Conference USA Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

By Joey Loose | Jun 18, 2020

SAN ANTONIO - APRIL 07: Chris Douglas-Roberts #14, Derrick Rose #23 and Antonio Anderson #5 of the Memphis Tigers walk off the court in the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks during the 2008 NCAA Men's National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 7, 2008 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

5 of 11

CHARLOTTE – NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Bobby Lutz of the UNC Charlotte 49ers (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

7. Conference USA Basketball head coach rankings – Bobby Lutz

Charlotte (2000-2005)

At the beginning of the century, Conference USA was a much mightier conference than the version that exists today. Lutz took over the program in 1998 and by the turn of the century had the 49ers in extremely competitive shape in the once deep conference. These were some of the finest times not only for the conference but for the 49ers.

In these five years, Charlotte made four NCAA Tournaments, scoring a first-round win over Tennessee during the 2001 Tournament. Charlotte was regularly winning around 20 games per season in this tight league. Lutz led the 49ers to a pair of 12-4 finishes in conference play before departing the league in 2005, leaving quite a legacy behind.

Charlotte returned to the conference eight years after their departure, but haven’t come close to matching the success that Lutz had with this program. He stayed with the 49ers through 2010 but never made significant progress in the A-10 in those following years. Charlotte hasn’t returned to the NCAA Tournament since 2005 and Lutz’s time with the program still remains some of the glory years for basketball fans in North Carolina’s capital.