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

By Joey Loose | Jun 28, 2020

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: Jonathan Galloway #5 of the UC Irvine Anteaters celebrates a 70-64 win against the Kansas State Wildcats for a first school tournament win during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 22, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

2 of 11

LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 13: Head coach Joe Callero of the Cal Poly Mustangs (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

10. Joe Callero – Cal Poly (2009-2019)

After some solid work with Seattle, who for most of his tenure wasn’t yet a D1 program, Callero accepted the Cal Poly job in 2009. His only real experience on the big stage was a single year he spent as an assistant at USC in the late 90’s. There was no guarantee he could bring success to the Mustangs, but he did have the experience, having been a junior college head coach as well.

Things started well for Callero, whose Mustangs finished 2nd in the Big West in just his second year, before making a run to the CIT in 2013. The following season was by far the brightest, as he led the Mustangs to the NCAA Tournament by winning the conference tournament. They entered the field at 13-19 and knocked off Texas Southern in the First Four. This was the first appearance and Tournament victory for the program.

Callero ran his course after a decade with the school, incapable of repeating his earlier success. He never finished higher than 7th in his final five years. Fortunately, that run through the Big West Tournament remains the highlight of Cal Poly basketball, and its something that future coaches and teams must measure up to. Cal Poly didn’t become a consistent winner under Callero, but he did finally take them to the promised land.