #22 Texas Christian Horned Frogs: On to happier things. Jamie Dixon left Pittsburgh in 2016 to take the job at his alma mater, and this season has been the culmination of tons of work in the time since. Dixon has the Horned Frogs poised to contend having gone through the toughest conference in the country, and with a veteran squad led by Mike Miles and Eddie Lampkin who dealt with a close loss to Arizona last year, there’s no reason the Horned Frogs can’t continue the national relevance felt in Fort Worth felt by the football team’s run this Fall.
23. Ed Cooley, Providence Friars: For much of this season, Ed Cooley’s Friars looked like legitimate national title contenders. But they’ve crumbled down the stretch, with two blowouts at home to end the year. The tough, physical identity Cooley has cultivated at Providence seems to be reeling as well, but he’s certainly a high enough quality coach to salvage this season as the conference heads to Madison Square Garden.
24. Dana Altman, Oregon Ducks: What Dana Altman has done in his time in Eugene — four regular season titles and a 2017 Final Four appearance, is no surprise and only serves to benefit his reputation in the coaching profession. That said, sustained success year in and year out hasn’t really happened, and one could wonder if in a conference run by Arizona and UCLA Altman will ever be able to make it happen. A certified bubble team, Altman will have a chance to make that point one way or another in the PAC-12 Tournament.
25. Dan Hurley, #11 Connecticut Huskies: UCONN’s return to the Big East in 2020 meant two things; a return to top tier competition in basketball, and a return to prominence for a once-proud program on the back of their fiery head coach, Dan Hurley. Hurley has led the Huskies back to the top of the Big East, and they enter the postseason with a chance to realize the expectations that come with playing at UCONN.
26. Rodney Terry*, #7 Texas Longhorns: Rodney Terry left his post as head man at UT-El Paso in 2021 to join Chris Beard’s staff in Austin. I don’t think he nor anything else for that matter thought that he’d be in a big time job by the end of 2022, especially not the show for the Longhorns. But this a largely unprecedented scenario, and Terry hasn’t missed a beat since Beard’s domestic violence situation came to light. Once this season is over, he should be made the permanent head coach, but even if UT brass decided to go in a different direction (which would be the wrong decision), there is no doubt that Rodney Terry should be leading a major program on a permanent basis for the foreseeable basis.
27. Kevin Willard, Maryland Terrapins: In year one since replacing Mark Turgeon, Kevin Willard surpassed every reasonable expectation. Willard showed what he was capable of at Seton Hall, but fair questions were asked when his move to College Park became official, as the program had struggled to maintain relevance in recent years. But, if done right, Maryland is a job where it can be hard not to find success. The DMV is potent for recruiting, and Maryland boasts one of the best student sections and fanbases as a whole anywhere in the country. Kevin Willard gave them a reason to show up to the Xfinity Center for the first time in a good while, and now the Terps are firing on all cylinders. The Willard Era will no doubt be a special time at Maryland.
28. Fran McCaffery, Iowa Hawkeyes: Fran McCaffery is never a positive part of the news cycle. From his ejection against Northwestern to most recently his intense and downright awkward stare down of an official during crunch time of an eventual win against Michigan State, Fran seems to be comfortable being one of the least likable coaches in the country. And yet, the Hawkeyes remain a major player both in the Big Ten and nationally, and after knocking off Purdue to win the Big Ten tournament last year, there’s a reason to believe the Hawkeyes can go on a run that lasts a little longer than last year. (Round of 64 defeat to 12-seed Richmond)
29. Leonard Hamilton, Florida State Seminoles: Leonard Hamilton has two decades under his belt in Tallahassee, and exists somewhere between Bob Huggins and Jim Boeheim on the “It’s Time to Retire” scale. The Seminoles simply have gone in the wrong direction after 2020’s ACC Championship, and with a 12th place finish this year one begins to wonder how much the 74-year-old Hamilton has left in the tank. Regardless of the warm feelings he’s built with the FSU faithful since taking over in 2002, Seminole fans are no doubt thinking the same thing.
