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Big East Basketball: Ranking all 10 head coaches for 2019-20 season

By Joey Loose

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 23: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats shakes hands with head coach Ed Cooley of the Providence Friars after the game at the Wells Fargo Center on January 23, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 23: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats shakes hands with head coach Ed Cooley of the Providence Friars after the game at the Wells Fargo Center on January 23, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 30: Head coach Dave Leitao of the DePaul Blue Demons reacts during the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Wintrust Arena on January 30, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 30: Head coach Dave Leitao of the DePaul Blue Demons reacts during the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Wintrust Arena on January 30, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /

10. Dave Leitao (DePaul)

For younger fans, it may be a surprise to hear that DePaul was once a national power in the sport several decades ago. The recent history for the Blue Demons has been bleak, though Leitao stands out as their best coach of the century. Fifteen years have passed since this program has made the NCAA Tournament, but does Leitao have them trending upwards at last?

Leitao is a disciple of Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun, having played for him at Northeastern before a long tenure as an assistant coach. He spent 16 years in total as Calhoun’s assistant while also spending a pair of unsuccessful seasons leading his alma mater. In 2002, he was hired by DePaul, spending three years before departing for Virginia. His 2004 Blue Demons team is the most recent NCAA Tournament team for this program. His time with the Cavaliers was equally unimpressive, especially considering what his successor has done with that program.

After spending time coaching in the G League and assisting Frank Hatih, Leitao returned to DePaul as head coach in 2015. In his first four seasons back, the Blue Demons have finished at the bottom of the conference on a regular basis. After winning no more than 11 games in his first three seasons, DePaul took a step forward last season with a 19-17 finish, ending the year as the CBI runners-up. There are some solid recruits heading to DePaul this season, though another step forward will be hard in the tough Big East.

Leitao’s career mark is just 191-211, though anyone would be struggling at DePaul in recent years. He does possess a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, but it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing in his career. Leitao is certainly more experienced than a number of Big East coaches but the on-court results just haven’t been there. It’s hard to expect him to turn DePaul back into a national power, but this season could represent another step forward.

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