Big Sky Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

By Joey Loose | Jun 21, 2020

WICHITA, KS - MARCH 15: Head coach Travis DeCuire speaks with Ahmaad Rorie #14, Sayeed Pridgett #4 and Fabijan Krslovic #20 of the Montana Grizzlies during a stopage against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half of the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at INTRUST Arena on March 15, 2018 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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LAWRENCE, KANSAS – DECEMBER 07: Head coach Tad Boyle (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

7. Big Sky Basketball coach rankings – Tad Boyle (Northern Colorado, 2006-2010)

Today, Boyle is certainly much better known in college basketball circles for his work with Colorado the last decade. His head coaching career got started with Northern Colorado in 2006, inheriting the team as they joined the Big Sky and continued their adjustment into Division 1. After following around Mark Turgeon as an assistant for nearly a decade, Boyle had gotten his shot to run a program and he certainly took advantage of the opportunity.

Over the course of his four seasons, Boyle improved the Bears with each subsequent year. His team fared only four wins in his debut but were in impressive shape by his final season. That 2010 team finished at 25-8, in second place in the Big Sky and qualified for the CIT, their first postseason appearance. He didn’t quite lead the Bears to the NCAA Tournament, but the growth in just four years was phenomenal.

Boyle led Colorado to a flurry of NCAA Tournaments and continues to lead the Pac-12 school. His Bears made their first NCAA Tournament the following season, though things really fell apart as a result of BJ Hill’s violations in the coming years. He’s made the Buffaloes a consistent middle of the pack Pac-12 team these last ten years. He ushered in success with the Bears, taking a fresh program and building champions.

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