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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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 16: Head coach Richard Pitino of the Minnesota Golden Gophers reacts in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines during the semifinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 16, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 16: Head coach Richard Pitino of the Minnesota Golden Gophers reacts in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines during the semifinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 16, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

48. Richard Pitino (Minnesota)

1 NCAA Tournament (0-1)

It’s true for both the good and the bad, but Pitino is certainly not like his father. He’s made just one NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years as a head coach (6 at Minnesota) and was bounced by 12-seed Middle Tennessee in his only game. He has a complete lack of postseason experience even if his Golden Gophers did win the NIT in 2014. Pitino’s goose isn’t quite cooked and he does have this team in the Tourney again.

47. Chris Jans (New Mexico State)

1 NCAA Tournament (0-1)

Jans’ coaching career is only just beginning, but he’s off to a marvelous start. He won 21 games in one season at Bowling Green before being forced out. His second chance with the Aggies has been much better, already 58-10 and making a second straight NCAA Tournament. His team is the overwhelming favorite in the WAC, but we’ll have to see if they can translate that success into postseason play. Either way, he coached under Porter Moser and Gregg Marshall and is developing quite a coaching pedigree.

46. Travis Ford (Saint Louis)

6 NCAA Tournaments (1-6)

Ford led Eastern Kentucky to the Tournament and made 5 trips with Oklahoma State, but didn’t have much success winning games once he got there. He’s lost 5 straight NCAA Tournament games, but this is a completely different program now that he’s with the Billikens. Saint Louis won the A-10 Tournament and came out hot at the right time of the year. Ford has had some struggles in his coaching career but has a winning pedigree, having already rebuilt Saint Louis into a Tournament team in just three years.

45. Johnny Dawkins (UCF)

1 NCAA Tournament (2-1)

Dawkins played for and coached under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke. Unfortunately, his 11 years as head coach haven’t exactly been Duke-like. He only made a single NCAA Tournament in his 8 seasons with Stanford, though he did take a 10-seed to the Sweet Sixteen in 2014. That impressive win over Kansas notwithstanding, this is just his second trip to the Tournament. On the other hand, he’s lead UCF to the Tourney for the first time in 14 years, so maybe this is the beginning of a great run for the Knights.

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