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

By Joey Loose

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)
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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DAYTON, OH – MARCH 15: Head coach Greg Herenda of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights reacts in the second half against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 15, 2016 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH – MARCH 15: Head coach Greg Herenda of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights reacts in the second half against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 15, 2016 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

68. Byron Smith (Prairie View A&M)

0 NCAA Tournaments

The longtime assistant has the Panthers dancing for the first time in 21 years. He doesn’t have postseason experience and his record sits at just 57-56, but his team was the king of the SWAC. His win count has risen each season and the future is very bright for Smith and A&M. He also spent time as the head coach of the Harlem Globetrotters, though we can all agree that this is his first real coaching experience.

67. Joe Golding (Abilene Christian)

0 NCAA Tournaments

The Southland Tournament champs have already won an astounding 27 games this season and that’s just scratching the surface. Golding has taken his alma mater to the NCAA Tournament for the first time, leading a program that was D-II just six years ago. Building sustained success in a conference like the Southland is difficult, and this was Abilene’s first year over .500, but for now the Wildcats will just enjoy the ride. Golding is relatively inexperienced, but could be a coach on the rise.

66. Greg Herenda (Fairleigh Dickinson)

1 NCAA Tournament (0-1)

Herenda took over at Fairleigh Dickinson in 2013 after five seasons at then-D2 UMass Lowell. This past season was by far his greatest, as the Knights have already won 20 games and will return to the NCAA Tournament. In 2016, they were smashed by Florida Gulf Coast in the First Four, though that experience will certainly help Herenda prepare his players. It may have been just in the NEC, but that 2016 conference tournament title came with a team of mostly freshmen and sophomores. Herenda can coach, but his team just isn’t talented enough to contend with most of the Tourney’s teams.

65. Matt Langel (Colgate)

0 NCAA Tournaments

It’s almost appropriate that Langel would lead Colgate to the NCAA Tournament as Fran Dunphy plays out his last season at Temple. Langel played under Dunphy at Penn and coached under him at both schools, getting his shot with Colgate in 2011. This season has by far been his best with the Raiders and he’s just 114-141 at the school. This was just his second season over .500 and he has a glaring lack of postseason experience.

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