NCAA Basketball: Ranking the Top 25 Active Head Coaches in 2018
20. Chris Holtmann – Ohio State Buckeyes
Career wins: 139 – NCAA Tournament appearances: 4
Best result: Sweet Sixteen with Bulter in 2017
His overall resume may not warrant this high a selection, but I’m extremely high on this former Butler Bulldog Head Coach. I also don’t know the exact fact on this, but there can’t be too many coaches who won “Coach of the Year” back-to-back seasons at two different power conferences.
Holtmann continued Brad Stevens’ success with the program, before moving on to Ohio State. They were supposed to have a rebuilding year, but instead, they were a four seed in this past NCAA Tournament. In about a decade or so, his resume could warrant a top-10 ranking.
19. Mick Cronin – Cincinnati Bearcats
Career wins: 337 – NCAA Tournament appearances: 10
Best result: Sweet Sixteen with Cincinnati in 2012
Eight consecutive seasons of making the NCAA Tournament with the Bearcats have been great, especially considering that they get top prospects and never get the top recruits from their home area.
But what puts Cronin on this list is how he’s handled this program in new circumstances. He came on to help a rebuilding program be successful at arguably the best time ever for Big East Basketball. He then maintained the Bearcats’ level of success when they entered the American Athletic Conference, something that UConn was unable to do. There are not too many advantages that Cincinnati has as a program to be as good as they are, but Cronin’s coaching ability has made the Bearcats a nationally recognized program.
18. Rick Barnes – Tennessee Volunteers
Career wins: 661 – NCAA Tournament appearances: 22
Best result: Final Four with Texas in 2003
16 straight times making the Big Dance is an impressive accomplishment, doing it with four different programs. Barnes has won conference Coach of the Year six different times and has three Elite Eight appearances as well.
He made Texas a powerhouse program nationally, getting some of the best players out of high school. That hasn’t been the same situation at Tennessee recently, but he took a team picked to finish near the bottom of the SEC in the preseason and coached them to a regular season title.
At 63 years old, it’s not out of the realm of the possibility that 1000 wins could be at Barnes’ future. But he’ll need seasons just like this past one to make it a reality.
17. Mike Brey – Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Career wins: 502 – NCAA Tournament appearances: 14
Best result: Elite Eight in 2015 and 2016
The Fighting Irish was entering uncharted territory when they entered the Big East before the start of the century. They were independents beforehand and struggled in their first few seasons out the gate.
Then comes Brey, who turns Notre Dame into a consistent top-25 nationally ranked program, with great seniors leading the way. They’ve been one of the best teams in both the Big East and the ACC over the last 20 years, with multiple runs in the NCAA Tournament to show for it. All he’s missing is a Final Four appearance to sew up his Hall of Fame resume.
16. Gregg Marshall – Wichita State Shockers
Career wins: 480 – NCAA Tournament appearances: 14
Best result: Final Four with Wichita State in 2013
The Shockers were a mid-major giant under Marshall before their move to the AAC but still remained a top-25 caliber program even with the increased level of competition. Wichita State earned the team’s reputation in the NCAA Tournament over the years, including that surprising run all the way to the Final Four five years ago.
But don’t forget about Marshall’s performance at Winthrop from 1998-2007. They were the top team each year in the Big South and made the Big Dance seven out of nine times, while even getting the program a national ranking in the process. He’s not one to leave for better jobs, instead just building the program he’s at into a powerhouse.