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NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 353 D-I head coaches for 2019-20 season

By Joey Loose

DURHAM, NC - MARCH 03: (L-R) Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils talks to head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels before their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 3, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - MARCH 03: (L-R) Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils talks to head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels before their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 3, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – APRIL 17: Head coach Lindsey Hunter of the Phoenix Suns directs Diante Garrett #10 of the Phoenix Suns against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on April 17, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – APRIL 17: Head coach Lindsey Hunter of the Phoenix Suns directs Diante Garrett #10 of the Phoenix Suns against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on April 17, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

353. Lindsey Hunter (Mississippi Valley State) (Last year: N/A)

  • Overall record: 0-0

There are a few factors working against Hunter, though the long-time NBA player remains a solid hire for the Delta Devils. He possesses only brief head coaching (interim Suns coach) and college coaching experience. Upping the school’s recruiting prowess will be great, but how much success can he really have at Mississippi Valley State?

352. Brian Barone (SIU-Edwardsville) (Last year: N/A)

  • Overall record: 0-0

He’ll take over as SIUE’s interim head coach, but Barone has been around over the years. He had an extremely brief tenure as a community college head coach and has served under coaches like Porter Moser and Tom Crean over the years. The expectations are really low for the Cougars and Barone likely isn’t the coach that leads them out of the OVC basement anytime soon.

351. Greg Paulus (Niagara) (Last year: N/A)

  • Overall record: 0-0

It’s a strange series of events that have led Paulus to be named Niagara’s interim head coach this season, giving him his first head coaching position. The former Duke point guard and Syracuse quarterback spent six seasons on Thad Matta’s staff at Ohio State before bouncing around the last few seasons. There’s only so much you can do in an interim season, but Paulus should do fine this season, especially after helping build this roster.

350. Zac Claus (Idaho) (Last year: N/A)

  • Overall record: 0-0

Claus is another interim head coach who inherits a program dealing with a few issues around the departure of Don Verlin. He’s never been a head coach before but has more than two decades of experience as a college assistant on the west coast. This is Claus’s chance to audition for this or other head coaching jobs, with a decade at Nevada the highlight of his resume to this point.

349. Quinton Farrell (Presbyterian) (Last year: N/A)

  • Overall record: 0-0

Farrell returns to the Blue Hose as head coach after playing and coaching there for nearly a decade. The first time head coach spent the last five years at the College of Charleston, playing a major role for that program’s growth. He inherits a Presbyterian program trending in the right direction under former coach Dustin Kerns, but there’s still plenty of work to do if this team is going to become a Big South contender.

348. Jason Crafton (Maryland Eastern Shore) (Last year: N/A)

  • Overall record: 0-0

Taking over a suffering MEAC program isn’t easy, and Crafton will have his work cut out for him. He started his career under Jay Wright at Villanova before eventually spending six years as head coach at D-II Nyack, his alma mater. Last year saw him as a G-League assistant coach. His time as a head coach hasn’t exactly been impressive, but that G-League experience is exactly what the Hawks were looking for in their next hire.

347. Danny Sprinkle (Montana State) (Last year: N/A)

  • Overall record: 0-0

Sometimes it’s a bright move to bring in an alumnus to run a low-major program, and Sprinkle will likely bring his passion back to the Bobcats program he played for in the late 90’s. He’s spent nearly twenty years as a D1 assistant, coaching in the Big Sky and Big West. He knows the area well and did help lead Cal State Fullerton to the NCAA Tournament in 2018, but there’s a lot of work ahead to turn around this program.

346. Lance Irvin (Chicago State) (Last year: 353)

  • Overall record: 3-29

As expected, year one was a struggle for Irvin, who jumped into his first head coaching job after six years in the Chicago high school scene. Irvin has plenty of experience around college basketball and winning even 3 games with these Cougars seems to be an accomplishment these days. His effort to resurrect this program will continue, though it’s unlikely any real results will happen this upcoming year.

345. Ryan Looney (Idaho State) (Last year: N/A)

  • Overall record: 0-0

After leading Point Loma to the D2 national title game, Looney takes over a program that’s struggled recently in the Big Sky. He possesses 15 years of head coaching experience and has the knowledge and ability to coach up a group of athletes, having success at each of his three stops. However, this is his first job of any kind at the D1 level, meaning there will likely be growing pains initially for his Bengals.

344. Dylan Howard (Alabama A&M) (Last year: 350)

  • Overall record: 5-27

Following a year as Alabama A&M’s interim head coach, Howard now has the full-time job. His 5-win effort was apparently enough to sway the tide in his favor, though his head coaching career hasn’t exactly stood out. He failed to impress at Hardin-Simmons or North Park. Last place finishes in the SWAC aren’t going to help him keep this new job, though we’ll have to see how he fares now that he has complete control of the program.

343. John Smith (Cal Poly) (Last year: N/A)

  • Overall record: 0-0

Smith takes over at Cal Poly following six seasons as an assistant at rival Cal State Fullerton. The California native has spent nearly two decades coaching in the state, including thirteen seasons at the junior college level. That head coaching experience was full of success, but D1 is a completely different animal. His recent experience with the Big West will help him adjust into the head coaching role, but it might not be the easiest transition for a Mustangs team that really struggled recently.

342. Shane Burcar (Northern Arizona) (Last year: N/A)

  • Overall record: 0-0

With former coach Jack Murphy now on staff at Arizona, Burcar takes over with the interim tag after spending last season on Murphy’s bench. The new Lumberjacks coach came to the school after a long, successful career as a high school coach. His severe lack of college experience is disenchanting, but the continuity and the experience he brings to this interim role made him the right choice moving forward.

341. Richard Barron (Maine) (Last year: 352)

  • Overall record: 5-27

With no disrespect meant towards Barron, his hiring last year was one of college basketball’s weirdest, as the former women’s head coach at Maine took over the other basketball team. The five-win season that resulted was not exactly progressing, and this team has struggled to contend for several years in the America East. Barron was just okay as a women’s head coach and will need something unforeseen to do better on the men’s side.

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