March Madness is without a doubt the most exciting time of the year. From the powerhouse programs you are sure will win it, to the Cinderella stories that bust your bracket several times over. Is it the big name recruits that only stay for one year or the 5th year seniors that have extensive tournament experience that make the biggest difference? Or is it the incredible coaching staff that plays the biggest role in March? It is probably some combination. But one thing that’s certain is you want the absolute best on your sideline this month. Let’s jump into our rankings of all 68 coaches in this year’s March Madness Tournament.
68. Kenny Blakeney, Howard
The former Duke basketball player/longtime assistant finally got his chance to be a head coach with Howard back in 2019. The first three years were very rough (his first year included a 4-29 record). However, Howard has won back-to-back MEAC Tournaments. There’s certainly momentum with this program, and Blakeney can recruit with the data that his ballclub has made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
67. Donald Copeland, Wagner
Copeland is just starting out on his coaching career. A lengthy career overseas as a player was followed by assistant coaching gigs at both Wagner and Seton Hall. Copeland does have a combined 31-28 record thus far through two years as a head coach. At only 39 years of age, there’s still plenty of time for him to find his footing.
66. Mark Byington, James Madison
Byington has been a head coach for 11 seasons (ignoring his interim head coaching for the partial year at College of Charleston) and this is the first year he has made the NCAA Tournament – 0-for-7 at Georgia Southern and now 1-for-4 at James Madison. Still, the Dukes won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and enter the March Madness tournament for the first time since 2013. The 12-seeded Dukes will take on the 5-seed Badgers of Wisconsin in the opening round in what should be a fascinating game.
65. Donnie Jones, Stetson
Currently in charge of Stetson, Donnie Jones has been coaching at the collegiate level since 1988. Jones spent more than a decade at Florida and won back-to-back National Championships as an assistant with the Gators. From there, Jones took the head coaching job at Marshall where he went 55-41 in three years. The longtime coach then coached UCF for six years — the first three years went well (63-34) but the final three did not (37-54). Jones is currently in his fifth year at Stetson and has led the Hatters to their first Division I NCAA Tournament.
64. Dan Monson, Long Beach State
What a strange year it’s been for Monson. He’s coached at LBSU for 17 years. He decided to mutually part ways with the program prior to the Big West tournament. Lo and behold, the Beach ended up winning the tournament — thus giving Monson one more ride before he leaves for good. Monson first was a head coach back with Gonzaga in 1997. Since then, he’s had lengthy stints at Minnesota and the aforementioned post he’s currently/temporarily at. At age 62, this might be his last high-profile job before calling it quits.
63. Steve Alford, Nevada
We’ve seen Alford-led teams totally bomb out of tournament play — either being upset by inferior competition or getting creamed by competition that on paper was similar. Nevada had a decent year, though Alford’s general aversion to coaching defense likely means the Wolfpack won’t have a lengthy run beyond the first weekend.
62. Greg Kampe, Oakland
Greg Kampe is likely not a household name for you unless you’ve been following the Golden Grizzlies since Kampe took over the Division II program in 1984. Since making the jump to Division I in 1999, Kampe has made the NCAA Tournament four times (including this year). This is the first year Oakland is heading to the Big Dance since 2011. In their previous three bids, Oakland did not advance past the first round. Set to square off with Kentucky this year, we expect Oakland to make it four straight Round of 64 exits.
61. Matt Logie, Montana State
What a run it has been for Matt Logie in his first year as head coach. The former Lehigh standout played their for four years before becoming an assistant for another eight. Logie was then hired as the head coach of the DIII program Whitworth, where he built a strong program (194-35 record over eight seasons). He continued his success into DII at Point Loma (82-23 record over four seasons). Logie was hired at Montana State prior to this season as a replacement for the departing Danny Sprinkle (Utah State). The Bobcats finished 17-17 (9-9 in league play) and caught fire in the Big Sky tournament. Logie’s team plays fast and furious, averaging over 83 PPG during their conference tournament run.
60. Tad Boyle, Colorado
Boyle started his head coaching career at Northern Colorado where he finished with a less than stellar 56-66 record in four seasons. In 2010, Boyle joined the Buffs for their last season in the Big-12 before Colorado moved to the Pac-12. In the Pac-12, Boyle made the tournament in four of his first five seasons. Colorado finished 24-9 in a weak Pac-12 conference and lost to Oregon in the Pac-12 Tournament. Boyle’s performance will certainly be interesting next year when Colorado heads back to the Big-12.
