With great expectations comes great pressure. Let’s take a look at five NCAA Basketball coaches who will be under a watchful eye this upcoming season.
Every spring, the transfer portal opens up and name after name begins to flow in detailing the players looking for a new school. While this has become a recent phenomenon, one thing that hasn’t changed is the coaching carousel that plays out at roughly the same time. Assistant coaches get promoted, head coaches get fired, and athletic directors take a pulse on the direction of every program. With NCAA Basketball practices just weeks away, let’s take a look at the coaches with the most pressure on them heading into 2019-2020:
Brad Brownell – Clemson
Let’s face it. Brownell has improved the program in many ways during his 9 years at the helm. However, in those 9 seasons, Clemson has only made the NCAA tournament twice. Last summer, Clemson was a legit contender for Zion Williamson. Couple that with a pre-season AP #22 ranked team, and Clemson fans had a lot to get excited about. Zion never showed up, and neither did the wins, as Clemson finished 20-14. The other obvious reason Brownell is on the list? His football counterpart Dabo Swinney has shown everyone the potential that exists at CU. Sooner or later, those same expectations are bound to come knocking at the basketball office.
Patrick Ewing – Georgetown
It’s year three for Ewing, and 34-29 in his first two seasons doesn’t necessarily jump off the stat sheet. Starting guards Mac McClung and James Akinjo both return, along with starting forward, Josh LeBlanc. Add transfer big man Omer Yurtseven to the mix, and it’s realistic for Georgetown fans to have higher expectations than previous years. Unfair or not, John Thompson put a defining stamp on Georgetown teams of the past: opponents literally knew Georgetown was in the building the moment they walked in. Since he’s been gone, Hoya nation has been craving a brand to call their own. Ewing’s never been one to shy away from pressure, and I think he’s the right guy for the job. However, in a business where you’re only as good as your last game, winning will ultimately determine his fate come April.
Josh Pastner – Georgia Tech
Pastner’s a likable guy who got his start under famed Arizona coach, Lute Olson. However, in 3 seasons at Georgia Tech, his 48-53 record is underwhelming. Tech returns most of its core from last season, led by guard Jose Alvarado. Guys like Ben Lammers and Josh Okogie developed well under Pastner and his staff, with Okogie getting selected in the 2018 NBA draft. However, how many people remember Tech’s 2004 run to the national championship game? If you’re saying, “that was a long time ago,” you might be aligned with Tech’s athletic director, who needs to get this program back to national prominence.
Mike Boynton – Oklahoma State
The dreaded year three is a make it/break it year for many coaches. Boynton heads into his third season with a 33-35 record and his top five scorers returning, led by senior forward, Cameron McGriff. Prior to Boynton, the Cowboys went to the NCAA tournament in Brad Underwood’s only season and in five of Travis Ford’s eight seasons. Missing the NCAA Tournament for a third year in a row could be the end for Boynton.
Jerod Haase – Stanford
Haase was a great player at Kansas and certainly has the pedigree. In his three seasons at Stanford, however, he has yet to guide the Cardinal to an NCAA Tournament. Haase’s overall record of 48-49 is surprising given the recent state of the Pac 12, and the early departure of guard Kezie Okpala to the NBA doesn’t make things any easier.
With Mick Cronin at UCLA, a revamped backcourt at Arizona, Payton Pritchard back at Oregon, Mike Hopkins recruiting like a mad man at Washington, and Bobby Hurley starting to figure things out, this will be an interesting year for Stanford basketball.