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NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season

By Joey Loose

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - FEBRUARY 09: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers greets head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils before the start of a game at John Paul Jones Arena on February 9, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - FEBRUARY 09: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers greets head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils before the start of a game at John Paul Jones Arena on February 9, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
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DAYTON, OHIO – MARCH 20: Head coach LeVelle Moton of the North Carolina Central Eagles (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OHIO – MARCH 20: Head coach LeVelle Moton of the North Carolina Central Eagles (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

130. James Jones (Yale) (Last year: 130)

  • Overall record: 333-280

Having already spent more than two decades leading Yale, Jones has done some great things for the Bulldogs, especially in recent years. Jones helped end a 50-year NCAA Tournament drought and has finished atop the Ivy League standings in four of the last six seasons, making another Tournament appearance along the way. Yale is in shape to contend at the top of the conference for years to come.

129. Joe Dooley (East Carolina) (Last year: 114)

  • Overall record: 192-151

Dooley led Florida Gulf Coast to a pair of NCAA Tournaments, but returned to East Carolina two seasons ago, reuniting him with the program he had led in the ’90s. Progress has been slow with the Pirates for the former longtime Kansas assistant, sitting at just 21-41 to this point. It won’t be easy to turn things around for East Carolina, especially in a competitive AAC, but Dooley still has time to bring in his own guys and get this turnaround going.

128. Casey Alexander (Belmont) (Last year: 134)

  • Overall record: 163-127

Alexander was the perfect successor to Rick Byrd when he took over at Belmont this past season. He spent nearly two decades playing and coaching under Byrd before becoming head coach at Stetson and then Lipscomb. He took the Bisons to the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and nearly won the NIT the following season. Belmont shockingly won the OVC Tournament this past season, but Alexander will have to wait to lead his Bruins to an NCAA Tournament.

127. Bob Marlin (Louisiana) (Last year: 123)

  • Overall record: 413-274

Marlin took over at Louisiana in 2010 after 12 years of positive things at Sam Houston State. He’s led his teams to three NCAA Tournaments and has won more than 500 games when you include his junior college success. Louisiana struggled mightily last season, but have been a contender in the Sun Belt on a regular basis under Marlin’s guide, a trend that could soon resume.

126. Nathan Davis (Bucknell) (Last year: 117)

  • Overall record: 103-65

A former Bucknell assistant, Davis returned to the school as head coach in 2015, having led Randolph-Macon to a host of success at the D3 level. He’s already led the Bison to four Patriot League regular-season titles and a pair of NCAA Tournament bids. This past season Bucknell was 14-20 and really scuffled, but Davis’s resume speaks for itself and he should get things back under control for the Bison.

125. Brian Gregory (South Florida) (Last year: 118)

  • Overall record: 296-233

After success at Dayton and frustration at Georgia Tech, Gregory is back as a head coach at South Florida, ready to begin his fourth season with the Bulls. He led them to the CBI title in 2019 but is far from competing on the national stage with this program. He did solid work with Dayton over a decade ago, but a 14-17 mark in 2020 represents a disappointing step in the wrong direction.

124. Ryan Odom (UMBC) (Last year: 111)

  • Overall record: 91-65

Coming off a 15-16 season, some of the luster may be waring off of Odom, but he’s still a hot name in coaching circles. Odom is of course most popular for orchestrating UMBC’s incredible upset of Virginia in 2018, but we’ll have to see if his Retrievers can replicate their success in the America East. Still, Odom’s work with UMBC has thrown that program into the spotlight and he’ll likely find his way to a major conference school someday down the line.

123. Joe Mihalich (Hofstra) (Last year: 124)

  • Overall record: 406-295

After 15 years as head coach at Niagara, Mihalich took over Hofstra in 2013 and has been off to a fantastic start with the Pride. After leading the Purple Eagles to a pair of NCAA Tournaments, he’s looking to replicate that success in the CAA, winning three regular-season titles already. Mihalich won the CAA Tournament this year and is 53-16 these last two seasons; Hofstra is in great hands right now.

122. Randy Rahe (Weber State) (Last year: 106)

  • Overall record: 278-173

After many years as an assistant coach at multiple West Coast schools, Rahe took over Weber State in 2006 and has made a profound impact in the Big Sky. His Wildcats regularly compete for league titles and have made three NCAA Tournaments. Unfortunately, a 12-20 mark this past season was Weber State’s worst performance under Rahe, but they always seem to bounce back after a rough stretch under their longtime coach.

121. LeVelle Moton (North Carolina Central) (Last year: 125)

  • Overall record: 200-126

Moton has been head coach at North Carolina Central since 2009 and is a future star in the coaching world. He’s already led the Eagles to four NCAA Tournaments, including bids in each of the last three. He’s won 75% of MEAC games and has built the conference’s best programs. Every season his teams seem to compete at the right time and have become a complete force in one of the nation’s weakest conferences.

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