59. Bashir Mason, Saint Peter’s
The Peacocks of St. Peter’s are hoping the slipper fits once more. This time around, they’ll be led by a different head coach in Bashir Mason. Mason was at Wagner when St. Peter’s made their run to the Elite Eight two season ago. While at Wagner, Mason led the Seahawks to three Northeast Conference titles. The Peacocks have been a .500 team since Mason took over, but put together a magical run through the MAAC tourney to secure an automatic bid. Perhaps lightning will strike twice?
58. Eric Henderson, South Dakota State
Formerly an assistant coach at South Dakota State from 2016-2019, Eric Henderson has been a consistent winner since becoming the head coach. The Jackrabbits have compiled a 106-47 record under his guidance and have finished as the Summit League regular season champions four times in five years. In 2021-22, the Jackrabbits finished 30-5 (18-0 in the Summit League) and reached the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Providence in the Round of 64. This year, Henderson’s group will face the No. 2-seed, Iowa State.
57. Griff Aldrich, Longwood
Longwood has been a Division I program since the 2004-05 season. Aldrich has been the head coach of Longwood since the 2018-19 season and has led them to their only two NCAA Tournament appearances (2022 and 2024). Aldrich has had 20+ wins in his last three seasons and sports a 56.2% win percentage during his career with the Lancers. Longwood will play the number one defense in the country in 1-seed Houston, and will definitely have their work cut out for them. Longwood has scored over 90 four times this season and will need everything from Aldrich and their top scorers to have a chance in this one.
56. Donte Jackson, Grambling
Finally, Donte Jackson and the Grambling Tigers are going dancing. It’s the first NCAA tournament appearance in the program’s history. However, let’s not overlook the job Jackson has done for years. Grambling had won the SWAC regular season title twice before under his watch. They won 24 games last season but were upset in the conference tournament final. This might not be the most talented team under Jackson’s watch, but they play hard defensively and don’t make it easy for their opponents. That’s all you can ask for when you’re positioned as a 16-seed.
55. Brad Brownell, Clemson
Brownell has something to prove in this tournament. Over his 14-year tenure with Clemson, the Tigers have only advanced from the Round of 64 once. That happened in 2017-18 when the Tigers went to the Sweet 16. We know Clemson is a football school traditionally, but the basketball program has just been ‘decent’ under Brownell. That might very well be good enough for the university. However, it seems like there’s still a ceiling to reach which could happen with a new coach in charge.
54. Leon Rice, Boise State
Coming over from Gonzaga as an 11 year assistant, Rice has been with the Broncos since 2010. In that time, Boise State has made the tournament five times, three of which were in the form of play-in games (including this year against fellow 10-seed Colorado). Rice sports a decent win percentage at 63.7% during his time in Boise, but has never made it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This will be Boise State’s third consecutive year entering the tournament, but if Rice wants to prove himself, he’ll need to make it past the Round of 64 this year.
53. James Jones, Yale
A former college player at Albany, James Jones has been the head coach at Yale since 1999. From that year through 2015, the Bulldogs failed to reach the NCAA Tournament. However, Jones led the program to seven winning seasons and reached the CIT Finals in 2014. Since that time, Yale has been one of the best programs in the Ivy League. Including this season, Jones has guided the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament four times — and would have likely earned a fifth trip if not for the 2020 postseason being cancelled due to COVID-19. A four-time Ivy League Coach of the Year, Jones has done a great job at Yale.
52. Steve Lutz, Western Kentucky
Steve Lutz has been a head coach for just three seasons and he is now 3-for-3 on making the March Madness Tournament. With Texas A&M CC, Lutz took the Islanders back to the Big Dance in 2022 for their second time ever (first in 2007) and then took them back last season in 2023 when they won their play in game against Southeast Missouri State 75-71. Now at Western Kentucky, Lutz has led the Hilltoppers to a conference championship and their first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2013. Although Lutz has never been further than the first round, as a third year head coach, he is doing some special things. A first-round matchup against another great basketball mind in Shaka Smart will be no easy feat, but maybe Western Kentucky’s Cinderella run won’t end just yet.
51. John Groce, Akron
Akron will be making its second NCAA tournament appearance under head coach John Groce. It could have been a third had the 2020 season not gotten shut down due to a pandemic. Groce sports a pristine .603 winning percentage over 16 seasons as a head coach. He previously led another MAC school – Ohio – to two NCAA appearances (including the 2012 run that saw the school reach the Sweet 16). Groce and the Zips came close to upsetting UCLA in the Round of 64 two seasons ago. We’ll see if they can put together a Cinderella run in ’24.