30. Buzz Williams, #18 Texas A&M Aggies: In my opinion, Buzz Williams has one of the harder major jobs on this list. Sure, NIL money is flowing almost as plentifully as the oil below ground, but the Aggies’ football program, no matter how disappointing (5–7 this past season), will always be king. Nonetheless, Williams orchestrated a second-place finish in the SEC this season, an impressive feat in a league that includes champion Alabama as well as Kentucky, Tennessee, Auburn, and a surprise in Missouri. After successful stops at Marquette and Virginia Tech, there is reason to believe now may be the time where Buzz Williams takes the next leap with an Aggies postseason run.
31. Greg Gard, Wisconsin Badgers: A year removed from a Big Ten title, Greg Gard’s Badgers should’ve been better than 12th in conference. For some reason, most in the know still consider Wisconsin a bubble team, but hope is lost as far as I’m concerned. With a new athletic director who has shown a willingness to move on from entrenched coaches in Madison in favor of a fresh start, and hot names in the profession native to the Badger State such as Nate Oats and more possibly Iowa State’s TJ Otzelberger as potential splashy hires, Gard, in my mind, will need to show marked improvement next season if he wants to stay in Madison a whole lot longer.
32. Jerome Tang, #12 Kansas State Wildcats: A hire in the mold of Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, Jerome Tang has been everything the Wildcats could have hoped for and more in his first year in Manhattan. Much like Lloyd, who served under Mark Few before ascending to a top job, Tang knows what a successful Big 12 program should look like from his near two decades working for Scott Drew in Waco. Led by transfer Keyontae Johnson and all-world point guard Markquis Nowell, the Wildcats are poised for a high seed after two straight missed tournaments to end what was an otherwise successful tenure for Bruce Weber, and Tang, for his efforts, is likely a frontrunner for National Coach of the Year.
33. Mike Woodson, #15 Indiana Hoosiers: Indiana fans have spent every day since controversial legend Bob Knight was fired over two decades ago clamoring for a return to the Knight era. The relative success achieved by Mike Davis and Tom Crean was never enough, and the extreme lack of success achieved by Archie Miller and Kelvin Sampson (who seems to have picked back up just fine) served to drive a once proud fanbase deeper into despair. But two wins over arch-rival Purdue, something Miller had not even one of, and a third place finish in conference has injected the program with excitement only rarely seen since the glory days of Knight. Be it the fantastic all-around season by senior Trayce Jackson-Davis, the big game performances of freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino, or the additive work put in by a quality supporting cast, Hoosier fans have one man to thank: Mike Woodson.
34. TJ Otzelberger, Iowa State Cyclones: Iowa State’s run to the Elite Eight a year ago was a surprise to many, but not TJ Otzelberger. The Cyclones were battle tested in the nation’s best conference, and even after losing Tyrese Hunter to Texas, they remained solidly in the conference and NCAA Tournament picture all season long. While they fell out of the Big 12’s top tier down the stretch, Otzelberger may author yet another deep run this March.
35. Jeff Capel, Pittsburgh Panthers: Jeff Capel probably had more to learn when he took his first major job at Oklahoma at the age of 31. Following his ouster five years later, he returned to Duke, his alma mater, eager to improve under the guise of Coach K. That journey has paid off, as Capel led Pitt to a top 5 finish in what is usually a tough conference. It’s been years since the Panthers were relevant in basketball, but the always improving Capel, now 48, has shown to be the one to bring them back, and it’ll be exciting to see how far he can take the Panthers.
36. Thad Matta, Butler Bulldogs: Thad Matta was universally regarded as one of the best coaches in the country during his time at Ohio State. But health issues caused a decline in on-court performance and resulted in a mutual parting of ways. He seemed a good fit for the Indiana opening that was eventually filled by Mike Woodson, and joined the Hoosiers as an Associate AD overseeing basketball instead. But I think most knew Matta would eventually find his way back to the bench, and a return to his alma mater, where he also coached on a few occasions, seemed to be the right fit. This was always going to be a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs, but both coach and program have been to multiple Final Fours in recent years, and there’s reason to believe history could repeat itself in the near future.
37. Andy Enfield, USC Trojans: When Andy Enfield led Florida Gulf Coast to the Sweet 16 a decade ago, many were bullish on his chances to turn Southern Cal into a second basketball power in Los Angeles. But Enfield has been good and not great in his 10 seasons leading the Trojans, highlighted by a pair of second place finishes in conference and an Elite Eight berth in 2021. USC’s impending move to the Big Ten will only heighten the level of competition Enfield’s Trojans will be up against, and time will tell if he’s the man to take them to the top.
