Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 353 D-I head coaches for 2018-19

LAWRENCE, KS - JANUARY 30: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats and head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks greet each other prior to the game at Allen Fieldhouse on January 30, 2016 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KS - JANUARY 30: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats and head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks greet each other prior to the game at Allen Fieldhouse on January 30, 2016 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

70. Tommy Amaker (Harvard)

  • Overall record 391-262

Yet another former player and assistant under Mike Krzyzewski, Amaker was hired at Harvard in 2007 after four years at Seton Hall and six at Michigan. He made the Sweet Sixteen with Seton Hall and won an NIT at Michigan, but never made the NCAA Tournament with the Wolverines. That being said, he’s completely turned around the Crimson, leading them to four straight NCAA Tournaments from 2012-15, including two upset wins. He’s 106-48 in conference play and has built a constant winner, an impressive feat at an Ivy League school.

69. Billy Kennedy (Texas A&M)

  • Overall record 351-281

Kennedy made the NCAA Tournament as head coach of Southeastern Louisiana and Murray State before being hired by Texas A&M in 2011. He’s lead the Aggies to the Sweet Sixteen in two of the last three seasons, including a dismantling of defending champs North Carolina last season. Kennedy is building something at Texas A&M and already contending in the tough SEC; expect big things for a program that’s never been in the Elite Eight.

68. Kermit Davis (Mississippi)

  • Overall record 408-240

The former head coach of Idaho and Texas A&M, Davis spent 16 years leading Middle Tennessee before Ole Miss hired him this past offseason. His Blue Raiders knocked off 2-seed Michigan State in the 2016 NCAA Tournament and 5-seed Minnesota the following year. It took time to build Middle Tennessee into a power in Conference USA and Ole Miss will need to be patient as Davis takes control of the program.

67. Greg Gard (Wisconsin)

  • Overall record 65-37

Gard became head coach of Wisconsin after Bo Ryan’s retirement in December 2015, having spent the previous 23 years as an assistant under him. He’s already led the Badgers to a pair of Sweet Sixteen’s, but last season was a major struggle at 15-18. The future seems somewhat murky for Gard, but he can right the ship with a big bounce back year.

66. Jeff Capel III (Pittsburgh)

  • Overall record 182-112

Another player and former assistant at Duke, Capel already had nine years of head coaching experience before Pitt hired him in 2018. He made a Tourney run with VCU and led Oklahoma to the Elite Eight in 2009 with Blake Griffin, but didn’t do enough with the Sooners. After seven years on Coach K’s bench, Capel is a head coach again, and things should go well for him in the ACC, though it may take a few years to get the Panthers back on track.

65. Mike Hopkins (Washington)

  • Overall record 31-20

A player and longtime assistant under Jim Boeheim, Hopkins’ hiring by Washington in 2017 came as a surprise, as he was expected to succeed Boeheim after his retirement. However, Boeheim remains at Syracuse and Hopkins looks to build on a 21-13 first year. He knocked off Kansas but didn’t do enough to get the Huskies into the NCAA Tournament, a definite goal for his second season.

64. Rick Byrd (Belmont)

  • Overall record 395-215

Byrd has been at Belmont since 1986 and has taken the Bruins from an NAIA program to a yearly OVC contender. He’s made 7 NCAA Tournaments, though he’s yet to pull a Tourney upset. He’s had Belmont in the top two of their conference for the last thirteen years, an astounding 187-43 in conference play in the A-Sun and OVC during that time. Byrd is well respected and a great recruiter and Belmont should be the favorite again this year, perhaps the year they finally win a big game in March.

63. Bobby Hurley (Arizona State)

  • Overall record 99-67

Hurley is another former Duke player who’s found himself coaching a power conference program. He spent two years at Buffalo before Arizona State hired him in 2015. He’s taken both programs to the NCAA Tournament and has built Arizona State into a contender in the Pac-12, though last year ended miserably in the First Four. Hurley’s stable and a solid recruiter and you can expect his Sun Devils to get much farther than that in the future.

62. Avery Johnson (Alabama)

  • Overall record 62-49

After many years in the NBA as player, assistant, and head coach, Johnson’s first college coaching experience has come at Alabama, who hired him in 2015. He’s off to a solid start for an SEC team and he did make his first NCAA Tournament last year. The program is trending in the right direction and Johnson is a great recruiter; we haven’t heard the last from this Crimson Tide program.

61. Cliff Ellis (Coastal Carolina)

  • Overall record 753-489

At Coastal Carolina since 2007, Ellis’ 753 D-I victories are fifth-most among active head coaches. He previously served as head coach of South Alabama (1975-84), Clemson (1984-94), and Auburn (1994-04). He’s been ten times to the NCAA Tournament, with three appearances in the Sweet Sixteen. He’s a well-respected coach at the very end of his career, though his Chanticleers did struggle last season. Perhaps the end is closer than it seems, but let’s not undermine Ellis’ impressive run.