50. Andy Kennedy, UAB
Formerly the head coach at Ole Miss, Andy Kennedy has led UAB to two NCAA Tournament appearances in his first four seasons. Kennedy had a successful stint at Ole Miss — posting a 245–156 record with two trips to the tournament before resigning in 2018. Kennedy briefly worked for ESPN before returning to the sidelines, and he now has UAB on the rise. In four years, the Blazers are 101–36 under Kennedy’s lead. In addition to being a part of March Madness for the second time, UAB was the NIT runner-up last season.
49. Bucky McMillan, Samford
It’s been quite the road for Samford coach Bucky McMillan. He took the job in 2020 after the COVID year. The Bulldogs went 6-13 in their first season under McMillan and were the punching bag of the Southern Conference. Since then, it’s been a complete turnaround. The Bulldogs have won 20-plus games in three-straight seasons. This year, they finished the regular season 29-5 with a 15-3 record in league play. Samford had the fifth-highest scoring offense in the country. McMillan empowers his players to get up and down the floor and utilize their strengths. That’s exactly the type of coach any player would love to play for.
48. Kevin Keatts, NC State
You can celebrate an ACC Tournament victory, but the only thing anyone cares about in March is the Big Dance. And in Keatts’ 10-year career as a head coach, he’s never made it out of the first round. In 3 years at UNC Willmington, he made the tournament twice and lost in the first round both times. In seven years at NC State, Keatts has made the tournament three times (this year being the third), and so far, has not made it past the Round of 64. With a big matchup against Texas Tech, Keatts is going to have to prove that winning the ACC wasn’t all he is capable of.
47. Will Wade, McNeese
Will Wade has won at every stop across his head coaching career. He won 22 games in his final year at Chattanooga. In two years at VCU, he led the Rams to 51 wins and a pair of NCAA tournament appearances. Then, he became known for his recruiting prowess at LSU where he helped the Tigers to three NCAA tournament appearances. Wade was eventually fired following an FBI investigation. He sat out the ’23 season before signing with McNeese. In his first year, he led the team to 30 wins, including a 17-1 record in conference. Wade is the real deal.
46. Chris Jans, Mississippi State
Jans has proven to be a very good coach. When you take New Mexico State to three NCAA Tournaments in four years, you know what you’re doing. Now with Mississippi State, he’s engineered two consecutive seasons with 21 victories. The next step in his progression as a coach would be to win a game in the tournament.
45. Keith Dambrot, Duquesne
A three-time MAC Coach of the Year, Keith Dambrot has been a head coach since the 1980s. Dambrot has worked his way up the ranks. From leading the Division II Tiffin Dragons and the DII Ashland Eagles, the latter of which he took to the Elite Eight, to coaching both Central Michigan and Akron in the MAC, Dambrot has a ton of experience. As the coach of Akron from 2004-2017, Dambrot led the Zips to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Dambrot joined Duquesne for the 2017-18 season and has led the Dukes to three 20-win seasons.
44. Chris Collins, Northwestern
Before Chris Collins became the head coach at Northwestern in 2013, the Wildcats had never reached the NCAA Tournament. The program had enjoyed a slight uptick in the final years of Bill Carmody’s tenure, but Collins has taken it to new heights. With Collins in charge, Northwestern has posted four 20-win seasons and has now reached the tournament three times — including back-to-back years. The Wildcats reached the Round of 32 last year, and Collins’ group has the look of a team that can get there once again in 2024.
43. Kyle Smith, Washington State
Washington State isn’t a school known for its basketball prowess, but Kyle Smith has done an excellent job leading the program. Smith has enjoyed success at all three schools he has led. At Columbia, Smith compiled 101 wins in six seasons and won the CIT in his final year. While with San Francisco, Smith posted a .612 winning percentage and led the Dons to a runner-up finish in the CBI. Smith is now in his fifth season with the Cougars and the program’s turnaround has been stellar. Before Smith took over, Wazzu hadn’t finished with a winning record since 2011. Smith has now led the Cougars to two winning seasons since 2021 and has the team back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008.
42. Niko Medved, Colorado State
One of the more underrated names in the country, Colorado State’s Niko Medved deserves a ton of credit for what he’s done over the last few years. This is now Colorado State’s second tournament appearance in the last three seasons. It’s also their fourth 20-plus win season since Medved took over in 2018. He had success at Furman prior to that, leading the Paladins to a Southern Conference regular season in his final year. The Rams are constantly competitive in one of the better conferences in the country. Medved has earned plenty of respect for the job he’s done.
