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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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NEW YORK, NY – March 11: Head coach Patrick Ewing of the Georgetown Hoyas (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – March 11: Head coach Patrick Ewing of the Georgetown Hoyas (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images) /

120. Tim Jankovich (SMU) (Last year: 95)

  • Overall record: 247-170

Jankovich has bounced around a lot more than the average coach, having spent time leading North Texas and Illinois State as well as numerous assistant coaching stops. The former assistant to Bill Self, Eddie Sutton, and Larry Brown has struggled to run this SMU program, barely contending in the AAC since a 30-win debut in 2017. There are no more of Brown’s players on this roster and we’ll see if Jankovich can coach the Mustangs back towards success.

119. Chris Collins (Northwestern) (Last year: 92)

  • Overall record: 109-119

After playing and coaching under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, Collins took over at Northwestern in 2013 and did the impossible. He led the Wildcats to their first NCAA Tournament appearance and victory in 2017, but it’s been rough ever since. Northwestern was just 8-22 last season and has been horrible in Big Ten play recently. Northwestern is one of the hardest jobs, but Collins should be doing better than the last few seasons.

118. Travis DeCuire (Montana) (Last year: 110)

  • Overall record: 127-71

DeCuire returned to his alma mater for his first head coaching job in 2014 and has done his part to keep Montana in fantastic shape. He’s led Montana to each of the last two NCAA Tournaments, winning three total Big Sky regular-season titles. He’s won greater than 75% of Big Sky games, and even after last year’s 3rd place finish still has the Grizzlies in contention for years to come in this league. Don’t be shocked by DeCuire getting some looks for bigger jobs one day soon.

117. Patrick Ewing (Georgetown) (Last year: 81)

  • Overall record: 49-46

Ewing was a legend as a player at Georgetown and in the NBA, returning to the Hoyas as their head coach in 2017. A longtime former NBA assistant, the Hoyas haven’t exactly broken out under Ewing’s leadership, sitting at just 19-35 in Big East play. He’s brought talent to Georgetown, but significant roster turnover and coaching questions have the Hoyas’ future looking not as bright as it once was.

116. Wes Miller (UNC Greensboro) (Last year: 151)

  • Overall record: 164-126

UNC Greensboro has made major strides since Miller took over the program in December 2011. He quickly shed the interim tag and has built a potent mid-major power these last few seasons. Since 2016, the Spartans are 104-34, have an NCAA Tournament appearance and a pair of NIT runs. Miller won a championship as a player at North Carolina and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him coaching at the power conference level one day soon.

115. Steve Pikiell (Rutgers) (Last year: 136)

  • Overall record: 256-221

A former point guard at UConn under Jim Calhoun, Pikiell has put together quite a successful coaching career. Before joining Rutgers, he spent 11 solid years leading Stony Brook, dominating the America East in his final few seasons. This past season, he led the Scarlet Knights to a phenomenal turnaround, finishing 5th in a talented Big Ten in one of the season’s most impressive coaching performances.

114. Mark Schmidt (St. Bonaventure) (Last year: 115)

  • Overall record: 311-270

After six years leading Robert Morris, Schmidt took over St. Bonaventure in 2007 and is responsible for a great turnaround for the Bonnies program during his tenure. St. Bonaventure has made a pair of NCAA Tournaments and has finished top 5 in a tough A-10 in each of the last five seasons. Schmidt has the Bonnies built for continued success; we’ll see how they measure up moving forward in their tough league.

113. Leon Rice (Boise State) (Last year: 116)

  • Overall record: 198-128

A longtime former assistant at Gonzaga, Rice has done solid work since taking over Boise State back in 2010. He’s taken the Broncos to a pair of NCAA Tournaments even without yet winning a Mountain West Tournament title. He got the program back on track this season with a 20-win campaign, but it’s a steep climb to the top of this talented league, though Boise State has been a steady contender on Rice’s watch.

112. Mark Gottfried (Cal State Northridge) (Last year: 108)

  • Overall record: 429-279

Gottfried has 11 NCAA Tournaments on his resume but faces the hard task of replicating that success in Northridge. He previously led Alabama to the Elite Eight and NC State to a pair of Sweet Sixteens, but it wasn’t enough for him to keep those jobs. His Matadors did improve in his second year in Northridge, tying for 2nd place in the Big West, but there’s still work ahead to get this program back to the NCAA Tournament.

111. Ritchie McKay (Liberty) (Last year: 128)

  • Overall record: 295-216

McKay’s long coaching career has taken him all over the country, including a stint on Tony Bennett’s staff at Virginia. The former head coach at Portland State, Colorado State, Oregon State, and New Mexico is doing his finest work with the Flames, leading them to 59 wins and a pair of A-Sun Tournament titles these past two seasons, punctuated by 2019’s upset of 5-seed Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament.

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