100. John Groce (Akron)
- Overall record 200-151
After five unsuccessful years as head coach of Illinois, Groce returned to the MAC, hired as head coach of Akron in 2017. He had previously achieved remarkably success with Ohio, leading the team not only to two NCAA Tournaments, but upset wins over Georgetown as the 14-seed, and a Sweet Sixteen run as a 13-seed. He went just 14-18 last year, but he’ll have time to turn around Akron.
99. Joe Dooley (East Carolina)
- Overall record 177-114
Dooley, head coach of East Carolina from 1995-99, returned to the school for a second stint in 2018 after five years leading Florida Gulf Coast. Dooley, who also spent ten years assisting Bill Self at Kansas, made a pair of NCAA Tournaments and continued Andy Enfield’s momentum for the Eagles after their 2013 run. Anytime you’re 57-17 in conference play is a great thing, but can Dooley carry over that momentum to East Carolina, who has floundered in the AAC?
98. Pat Chambers (Penn State)
- Overall record 159-154
Chambers took the Penn State job in 2011, fresh off two seasons with Boston University and after spending some time under Jay Wright at Villanova. His only NCAA Tourney bid came with the Terriers, but he did win the NIT at Penn State last season. After a rough start, his Nittany Lions were improved last year, but they’ll have quite a fight on their hands to continue that momentum.
97. Steve Forbes (East Tennessee State)
- Overall record 83-32
A longtime assistant and successful junior college coach, Forbes took the job at ETSU in 2015. These first three years as a D-I head coach have gone well, with an NCAA Tournament bid and a lot of time at the top of the SoCon standings. Forbes is an impressive 42-12 in conference play and is another candidate for a better job when the time comes.
96. Ernie Kent (Washington State)
- Overall record 376-332
Kent was hired at Washington State in 2014 with a lot of Pac-12 experience already under his belt. He spent six years at Saint Mary’s before lasting 13 seasons with Oregon, including making a pair of Elite Eights. It’s hard to win with the Cougars, and Washington State is 47-77 in Kent’s first four years, but he’s still a coach with a solid background.
95. Keith Dambrot (Duquesne)
- Overall record 345-191
Dambrot took over at Duquesne in 2017 following a long stint in the city of Akron. He coached LeBron James at St. Vincent – St. Mary’s HS and made three NCAA Tournaments during his 13 years as head coach of the Zips. 16-16 was his mark in his first season with the Dukes and I’d expect Duquesne to compete in the A-10 within the next few years, a tougher task than it seems.
94. Danny Manning (Wake Forest)
- Overall record 96-105
The #1 overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft, Manning returned to Kansas as an assistant following a long playing career. He got his chance at Tulsa and left in 2014 after two years to take the job at Wake Forest. He did make an NCAA Tournament with Tulsa, but he’s yet to compete in the ACC, with a First Four in 2017 the only postseason bid the Demon Deacons have made, but there’s still time to turn things around.
93. Mike Davis (Detroit)
- Overall record 355-247
- Final Four appearance in 2002
Davis, who’s spent six seasons apiece as head coach of Indiana, UAB, and Texas Southern, was just hired by Detroit in 2018. He led Indiana to the national title game in 2002 before struggling both there and at UAB. He absolutely dominated the SWAC while at Texas Southern, 88-20 in conference play with four NCAA Tourney appearances. Detroit has struggled in recent years and the Titans are hoping that Davis can provide a spark for the recent cellar dwellers of the Horizon League.
92. Patrick Ewing (Georgetown)
- Overall record 22-16
The #1 overall picks in the 1985 NBA Draft returned to his alma mater as head coach in 2017 after 15 years as an NBA assistant. Ewing took over a messy Hoyas program and pounded out a 15-15 season in his college coaching debut. As he continues to bring his own recruits in, he should be able to get this program competitive again in the Big East.
91. Kevin Willard (Seton Hall)
- Overall record 200-166
Willard has been Seton Hall’s head coach since 2010, a job he was offered after three years leading Iona and six years under Rick Pitino at Louisville. Things started slowly for the Pirates but Willard has had this team in the NCAA Tournament each of the last three seasons. The Big East is a tough league but Willard has proven that he is a capable young coach.