2019 NCAA Tournament: Ranking all 68 head coaches in the Big Dance

By Joey Loose | Mar 19, 2019

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - FEBRUARY 27: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers and head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels shake hands before North Carolina's game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on February 27, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Chet Strange/Getty Images) /

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – MARCH 14: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders coaches from the bench during the quarterfinal game of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Sprint Center on March 14, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

16. Dana Altman (Oregon)

13 NCAA Tournaments (13-13), 1 Final Four

Altman spent 16 years at Creighton and turned them into the MVC’s most consistent program, leaving for Oregon back in 2010. He’s 233-95 with the Ducks, and just won an unexpected conference title. He led this team all the way to the Final Four in 2017 and has put together some quality teams in the past. Last year wasn’t the best season for the Ducks but they’ve reloaded and have given Altman yet another postseason appearance.

15. Chris Beard (Texas Tech)

3 NCAA Tournaments (4-2)

Aside from making Purdue fans cry, Beard has really asserted himself in his D-1 coaching career. In his one season with the Trojans, he led Little Rock to a big upset over the Boilermakers and won 30 games. He took Texas Tech to the Elite Eight last season in just his second year and he’s got this team primed to make another run. He coaches fantastic defense and has built this team to compete with anyone if their offense doesn’t slip up. Beard may be relatively young, but he has the mentality to lead his Red Raiders even further this season.

14. Lon Kruger (Oklahoma)

18 NCAA Tournaments (20-18), 2 Final Fours

Kruger has had a long and successful coaching career that even took him into the NBA. He took Florida to the Final Four in 1994 and Oklahoma there in 2016, with winning seasons at Kansas State, Illinois, and UNLV in there as well. His teams have done solid work in a really tough Big 12 and he’s recruited stars like Buddy Hield and Trae Young to the Sooners. This year’s team isn’t his greatest squad, but Kruger is one of the most experienced coaches in the game.

13. Matt Painter (Purdue)

11 NCAA Tournaments (12-11)

More often than not, Painter’s Boilermakers have been in the NCAA Tournament and this will be their eleventh bid in his 14 years. He’s led this team to four Sweet Sixteen’s, including the last two years, but hasn’t advanced further in the Tourney. Purdue has been in the top three of the Big Ten for the last five seasons and Painter has really done impressive work in recent years. They won’t top last year’s 30-win season, but Painter has poised these Boilermakers as a potential sleeper pick yet again.

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