NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 353 D-I head coaches for 2019-20 season
By Joey Loose
30. Mick Cronin (UCLA) (Last year: 25)
- Overall record: 365-171
He may have just made nine straight NCAA Tournaments at Cincinnati, but Cronin was still a strange hire by UCLA. The former Murray State and Cincinnati head coach has put together some talented teams over the years, but his teams have flamed out in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament the last seven years. That is not going to fly at UCLA, where Cronin is miles away from his recruiting hotbed. This marriage doesn’t seem like it’s going to work out, though Cronin’s resume was apparently impressive enough to make the hire.
29. Ben Howland (Mississippi State) (Last year: 28)
- Overall record: 477-264
- Final Four in 2006, 2007, 2008
Howland begins his fifth season at Mississippi State, having had his most successful seasons at UCLA. The former Northern Arizona and Pittsburgh head coach made three straight Final Fours with the Bruins, but couldn’t do enough to stay more than ten seasons. He just led the Bulldogs back to the NCAA Tournament last season, though they were upset in the first round. Howland has his eyes set on bigger things in the future, though this conference seems to be getting much tougher with each passing year.
28. Shaka Smart (Texas) (Last year: 23)
- Overall record: 234-122
- Final Four in 2011
Smart’s run as an 11-seed to the Final Four in his second year as a head coach remains the bright spot on his career. After six years at VCU, he took the Texas job in 2015 but has definitely failed to live up to expectations. He won the NIT last year, but this is a team that should be making the NCAA Tournament on a regular basis. Smart won 7 Tourney games with the Rams but hasn’t a single win in four years at Texas. He needs something big to happen or he’s really running out of time.
27. Scott Drew (Baylor) (Last year: 32)
- Overall record: 338-220
What Drew has done in his 16 seasons at Baylor has been nothing short of incredible. He inherited a program fresh off a devastating scandal and slowly turned them into strong Big 12 contenders. Things started slowly, but he’s made a pair of Elite Eights and Sweet Sixteens at a program with little success before his arrival. He’ll have Baylor in prime position in the future and remains one of the country’s most underrated coaches and recruiters.
26. Leonard Hamilton (Florida State) (Last year: 30)
- Overall record: 556-426
He’s a former head coach with Oklahoma State, Miami, and the Washington Wizards, but Hamilton may be having some of his best success these last few seasons. He’s led the Seminoles to the Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen in back-to-back years, standing their ground in a tough ACC. He’ll begin his eighteenth season at Florida State with expectations clearly raised, though Hamilton has shown for three decades that he’s a talented head coach.
25. Kelvin Sampson (Houston) (Last year: 36)
- Overall record: 541-279
- Final Four in 2002
Sampson’s been coaching basketball for a long time. He led Washington State nearly three decades ago before a successful run at Oklahoma, including that 2002 Final Four. He enters his sixth year at Houston after a horrid tenure at Indiana that ended in scandal. Last season included 33 wins and a Sweet Sixteen, evidence that Sampson is still an impressive head coach who has greatly elevated this program. He declined other positions this offseason and looks to keep Houston at the top of the AAC in the future.
24. Chris Holtmann (Ohio State) (Last year: 19)
- Overall record: 159-109
In the span of less than a decade, Holtmann went from Gardner-Webb to Ohio State, with success at Butler in between. He exceeded expectations in taking over the Butler program, leading them to NCAA Tournament wins in all three of his seasons. He’s continued this trend with the Buckeyes, making a surprise run to the Tourney in his first season before repeating the feat. An impressive recruiting class has arrived in Columbus and Holtmann may have his best team yet.
23. Gregg Marshall (Wichita State) (Last year: 22)
- Overall record: 502-196
- Final Four in 2013
When Marshall arrived at Wichita State in 2007, he had just made seven NCAA Tournaments in nine years at Winthrop. The Shockers not only hired one of the best mid-major coaches, but he took it to the next level. He’s led Wichita State to the Final Four, to a near-perfect season, and now to the AAC. His record is extremely impressive. Even in a rebuilding effort, his team still won 22 games and made the NIT semifinal. Marshall’s teams come to play when the games matter most.
22. Chris Mack (Louisville) (Last year: 26)
- Overall record: 235-111
After nine years of success at Xavier, Mack took over a bit of a mess at Louisville but hasn’t wasted time turning things around. With expectations low, he led the Cardinals to the NCAA Tournament in his first season and has them projected for much greater things in year two. He’s only missed the Tourney once in the first decade of his career and has transitioned smoothly (so far) from Big East to ACC coach.
21. Jim Larranaga (Miami FL) (Last year: 18)
- Overall record: 617-406
- Final Four in 2006
Larranaga rose to national fame when he led 11-seed George Mason to the Final Four and now begins his ninth season with the Hurricanes. He waited for the right opportunity and has really cashed in at Miami. Larranaga has led the Hurricanes to a pair of Sweet Sixteens and has had them competitive in the nation’s toughest conference. After last year’s 14-18 mark, it’s clear that there’s work to do as he reloads this team for the future, but it’s no reason to put Larranaga down. Few coaches can boast some of those things on his long resume.