NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season
By Joey Loose
70. Brian Dutcher (San Diego State) (Last year: 112)
- Overall record: 73-26
Dutcher drastically rose his stock last season when he led the Aztecs to an impressive 30-2 season, winning their first 26 games. He had previously spent nearly three decades as an assistant under Steve Fisher, including during Michigan’s lone national title in 1989. He waited patiently for his chance to run a program and is taking full advantage, setting up the Aztecs as the top program in the Mountain West going forward.
69. Cuonzo Martin (Missouri) (Last year: 55)
- Overall record: 236-167
A former Purdue player and assistant, Martin has spent 3 years apiece leading Missouri State, Tennessee, California, and Missouri. He took the Volunteers to the Sweet Sixteen and put together some fantastic teams in California, but has really struggled since joining the Tigers. Missouri won just 15 games each of the last two seasons and seems to be sinking in a tough SEC.
68. Matt McMahon (Murray State) (Last year: 73)
- Overall record: 110-51
McMahon’s head coaching career began five seasons ago with Murray State but he’s already accomplished quite a bit with the school. He found a gem in Ja Morant and made a pair of NCAA Tournaments, including an upset win over Marquette. Last season, he managed to win another OVC regular-season title, even with Morant in the NBA. McMahon is a young coach on the rise who is capable of pulling off great things at a power conference school one day.
67. Steve Forbes (Wake Forest) (Last year: 96)
- Overall record: 130-43
Forbes takes over at Wake Forest this year after phenomenal success in five years at East Tennessee State. The former junior college coach and Gregg Marshall assistant built immediate success with the Buccaneers, including a pair of SoCon Tournament titles and a 71-19 mark in conference play. Wake Forest is a much tougher gig, but Forbes’ work in recent years has been remarkable, to say the least.
66. Craig Smith (Utah State) (Last year: 75)
- Overall record: 133-70
After several years assisting Tim Miles, Smith has broken out as a head coach on his own, starting with four solid years leading South Dakota. Since joining Utah State two seasons ago, the results have been amazing, with a 54-15 mark and a pair of Mountain West Tournament titles. Smith’s work has been inspiring, quickly turning around a Utah State program that was flailing before his arrival and has set himself and the Aggies up well for the future.
65. Larry Krystkowiak (Utah) (Last year: 61)
- Overall record: 213-146
A former NBA center and head coach, Krystkowiak led Montana to a pair of NCAA Tournaments before eventually landing at Utah in 2011. He took on the tough task of transitioning the Utes to the Pac-12 and has done so successfully, leading the program to a Sweet Sixteen in 2015. While Utah doesn’t stand out in recent memory, they have finished in the top 4 of the conference in five of the last six years, though last season was a bit of a bummer.
64. Steve Wojciechowski (Marquette) (Last year: 60)
- Overall record: 115-81
Another longtime former Duke player and assistant coach, Wojciechowski got his shot running a program six years ago when he landed at Marquette. His time with the Golden Eagles has been up and down. He’s led Marquette to a pair of NCAA Tournaments but could have done more with Markus Howard and plenty of other talent on the roster. His team tied for 6th in the Big East last season; we’ll have to see how they fare in the immediate future.
63. Josh Pastner (Georgia Tech) (Last year: 57)
- Overall record: 232-140
Pastner, a former player and assistant under Lute Olson at Arizona, has had an interesting coaching career, to say the least. He succeeded John Calipari at Memphis, leading the Tigers to four NCAA Tournaments but not really living up to his predecessor. He’s been at Georgia Tech since 2016, leading the Yellow Jackets to a 5th place finish in the ACC this past season, albeit during a postseason ban. If Georgia Tech hasn’t been a contender during his first four seasons, then when will it happen?
62. Ben Jacobson (Northern Iowa) (Last year: 65)
- Overall record: 291-174
Jacobson’s work at Northern Iowa has been admirable, and he’s led the Panthers since 2006. His finest moment came in 2010, leading the Panthers to the Sweet Sixteen with that epic win over top-seeded Kansas. In total, he’s racked up four NCAA Tournament wins in four trips. With Creighton and Wichita State long gone from the MVC, and coming off a regular-season crown, perhaps Northern Iowa can build some momentum and take over the top of the conference again.
61. Kevin Willard (Seton Hall) (Last year: 71)
- Overall record: 236-186
After assisting Rick Pitino for a decade to begin his career, he put in three solid years leading Iona before Seton Hall hired him in 2010. Under Willard’s guide, Seton Hall has once again become a national contender and would’ve made it five straight NCAA Tournaments had the most recent one not been canceled. We’ll see how Willard replaces Myles Powell on this roster moving forward, though it’s certainly hard to fault the job he’s done with the program.