41. Anthony Grant, Dayton
Grant is another coach where success in postseason play has been spotty at best. He’s done a terrific job with Dayton during the regular season — notching three-straight seasons with at least 22 wins, and a 2019-20 campaign where the team went 29-2. However, Dayton has yet to win a NCAA Tournament game with Grant as the head coach. Will it happen this year?
40. Todd Golden, Florida
Todd Golden played college hoops at Saint Mary’s, but his head coaching career resides with the San Francisco Dons from 2019-2022 and now with Florida from 2022-present. In his three seasons at San Francisco, Golden sported a .613 win percentage and returned the Dons to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 for the first time in 24 years. Now in his second season at Florida, he returns the Gators to the tournament as a 7-seed after a two-year drought. In his first season at Florida, the Gators went 16-17, but this year, Golden has turned things around with a 24-10 record and an appearance in the SEC Tournament Championship. Golden, at 38 years old, is only in his 5th season as a head coach, but he already looks to have a promising career ahead of him.
39. John Becker, Vermont
In 13 seasons, Becker is the winningest coach in Vermont history with a 308-119 record. In his 13 seasons, Becker hasn’t won fewer than 20 games (aside from the shortened season in ’20-’21). Becker has seven regular season conference titles and six NCAA Tournament appearances (this year making three in-a-row). Although Becker has a very tough first round matchup this year in 4-seed Duke, and he has never made it past the first round of the tournament, he has been incredibly successful at a small school with less resources.
38. Grant McCasland, Texas Tech
McCasland’s head coaching career spans a lot of years and a lot of schools, all of which he saw success with. From 2004-2009 McCasland coached at Midland Junior College where he sported an 81.6% win percentage and won a national title in ’07 and a runner-up in ’09. From there, he bounced around to Midwestern State (division II) where he had an 82.1% winning percentage. Then came Arkansas State (division I) for one season where he ended with a 20-12 record. From there, McCasland landed at North Texas for six seasons, where he made it to the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament in 2021 and he won the NIT last year. In his first year with the Red Raiders, McCasland has led Texas Tech to a 23-10 record and a 6-seed in the tournament. After missing the tournament last year, the Red Raiders hope their year 1 coach can make a run in this year’s tourney.
37. Mark Pope, BYU
Mark Pope has found success on the court for decades. Before becoming a coach, Pope played collegiately at Washington and Kentucky and went on to be drafted in the second-round of the 1996 NBA Draft. After six years in the NBA, Pope turned to coaching and he hasn’t looked back. Following a few stints as an assistant coach, Pope became the head coach at Utah Valley in 2015. His team improved all four years he was in charge and he eventually jumped at the chance to coach BYU. Pope has led the Cougars to 20+ wins in four of five seasons — and has BYU in the NCAA Tournament for the second time since 2020.
36. Preston Spradlin, Morehead State
It is only a matter of time before Preston Spradlin is given an opportunity to lead a larger program. A former graduate assistant at Kentucky, Spradlin has transformed Morehead State into a dangerous mid-major. Over his first four years, the Eagles went 46-69. The last four years, Spradlin’s team has gone 94-39. Spradlin has led the Eagles to the NCAA Tournament twice, along with two OVC regular season championships. For his efforts, Spradlin has also won the OVC Coach of the Year two times — and is likely going to win again this season.
35. Pat Kelsey, Charleston
The 48-year-old knows how to coach the game of basketball. A former player/assistant coach at Xavier, Kelsey got his first head coaching gig at Winthrop before moving over to Charleston a few years ago. He’s simply won everywhere he’s gone. This includes a combined 58-11 record over the last two years with the Cougars. Expect Kelsey to be on the shortlist for a host of jobs this offseason.
34. Jamie Dixon, TCU
That’s now three-straight trips to the NCAA tournament for Jamie Dixon and the TCU Horned Frogs. Critics had begun to doubt Dixon’s coaching ability after the early returns didn’t look great. Dixon led TCU to just one NCAA appearance in his first five seasons. His early success at Pitt (31-5 in his first season as head coach) had spoiled fans a bit. Now, he has TCU back on track and looking like a perennial tournament team. The Horned Frogs are always a tough team to game plan for due to their toughness, leadership and unselfishness. Dixon can be attributed to the huge improvement.
33. Darian DeVries, Drake
Darian DeVries waited a very long time before he landed a head coaching gig. From 2001-2018, DeVries was an assistant coach at Creighton. Drake’s faith in DeVries has paid off almost instantly. A great strategist, DeVries has won MVC Coach of the Year twice. His team has won 25+ games each of the past four seasons and has reached the NCAA Tournament three times. Overall, DeVries has a 150–54 record at Drake. It may only be a matter of time before a bigger school poaches him from Drake.
32. Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska
Even though Hoiberg did not have a very good stint as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2015-2018, he has been successful as a college coach at both Iowa State (2010-15) and now Nebraska since 2019. At Iowa State, Hoiberg took the Cyclones to the tournament every year after his first season and made it to the Sweet Sixteen in 2014. In his fifth season at Nebraska, Hoiberg has finally turned things around, resulting in the Cornhuskers’ first tournament bid since 2014. Nebraska has never made it out of the first round in their seven previous tournament appearances, so if Hoiberg can do that, he’ll immediately enter Cornhusker royalty.
31. Richard Pitino, New Mexico
Pitino seems to be on the cusp of writing his own story. We all know about his legendary father. At age 41, he’s built New Mexico into a very credible program. The next step is making a run to the second weekend. He certainly has the firepower in the backcourt to do so. If this occurs, he probably will get another chance at a school in a major conference. Pitino did a decent job at Minnesota — though that’s a tough job with a limited ceiling objectively speaking.
30. Matt Langel, Colgate
Langel is certainly one of the more underappreciated coaches in the sport today. After taking nearly seven years to build up Colgate’s program, he’s led the Raiders to five NCAA Tournaments in the past six years (the sixth year was when postseason play was cancelled due to the pandemic). In the process, he’s at least tied for the Conference Title in each of the last six seasons. At only 46, you’d think he’ll soon get a shot to coach a bigger program.
29. Danny Sprinkle, Utah State
Former Montana State head coach Danny Sprinkle has continued his success in the Mountain West. Sprinkle has cultivated one of the better offenses in the nation at Utah State, predicated on taking care of the ball and getting good looks near the basket. Utah State rarely loses to lesser competition. They rarely look out of sorts, and always have a counter to what the other team is trying to do. Those traits are a direct result of coaching, and Sprinkle looks to be a stalwart in Logan for years to come.
28. Buzz Williams, Texas A&M
Buzz Williams has quite the coaching tenure. He has now taken three different schools to the NCAA Tournament and boassd three Sweet Sixteen Appearances and an Elite Eight across two of them. Ignoring his one year stint at New Orleans in his first year of head coaching, Buzz has taken the three other schools he’s been head coach of to the big dance. At Marquette, he took the Golden Eagles to the tourney in his first five years. At Virginia Tech, he ended a 10-year drought when he returned the Hokies to the NCAA Tournament in his third year there in 2017. Now in his 5th season at A&M, Buzz is in the tournament for the second year in-a-row as a 9-seed. He’ll be facing a stout Nebraska team hungry for their first ever March Madness win. A&M on the other hand, has never made it past the Sweet Sixteen, but maybe Buzz is the man to do it.
27. Rodney Terry, Texas
It’s been another successful year for Rodney Terry and his Longhorns. Some pundits thought Texas would take a step back following Chris Beard’s departure. Instead, the team looked rejuvenated in ’24 and have been playing their best ball as of late. Fortunately, Terry has plenty of experience on the sideline, having been a head coach for both UTEP and Fresno State. He has Texas playing free, and it’s led to some big seasons for his star players. Terry had this team in the Elite Eight last year, and he’ll see if he can repeat that feat this time around.
26. Lamont Paris, South Carolina
The turnaround under Lamont Paris has been sensational for South Carolina. Before joining the Gamecocks in ’22, Paris had spent the first five years of his head coaching career at Chattanooga. He led them to a Southern Conference title in his final year, and came within a point of upsetting Illinois in the Round of 64. Paris didn’t inherit an ideal situation at South Carolina. However, he’s gotten the right people in place and just finished second in SEC league play. His defensive philosophies have made South Carolina one of the toughest teams to play on a nightly basis.
25. Greg Gard, Wisconsin
Since taking over as head coach in 2015, Gard has only missed the tournament twice. In five tournament appearances, Gard has taken the Badgers to the Sweet 16 twice and the round of 32 twice – only one winless appearance is quite the tournament record. Sporting a 22-13 record as a 5-seed this year, Gard is looking to get back to his first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2017. Whether or not he does, it is clear the man can coach with an overall 63.7% win percentage in his career as Wisconsin head coach.
24. Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon
You can bet Bryce Drew will receive some sort of opportunity to coach at a higher level. His Grand Canyon teams are a blast to watch play. The Lopes play with energy, effort, and pace. In four years, GC has a .750 win percentage in the regular season — and a .735 win percentage in conference play. Drew found the formula for success… now it’s a matter of bottling it up and eventually bringing it to his next stop.
23. Dusty May, Florida Atlantic
Dusty May became a national name in 2023. As the head coach of FAU, May led his team on a Cinderella run to the Final Four. The 9-seed Owls saw their season end on a buzzer-beater, but May’s group made a lasting impression. A longtime assistant coach, May joined FAU ahead of the 2018 season and he has capitalized on his first opportunity. His first four seasons ended with above-.500 records, but the past two seasons have been sensational. Last year’s Final Four run saw the Owls go 35-4. This year, FAU enters the NCAA Tournament with a 24-7 mark following a second-place finish in the American Athletic Conference — this was FAU’s first season in the AAC.
22. John Scheyer, Duke
There is no easy way to take over the mantle from the legendary Coach K. In the ’22-’23 season, Scheyer led the Blue Devils to a 27-9 record and followed it up this year with a 24-8 record and a 4-seed entry in this year’s tournament. Although last year saw Duke bested by Tennessee in the round of 32, Scheyer is off to an impressive start at a university that demands excellence. At only 36 years old, the former Blue Devil player is now doing an excellent job from the sidelines and has plenty of years to build off of this momentum.
21. T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State
T.J. Otzelberger is quickly becoming a hot name in coaching. A former high school coach, Otzelberger recently led Iowa State to victory in the Big 12 Tournament. Before making his way to Ames, Otzelberger spent time at South Dakota State and UNLV. While coaching the Jackrabbits, Otzelberger led South Dakota St. to the NCAA Tournament twice and went 70-33 over three seasons. His time at UNLV wasn’t as successful (29-30), but he has Iowa State headed in the right direction. Otzelberger’s team reached the Sweet 16 in his first year in Ames and the Cyclones are a No. 2 seed in 2024 — the third year in a row they are in the tournament.
20. Brad Underwood, Illinois
Brad Underwood has had successful stints coaching at both Stephen F. Austin and Oklahoma State (above 60-percent win rate and made the tournament all 4 years). His success at Illinois has taken a little longer to develop since taking over the program in 2017. However, the Illini have made the tournament the last three seasons, and as a 3-seed in this year’s tournament, this could be the season he finally breaks through.
19. Brian Dutcher, San Diego State
After taking over the program in 2017, Dutcher has made the tournament in all but one season. Dutcher boasts an incredible 76.8% win percentage with the Aztecs, and made his most impressive run last season – a loss to UConn in the championship game. San Diego State shows impressive resolve under Dutcher, and this year looks to be another good one for the seventh-year head coach. Once again a 5-seed this year, the Aztec-loyal are hoping for another deep tournament run.
18. Hubert Davis, North Carolina
In his first year with North Carolina, Hubert Davis led the Tar Heels to the National Championship game — and was just a handful of plays from capturing the championship over the Kansas Jayhawks. Of course, the Tar Heels came up short — fumbling a sizable lead in the process — but their run through the NCAA Tournament was mightily impressive. Although UNC had a down season in ’23, they put the pieces back together this year and enter as the 1-seed in the West region.
17. Randy Bennett, Saint Mary’s
Bennett has spent his entire 23-year head coaching career with the Saint Mary’s Gaels. He boasts an insanely impressive 71.2% win percentage during his tenure with the Gaels. Although he has only made it to the Sweet Sixteen once, Bennett has to be credited with making such a big mark on a small program that has to compete with the likes of Gonzaga (for recruiting and record) in the West Coast Conference. Sitting as a 5-seed, the Gaels will look to make a deeper run this year.
16. Greg McDermott, Creighton
McDermott has been with the Bluejays since 2010 and moved with them to the Big East Conference in 2013. In his first season in the powerful Big East, McDermott led Creighton to a second-place finish in the conference and to the Round of 32 in March. Creighton has made the tournament 8-of-12 seasons with McDermott at the helm, including an Elite Eight appearance and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the last three years. McDermott boasts a 66.9% win percentage while at Creighton, and is looking to make another deep run this March.