38. Mike Brey, Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Mike Brey’s 23 years at the helm in South Bend will not be remembered for this final season. That’s a good thing, because it hasn’t been good for the Irish. 13 tournament appearances highlighted by back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 2015 and 2016 cemented his legacy at Notre Dame, but both sides were right in making this season his last. Brey is an Irish legend, but he deserves credit for knowing he’s had his say and being willing to give up the head job, to the envy of conference rival fans of Syracuse and Florida State.
39. Chris Collins, Northwestern Wildcats: Northwestern is a HARD place to build a competitive basketball program. The academic standards make it a hard place to recruit, so much so that when Chris Collins led the Wildcats to their first tournament appearance in program history in 2017, just being there was cause for celebration. There was reason to believe Collins could do it again, but I don’t think anyone expected a second place finish in the Big Ten and a no-brainer tournament berth in a year when both Pete Nance and Ryan Young, last year’s frontcourt, chose to leave Evanston for greener(?) pastures at North Carolina and Duke, respectively. Led by veteran guards Boo Buie and Chase Audige, Collins orchestrated one of the best seasons in school history, and will at the very least get a contract extension if not a lifetime conference when this season ends.
40. Bobby Hurley, Arizona State Sun Devils: Mike Krzyzewski’s perfect point guard has turned out to be pretty good coach as well. A New Jersey native and brother of UCONN Head Coach Dan, Hurley likely knows he do much better than what he’s already done in Tempe, with what should be a third tournament appearance in eight seasons. With Notre Dame and potentially Georgetown as well as some other big time East Coast jobs potentially coming open, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hurley make a move.
41. Kevin Keatts, North Carolina State Wolfpack: Bought himself more time with a likely tournament appearance.
42. Steve Pikiell, Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Safe for now, but the Scarlet Knights’ struggle down the stretch may make for a nerve-wracking Selection Sunday, especially with a poor showing at the Big Ten tournament.
43. Chris Holtmann, Ohio State Buckeyes: A one-time coaching darling, Holtmann has never brought the Buckeyes past the first weekend, and a dreadful season that resulted in a 13th place finish in conference certainly didn’t endear him with the fanbase.
44. Mark Adams, Texas Tech Red Raiders: All indications are that Adams will not coach in Lubbock much longer following multiple allegations of player mistreatment and a disappointing season all around.
45. Tad Boyle, Colorado Buffaloes: At age 60, Boyle has just 5 tournament appearances in 14 seasons, and has really never competed in the Pac-12. Will be interesting to see how much longer Boyle stays in Boulder.
46. Mike Young, Virginia Tech Hokies: Having made the tournament in two of the first four seasons in Blacksburg, a lackluster season won’t hurt Mike Young’s job stability, so long as it doesn’t become a trend.
47. Todd Golden, Florida Gators: A good young coach who took on a tall task in returning Florida to national prominence. A solid year one with reason to believe Golden could have the Gators contending before long.
48. Mike Hopkins, Washington Huskies: A potential Jim Boeheim successor currently at a school lacking significant basketball history and therefore struggling to generate support.
49. Micah Shrewsberry, Penn State Nittany Lions: A disciple of Matt Painter and Brad Stevens, Shrewsberry, in just his second season, has the Nittany Lions sitting on the right side of the bubble heading to Selection Sunday, and while he has a chance to potentially build something special in State College, other schools will be chomping at the bit to get him as well.
50. Dennis Gates, #25 Missouri Tigers: A great first season where Gates has the Tigers solidly in the Tournament field at a school that other good coaches have tried and failed to produce consistent success.
51. Chris Jans, Mississippi State Bulldogs: A great first season where Jans has the Bulldogs on the right side of the bubble at a school that other good coaches have tried and failed to produce consistent success.
52. Brad Brownell, Clemson Tigers: Bought himself more time, but has more work to do if he wants to take the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament.
53. Craig Smith, Utah Utes: The Utes would probably have to win the Pac-12 tournament to make the postseason, but Smith is a good coach capable of taking Utah to the upper echelon of college basketball.
54. Earl Grant, Boston College Golden Eagles: Bought himself more time with sizable improvement in Chestnut Hill.
55. Porter Moser, Oklahoma Sooners: If the Sooners weren’t in the Big 12 this season, they would be a tournament team. Luckily for them, they have a coach with Final Four experience, and this time next year that Big 12 thing won’t be a problem, as they’ll head to the SEC.
