Atlantic Sun Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

By Joey Loose | Jul 8, 2020

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 22: Sherwood Brown #25 of the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles celebrates with fans against the Georgetown Hoyas during the second round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Center on March 22, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

9 of 11

RALEIGH, NC – MARCH 21: Head Coach Bob Hoffman of the Mercer Bears (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

3. Bob Hoffman – Mercer (2008-2014)

Mercer has made just three NCAA Tournaments in their history but Hoffman is certainly responsible for the most exciting of the three. Hoffman had previously spent a number of years coaching all over the place, from the NBA D-League to UTRGV, to several stints as an assistant at the D1 level. He inherited a Mercer program hunting desperately for success and boy did he deliver.

After three mediocre seasons, Hoffman won the CIT in 2012 with the Bears, winning 27 games in the process. In each of the next two seasons, they won the Atlantic Sun regular-season title, though they had to settle for the NIT in 2013. Fortunately, history was on their side in 2014, as they not only returned to the NCAA Tournament but upended 3-seed Duke in the opening round.

Mercer departed for the Southern Conference in 2014, though Hoffman’s best days with the program were behind him. He’s now the head coach at D2 Central Oklahoma after flaming out with the Bears in the following years. Despite this, the accomplishments of that 2014 team will keep him remembered in Mercer history for the rest of time.

Home/Mid Major Conferences