Ivy League Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

By Joey Loose | Jun 1, 2020

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 11: Darnell Foreman #4 of the Pennsylvania Quakers sits atop the rim after the win at The Palestra on March 11, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Penn defeated Harvard 68-65 for the Men's Ivy League Tournament Championship title. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /

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WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 21: Head coach Tommy Amaker of the Harvard Crimson (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

2. Tommy Amaker – Harvard (2007-2020)

To some degree, the marriage of Amaker and Harvard must have seemed unusual when he was hired in 2007. Amaker had just spent four seasons leading Seton Hall before six less than great years at Michigan. The former Duke star was still trying to make his impact as a head coach, and he’s certainly done that in the Ivy League.

Despite the comparative difficulty recruiting players to Harvard compared to Duke or Michigan, Amaker has greatly surpassed any expectations. Prior to his arrival, the Crimson had not made the NCAA Tournament since 1946, but he led them to four straight appearances between 2012 and 2015. Better yet, he secured first-round upsets over New Mexico in 2013 and Cincinnati in 2014, the first two Tournament wins in program history. Additionally, the Crimson have finished the regular season atop the Ivy League standings in seven of his first 13 years.

Amaker could easily have struggled at Harvard, but he elevated the program far beyond any previous heights. He’s now gone five years since their last NCAA Tournament bid, but it’s hard to call that a failure. As long as Amaker remains at Harvard and keeps bringing in talent, it’s fair to expect to see the Crimson near or at the top of the league standings. Maybe one of these years Harvard could become the Tournament’s special Cinderella team.