56. Kyle Neptune, Villanova Wildcats: When Jay Wright retired, many wondered what would happen to the culture that the coach of the 2010s had built in Philly. It took a little time, but that culture is alive and well under Neptune, and while they likely won’t make the tournament, no one wants to play the Wildcats given their current form at Madison Square Garden this week.
57. Jerry Stackhouse, Vanderbilt Commodores: The SEC’s co-Coach of the Year may be on the Chris Collins career track.
58. Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska Cornhuskers: A pretty good coach at a pretty bad program, Hoiberg has the Huskers competing, but with the addition of UCLA and USC looming, it seems unlikely that Nebraska is getting a whole lot better anytime soon.
59. Matt McMahon, Louisiana State Tigers: McMahon took over a broken program from predecessor Will Wade. He’s a good coach, and could have LSU back to prominence before too long.
60. Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State Beavers: The surprise run to the 2021 Elite Eight turned out to be less of a harbinger and more of an outlier. Tinkle should be firmly on the hot seat.
61. Steve Forbes, Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Wake Forest was .500 in conference this season. Which kind of sums up the job Steve Forbes does in Winston-Salem, but Demon Deacon fans seem to be…okay with it? Do Wake Forest fans exist?
62. Mike Boynton, Oklahoma State Cowboys: Firmly on the bubble, Boynton has the Cowboys playing well in a tough conference.
63. Mike Anderson, St. John’s Red Storm: Probably going to be fired for underperforming in an admittedly conference, but the fanbase in Queens is tough to please.
64. Shaheen Holloway, Seton Hall Pirates: It’s only Year 1, and after orchestrating St. Peters’ Cinderella story a year ago, Seton Hall is a team to watch in the future with Shaheen Holloway in charge.
65. Kyle Smith, Washington State Cougars: Another name to watch as the Pac-12 opens up in the next few years. Kyle Smith’s Cougars are rising.
66. Mike White, Georgia Bulldogs: A thoroughly unimpressive tenure in Gainesville ended last offseason when Mike White left Florida to become the head coach of the rival Georgia Bulldogs. It seemed like White’s Gators got somewhat worse almost every year of his tenure, and that trend continued despite the move with Georgia’s 11th place finish in the SEC.
67. Tony Stubblefield, DePaul Blue Demons: Heading an outgunned Big East program is a tall task, so expectations have been low in Tony Stubblefield’s time with the Blue Demons. Somehow, they’ve still fallen short.
68. Josh Pastner, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: One tournament appearance in seven seasons in Atlanta. How Josh Pastner has kept his job given 13th and 14th place finishes in the last two seasons is beyond me, but he likely won’t have much longer.
69. Lamont Paris, South Carolina Gamecocks: Year 1.
70. Patrick Ewing, Georgetown Hoyas: Ewing has fallen well short of expectations since taking over at his alma mater. Most expect his time leading the Hoyas is over, and it’s too bad a program legend had to tarnish his legacy in this way.
71. Jerod Haase, Stanford Cardinal: Almost certainly going to get fired. Has never taken the Cardinal to the NCAA Tournament.
72. Ben Johnson, Minnesota Golden Gophers: Everyone knew this was going to be a terrible year for Minnesota, and boy was it terrible. Some seem optimistic about Ben Johnson, but color me skeptical.
73. Kenny Payne, Louisville Cardinals: It’s pretty unheard of for an athletic director to move on from a coach just a year into his tenure. But Kenny Payne has certainly given AD Josh Heird reason to consider such a move. Louisville is a school that can and should be a national contender. After 4 wins this season, Payne’s Cardinals have nowhere to go but up, and if they don’t fly high, it’s likely back to the drawing board.
74. Mark Fox, California Golden Bears: 3 wins.

Notes: Ole Miss currently has Win Case in the role of interim head coach. Unlike Rodney Terry he hasn’t been the coach for enough of the season to be ranked.

When Houston joins the Big 12 next year, Kelvin Sampson will be firmly in the Top 15, if not higher.

If Gonzaga would ever man up and join a major conference, Mark Few would immediately be Top 8, and probably higher. He’s a great coach and it’s a shame he’s seemingly uninterested in a more challenging job. Much of the same is true for St. Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett.