4. Kevin Keatts — NC State
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
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 had never made it out of the first round. In three 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 this is the first time his team has advanced past the Round of 64. The Wolfpack have gone on an incredible run in March. After winning five games in the ACC Tournament to steal a berth in the NCAA Tournament, Keatts and the Wolfpack have rattled off four more wins to reach the Final Four. In the Elite Eight, NC State blitzed Duke in the second half and ultimately won by 12 points.
