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NCAA Tournament 2019: Ranking the Sweet 16 head coaches

By Joey Loose

DURHAM, NC - DECEMBER 01: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils directs his team against the Stetson Hatters in the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - DECEMBER 01: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils directs his team against the Stetson Hatters in the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – MARCH 23: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Head coach Matt Painter of the Purdue Boilermakers shake hands after the game in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 23, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Texas Tech Red Raiders defeated the Purdue Boilermakers 78-65. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 23: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Head coach Matt Painter of the Purdue Boilermakers shake hands after the game in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 23, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Texas Tech Red Raiders defeated the Purdue Boilermakers 78-65. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

12. Matt Painter (Purdue)

12th NCAA Tournament (14-11), 5th Sweet Sixteen

For the third year in a row, Painter’s Boilermakers are in the Sweet Sixteen, but he’s yet to take this program any further than that. 19 years have passed since Purdue was in the Elite Eight, but Painter’s done everything expected to build a consistent winner. He puts together talent and has had this team near the top of the Big Ten more times than not. Last year, his Boilermakers won 30 games; perhaps this year they take that next step forward against Tennessee.

11. Rick Barnes (Tennessee)

24th NCAA Tournament (24-23), 7th Sweet Sixteen, 1 Final Four

Barnes took Texas to the Final Four in 2003 and would love nothing more than to do the same with the Volunteers. In his fourth season in Knoxville, he’s finally gotten Tennessee to the second weekend and has put together an explosive offense. His team almost blew their game against Iowa, forfeiting an early 25-point lead before winning in overtime. Regardless, he’s won at Providence, Clemson, and Texas, and is well on his way to establishing winning culture again for the Volunteers.

10. Chris Beard (Texas Tech)

3rd NCAA Tournament (6-2), 2nd Sweet Sixteen

Just four seasons ago, Beard was the head coach of D-2 Angelo State and now he has the Red Raiders primed for another deep Tournament run. He won 30 games at Little Rock and he took Texas Tech to the Elite Eight last season. He’s a rising star in the coaching world and his team plays efficient offense and lockdown defense, completely shutting down the offense of Buffalo in the second round. He’s young and there’s a lack of postseason experience compared to some of these other coaches, but Beard and this team are the real deal, sitting just two wins away from the program’s first Final Four.

9. Dana Altman (Oregon)

14th NCAA Tournament (15-13), 4th Sweet Sixteen, 1 Final Four

Altman’s Ducks have gotten hot at the right time this season, marching to the Sweet 16 despite being a No. 12 seed. He’s won a ton of games with Oregon and had this team in the Final Four just two years ago. The loss of Bol Bol has hurt the Ducks, but Altman has done an extraordinary job of putting the pieces of this team in the right place. Who knows yet if they’ll be back in the Final Four, but they could give Virginia quite the test in a few days.

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