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

By Joey Loose

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 23: Head coach Matt McMahon consoles Ja Morant #12 of the Murray State Racers against the Florida State Seminoles in the second half during the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 23, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 23: Head coach Matt McMahon consoles Ja Morant #12 of the Murray State Racers against the Florida State Seminoles in the second half during the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 23, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 17: Head coach Ray Harper of the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 17: Head coach Ray Harper of the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

9. OVC Basketball coach power rankings – Ray Harper (Jacksonville State, 2016-2020)

Prior to his arrival at Jacksonville State in 2016, there was already so much to like about Harper through his career. He had led Kentucky Wesleyan and Oklahoma City each to a pair of national titles, at the D2 and NAIA levels respectively. He had just rebuilt Western Kentucky and now faced a tougher challenge at an OVC team without any successful basketball history.

In his very first season, he led the Gamecocks to their first NCAA Tournament, winning the OVC Tournament by upsetting the two top teams in the league. The next few seasons would have more success, winning 23 games in 2018 and 24 the following year. However, that 2017 run remains the team’s lone NCAA Tournament. Even with a rebuilding year this past season, Harper has proven he’s a winner and has been victorious in 62% of his OVC games.

These days, Belmont and Murray State run the OVC, making it even more impressive that Harper pushed Jacksonville State into the Tournament in his very first season. Harper clearly has a jam-packed resume full of success, and this program certainly owes him for that breakthrough performance. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with the Gamecocks in the coming years, especially if they can bounce back and compete at the top of the OVC again.