15. Dana Altman, Oregon
Dana Altman gained notoriety while at Creighton, but he cemented himself as one of the game’s best during this decade-long run at Oregon. Whether equipped with fifth-year seniors or one-and-done prospects, Altman has continuously kept the Ducks afloat in the Pac-12. He has been one of the very best at navigating the transfer portal and recruiting outside of the country. In just the last ten years, the Ducks have a Final Four, an Elite Eight, and two Sweet Sixteen appearances. Oregon has made the tournament seven times since 2013 and has never lost its first NCAA Tournament game under Altman.
14. Rick Barnes, Tennessee
Rick Barnes has been a staple in the college basketball world for over 40 years. Barnes segued a solid stint with Clemson into a high-profile job with the Texas Longhorns. Barnes was excellent in Austin, leading the Longhorns to the NCAA tournament in 16 out of 17 seasons with one Final Four appearance. It took some time for him to get acclimated at Tennessee, but the Volunteers have seemingly hit their groove in recent years. One thing is for certain with Barnes-led teams — they will play their hearts out and compete on every possession on the defensive end. Barnes has two Sweet Sixteen appearances with the Volunteers (including one last season) and looks to take his 2-seeded Vols even deeper into the tournament this year.
13. Bruce Pearl, Auburn
Some might be turned away by Bruce Pearl’s enigmatic personality. The Auburn coach wears his emotions on his sleeves and isn’t afraid to show it. Additionally, he’s broken a recruiting rule (or several) during his time. That being said, there’s no arguing with the results. Pearl’s Tigers were a bone-headed late-game foul away from reaching the title game in 2019. Since then, the tournament was canceled due to COVID in ’20, the Tigers were ineligible the following year in ’21 due to an assistant coach, and then Auburn went to the Round of 32 the last two seasons when they were finally back to competing in March. Auburn enters this year’s tournament as a 4-seed that no one wants to face.
12. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona
Just three years in, and we’re already ranking Tommy Lloyd among the best coaches in college basketball. Following in the footsteps of Sean Miller’s success at Arizona was no easy task. But, Lloyd immediately took to his new role and has the Wildcats as one of the preeminent powers out West. In his first season as head coach, Lloyd led Arizona to a 33-4 record and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Year two saw Lloyd take the Wildcats to 28-7 and return to the tournament. This year, Lloyd’s Wildcats are at the top of the PAC-12 again and will head to the tournament as the West’s 2-seed. Lloyd’s offensive game plan has been among the country’s best, as Arizona’s up-tempo attack has caused consistent problems for opponents.
11. Shaka Smart, Marquette
It didn’t take long for Shaka Smart to reestablish himself at Marquette. After a “disappointing” tenure with the Longhorns, Smart is back to doing what he does best — getting the most out of a program. While Marquette had enjoyed previous success under Tom Crean and Buzz Williams, this is a program that has high hopes of returning to their former glory of the 1970s (champs in ’77, runner-up in ’74). In his first year, Smart took the Golden Eagles back to the tournament after missing out on it the year prior. Last season, Smart improved on that and took his team to the Round of 32. This year, with the No. 2-seed Golden Eagles, Smart looks to return his squad to the Sweet 16 (or better) for the first time since 2013.
10. Nate Oats, Alabama
Oats has helped make Alabama basketball relevant during his five seasons at the football-centric school. The attitude and culture of the program have gone from being content with posting a winning record to expecting to challenge for an SEC title — as well as making deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. After winning 31 games last season, the Tide took a hit getting knocked out of the Sweet 16 by San Diego State. Oats has been excellent at recruiting and finding players who can best run his system. He formerly built up Buffalo’s program into relevance and is now doing the same with the Crimson Tide. The current roster is one of the best in Oats’ tenure as Alabama is expected to make another run in March.
9. Matt Painter, Purdue
One of the bright offensive minds in the country, Matt Painter has been a stalwart in the Purdue program. Through highs and lows, Painter has been consistent in his ability to create schemes and rotations based on his personnel. When he’s had a talented roster, Purdue has been a Big Ten powerhouse. Since taking over in ’05, Painter has won 68.6-percent of his games and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament 14 times. Though he has yet to reach a Final Four, 2024 could be the season Painter, and the Boilermakers finally get over the hump.
8. Tony Bennett, Virginia
Bennett and the Virginia Cavaliers finally got over the hump in 2019. A year after being bested by the 16-seed UMBC Retrievers, Virginia pulled off the ultimate “comeback” title run. It was a culmination for the program as a whole which had been on the cusp of ultimate success for several years. What Bennett has been able to accomplish in Charlottesville is nothing short of remarkable. Virginia has won five regular season titles since 2014 in a conference that includes Duke and North Carolina (among others). The Cavaliers lost in a one-point thriller to Furman in the first round of the tournament last year, but look to improve heading into conference tournaments ranked 3rd in the ACC.
