Busting Brackets
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Horizon League Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

By Joey Loose

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 26: Head coach Brad Stevens of the Butler Bulldogs celebrates with his team after they defeated the Florida Gators 74 to 71 in overtime during the Southeast regional final of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at New Orleans Arena on March 26, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 26: Head coach Brad Stevens of the Butler Bulldogs celebrates with his team after they defeated the Florida Gators 74 to 71 in overtime during the Southeast regional final of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at New Orleans Arena on March 26, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 17: Head coach John Brannen of the Northern Kentucky Norse (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 17: Head coach John Brannen of the Northern Kentucky Norse (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

5. Horizon League Basketball rankings – John Brannen (Northern Kentucky, 2015-2019)

It has been mentioned several times already that the Horizon League nowadays is nowhere close to what it once was. The Norse joined the conference in 2015 and hired Brannen to lead their charge into a new league. The former Alabama assistant got right to work and has done fantastic things, quickly making the Norse the team to beat in the Horizon League.

After a 9-21 struggle in his first year, Northern Kentucky adjusted to their conference, winning at least 21 games in each of his final three seasons. Brannen led the Norse to the NCAA Tournament in 2017 and 2019 and won regular-season titles in his final two years. Even when you include that horrible start, his 45-27 record in conference play is outstanding and this team truly blossomed in a new league with the blink of an eye.

Brannen took advantage of his high stock and departed for nearby Cincinnati in 2019, but he left quite the mark on the program. This past season, the Norse won another Horizon League title and have clearly established themselves at the very top of the conference. They might not have Butler, Loyola, or Valparaiso around as an extra challenge, but that doesn’t diminish what this program accomplished. In a very quick time, Brannen transformed Norse, a team that recently joined Division 1, into a perennial contender.