Big East Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)
By Joey Loose
10. Big East Basketball power rankings – Chris Mack (Xavier, 2013-2018)
Even though they had been a dominant force in the A-10, there was no guarantee that Mack and his Musketeers would stand out as they joined the new Big East in 2013. He had already led Xavier for four seasons at this point, leading them to a pair of Sweet Sixteens as a top-notch A-10 squad. Fortunately, that level of success would continue on the power conference level.
Mack would lead Xavier to the NCAA Tournament in each of their first five years in the Big East, culminating in earning a 1-seed in the 2018 Tournament. While his Musketeers suffered a few upsets in postseason play, the 2015 team made the Sweet Sixteen and in 2017 he took an 11-seed to the Elite Eight. In Big East play, Xavier was 57-33 and typically competitive in their brand new conference.
While Mack left for Louisville in 2018, he left Xavier in incredible shape in the Big East. Over the last few years, they had become one of the country’s best mid-major programs and have continued that same momentum in the Big East. Time will tell if successor Travis Steele can maintain that momentum, but things are off to a solid enough start. As for Mack, he’s already led Louisville to a 2nd place finish in the tougher ACC, so don’t be shocked if his success continues.