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

By Joey Loose | Jul 10, 2020

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 07: Phillip Nolan #0, Shabazz Napier #13, his mother Carmen Velasquez, and head coach Kevin Ollie of the Connecticut Huskies look on after defeating the Kentucky Wildcats 60-54 in the NCAA Men's Final Four Championship at AT&T Stadium on April 7, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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CINCINNATI, OH – MARCH 06: Larry Brown the head coach of the SMU Mustangs (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

4. Larry Brown – SMU (2013-2016)

The story of Brown’s career had already been written with countless chapters long before he arrived at SMU in 2012. He won an NBA title as head coach of the Detroit Pistons, and lead more than half a dozen other franchises at one point. He won Kansas their second national championship back in 1988, while also spending time with UCLA. Upon taking over the Mustangs, this was his first return to the college game since that title run with the Jayhawks.

As the Mustangs entered the AAC in 2013, they were built and ready to contend for league titles. In Brown’s three seasons in the league, the team was 79-22. They nearly won the NIT in his first season, while making the NCAA Tournament in year two. The Mustangs won both the regular season and conference tournament titles in 2015 as well. Eligibility issues preventing them from accepting a postseason bid in his final season, though they did win 25 games.

Brown resigned following that third season and the Mustangs just haven’t been the same under successor Tim Jankovich. Brown moved major mountains in turning around an SMU program that hadn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1993. They proved they belonged in the AAC from immediate impact; we’ll see how things fare further down the line.