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

20. Bruce Weber (Kansas State)

• Overall record 444-236
• National title game appearance in 2005

After spending 18 years assisting Gene Keady at Purdue, Weber has embarked on an interesting head coaching career that took him from Southern Illinois to Illinois to Kansas State in 2012. He got the Salukis to the Sweet Sixteen in 2002 and had them always near the top of the MVC. He took the Illini to the national title game in 2005 but couldn’t quite build the program up after that. His initial progress at Kansas State was slow, but a surprise run to the Elite Eight last season have increased expectations for this coming season. Weber isn’t the greatest coach but he’s much more solid than he seems.

19. Chris Holtmann (Ohio State)

• Overall record 146-95

Holtmann has had a solid coaching career, leading Ohio State since 2017. He spent three years as head coach of Gardner-Webb before becoming an assistant coach at Butler, eventually becoming the head coach. He made the NCAA Tournament and won at least one Tourney game in each of his three years at Butler and has Ohio State competitive way ahead of schedule, also winning a Tourney game in his debut season in Columbus. The future is bright for the exceptional Holtmann and his Buckeyes

18. Jim Larranaga (Miami FL)

• Overall record 608-392
• Final Four appearance in 2006

Larranaga has done outstanding work at Miami since being hired in 2011. He is most well-known for leading 11-seed George Mason to the Final Four in 2006. Larranaga also spent time at Bowling Green and has gotten the Hurricanes into the Dance each of the last three years. He’s one of college basketball’s most experienced coaches with more than 600 career wins and he’s transformed the Hurricanes into an actual contender in the ACC.

17. Mike Brey (Notre Dame)

• Overall record 508-256

Yet another of those highly revered former Duke assistants, Brey took the Notre Dame job in 2000 after five years of head coaching experience at Delaware. In both the Big East and ACC he’s had Notre Dame as a constant contender, leading the Fighting Irish to the Elite Eight in 2015 and 2016. He’s still looking for that elusive Final Four but he’s provided stability and constant success in South Bend.

16. Lon Kruger (Oklahoma)

• Overall record 626-396
• Final Four appearances in 1994 and 2006

Kruger took the Oklahoma job in 2011 and has decades of experience, including a three year stint with the Atlanta Hawks in the early 2000’s. The former head coach of Texas-Pan American, Kansas State, Florida, Illinois, and UNLV made the Final Four in 1994 with Florida and 2016 with Oklahoma. He has 619 career wins and has had Oklahoma near the top of the Big 12 throughout his tenure. If Kruger keeps landing studs like Buddy Hield and Trae Young, then the Sooners will always be a contender.

15. Matt Painter (Purdue)

• Overall record 325-157

Painter has done wonders for Purdue since his promotion in 2005, having also spent a year as head coach at Southern Illinois. He’s had Purdue in the NCAA Tournament all but three of his years, but he’s never gotten the Boilermakers farther than the Sweet Sixteen. Regardless, he always puts great teams together and coaches them into a contending position in the tough Big Ten. After winning 30 games last season, this winning trend should continue into the future for Painter and Purdue.

14. Jamie Dixon (TCU)

• Overall record 378-151

After thirteen solid years leading Pittsburgh, Dixon returned to his alma mater as head coach in 2016 and has already done outstanding work. 328-123 at Pitt, and always competitive in the Big East, Dixon won the NIT in this first year with TCU before leading the Horned Frogs to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in twenty years last season. The Big 12 is a tough league but he’s building something special at TCU and will have his sights set on making some noise in March very soon.

13. Rick Barnes (Tennessee)

• Overall record 667-359
• Final Four appearance in 2003

Another longtime head coach, Barnes took the Tennessee job in 2015 after 17 years at Texas, including a Final Four run in 2003. Previously at George Mason, Providence, and Clemson, Barnes has had success wherever he’s gone, making a Sweet Sixteen at Clemson and making the Longhorns a yearly fixture in the NCAA Tournament (16 appearances in his 17 seasons). He never made it back to the Final Four again, but he’s completely rebuilt Tennessee and has them poised as one of the top teams in the SEC after tying for first last season. This a top ten team this season and they could make quite a run in March.

12. Sean Miller (Arizona)

• Overall record 373-123

Miller has been at Arizona since 2009, getting the job after five stellar years leading Xavier. He led Xavier to an Elite Eight and a Sweet Sixteen, impressive for an A-10 program, and has built Arizona into a yearly favorite in the Pac-12. He’s made three Elite Eights with the Wildcats and has fallen just short of the Final Four repeatedly. His career mark is very impressive and he’ll continue to have Arizona poised as a title contender, though making the jump to a Final Four team needs to happen soon.

11. John Beilein (Michigan)

• Overall record 550-318
• Final Four appearances in 2013 and 2018

Beilein has a had a long and successful coaching career, landing at Michigan in 2007 after many stops, including at Richmond and West Virginia. He made the Elite Eight and won an NIT with West Virginia, but his real success has come at Michigan. His Wolverines were national runner-ups in 2013 and 2018. Expect big things in the future for Michigan.