MAAC Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)
By Joey Loose
Who are the most accomplished head coaches in MAAC Basketball this century?
The level of basketball played in MAAC Basketball is certainly not comparable to power conference leagues, but that isn’t to diminish the quality or excitements. These East Coast mid-majors still deliver some exciting basketball, with programs like Iona, Manhattan, and Siena providing excitement at various points in recent memory. You likely won’t find a Final Four team or a top draft pick among these rosters, just high-quality basketball performance from some similar schools.
The reason these programs have any success at all is by the direction of their head coaches. Throughout the conference’s history, we’ve seen some phenomenal coaches pass-through this league. Some have made legendary careers for themselves elsewhere while others are satisfied making their mark in the MAAC. New York and the rest of the East Coast provides fertile grounds for recruiting, but it’s no easy task to build a championship roster in the MAAC, just like any other mid-major league.
Understanding the difficulty these coaches face, we’re going to look closely at the ten greatest head coaches of the MAAC since 2000. We’ll be judging them based on winning culture, postseason success, and how they’ve transformed or changed their programs for the better. A few coaches stand out immediately, while others are underappreciated for the hard work they’ve done for their schools.
Without further ado, let’s get into these rankings, examining the accomplishments for each of these coaches in the MAAC since the turn of the century.