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Big 12 Basketball: Ranking the 10 head coaches for 2019-20 season

By Joey Loose

LUBBOCK, TX - FEBRUARY 23: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders drives to the basket against Quentin Grimes #5 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half of the game on February 23, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Kansas 91-62. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - FEBRUARY 23: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders drives to the basket against Quentin Grimes #5 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half of the game on February 23, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Kansas 91-62. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 15: Head coach Lon Kruger of the Oklahoma Sooners watches his team in the second half of the game against the Rhode Island Rams during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 15: Head coach Lon Kruger of the Oklahoma Sooners watches his team in the second half of the game against the Rhode Island Rams during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

4. Lon Kruger (Oklahoma)

There’s been plenty of good stuff in Sooners basketball history and Kruger has certainly added the latest chapter over the course of the last decade. Bringing talent like Buddy Hield and Trae Young to Oklahoma is one thing, but the team’s Final Four run only punctuated the success. Each of the last four Sooners head coaches have reached at least the Elite Eight, how has Kruger shaped this program?

Kruger’s coaching career has been long and successful. He was formerly head coach at Texas-Pan American, Kansas State, Florida, and Illinois before the Atlanta Hawks gave him their job in 2000. He led Florida to the Final Four and Kansas State to the Elite Eight. He returned to the college game in 2004 at UNLV, spending seven seasons before Oklahoma scooped him up.

The highlight of his first eight seasons with the Sooners is clearly the Final Four in 2016, though he’s made six NCAA Tournaments in a tough Big 12. While the program has been less competitive since that Final Four, they’re still a perennial Tournament team. He’s averaging 20 wins a season and already has 639 in a long, impressive coaching career.

With new faces meshing with old, it’s hard to tell just what to expect from Oklahoma next season. Retirement could be near for Kruger, who may have already peaked with the Sooner’s performance during and before that Final Four year. This could certainly be an NCAA Tournament team again, but do they have any kind of run in them this season?

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