7. Kelvin Sampson, Houston
If he wasn’t already, Kelvin Sampson’s current run with Houston has cemented him as one of the very best coaches in the country. Sampson was lights out at his previous stops. While at Oklahoma, Sampson led the Sooners to NCAA Tournament appearances in 11-of-12 years including a Final Four visit in 2002. Following a short stint at Indiana — where he won 43-of-58 games — Sampson moved onto the NBA where he resided as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets. Sampson returned to the collegiate ranks in 2014, taking over the Houston program. Houston has won at least 20 games nine years in a row and has made runs to the Sweet Sixteen or better for the last 4 seasons (no postseason in 2020). Currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, Houston is hoping to finally make it to the championship game.
6. Dan Hurley, UConn
Dan Hurley played point guard for Seton Hall from 1991-96, and from there his coaching path has been an interesting one. After stints at Rutgers (assistant), St. Benedict’s Prep (start of head coaching career), Wagner, and Rhode Island, Hurley found his way to UConn. After a 16-17 record in his first season with the Huskies, his teams have only gotten better and better. Hurley now boasts a 130-58 record while at UConn including three trips to the tournament in a row and an NCAA title last season. As the No. 2 team in the country, Hurley looks to be the first team to win back-to-back titles since Florida did it in 2006-’07.
5. John Calipari, Kentucky
It’s easy to call out Calipari for somewhat of a shady past when it comes to recruiting. He’s a champion of the one-and-done approach to recruiting. There is nobody in college basketball more adept at acquiring top talent than Calipari. The Kentucky coach also believes his job is to prepare elite collegiate players to excel at the pro level. Though that has come back to bite him on several occasions as Kentucky’s lack of cohesion has cost them games in the past, there’s no denying Cal’s results. In his career, Calipari has amassed more than 800 career wins, coached in six Final Fours (with three different schools), and won six SEC regular season titles. After a Round of 32 exit last tournament, the Wildcats head to the tournament ranked No. 15 in the country this year.
4. Scott Drew, Baylor
Scott Drew took a floundering Baylor program in 2003 and has built it into a yearly contender in the deepest conference in college basketball. Drew’s crowning achievement occurred in 2021 when the Baylor Bears captured the NCAA title in a beatdown of the previously undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs. Baylor has won at least 23 games five years in a row (with a win at Texas Tech Mar 9) and has reached the tournament eight of the last ten years (soon to be 9 out of 11). Now that the Bears have established themselves on the national radar, Drew will continue to land big recruits for years to come.
3. Tom Izzo, Michigan State
Let’s not let a couple of “down years” for Sparty cloud our judgment of Tom Izzo’s legacy. Despite rather pedestrian performances in ’20-’21 and ’21-’22, Michigan State has been a consistent threat on the national scale ever since Izzo took over. The Spartans bounced back with a trip to the Sweet 16 last tournament, upsetting Smart’s No. 2 seed Golden Eagles. The Spartans have not missed the NCAA Tournament (other than in 2020) since 1997 — 24-straight seasons. During that time, Izzo had led his club to seven Final Four appearances including a title win in 2000. Izzo has done it time and time again with every type of roster imaginable. We’re not sure how much longer Izzo will man the sideline, but the hunger still appears to be there and fans continue to enjoy watching him.
2. Mark Few, Gonzaga
The Zags are still searching for that elusive national championship, but Few remains the right man to guide them to the promised land. Since Few took over the Gonzaga program in 1999-2000, only Kansas has won more games than the Bulldogs during that span. Gonzaga has never won fewer than 23 games in any of Few’s seasons, and he’s produced some of the top players in the college game. Now, all he’s missing is that national championship, though two title game appearances since 2017 are nothing to scoff at.
1. Bill Self, Kansas
When Mike Krzyzewski announced his retirement, the consensus No. 1 coach spot was vacated. It was only fitting for Bill Self — who was already one of the most accomplished coaches in college basketball — to win the title during Coach K’s farewell season and cement himself as the new No. 1 (for now, at least). Self’s longevity and consistency set him apart. He’s been able to adapt to the ebbs and flows of college basketball. The Jayhawks have been defined by their ability to retool and remain atop the Big 12. That doesn’t appear to be changing this year or for as long as Self decides to remain in Lawrence.