Busting Brackets
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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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CHAMPAIGN, IL – FEBRUARY 24: Head coach Fred Hoiberg of the Nebraska Cornhuskers (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – FEBRUARY 24: Head coach Fred Hoiberg of the Nebraska Cornhuskers (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

50. Brad Brownell (Clemson) (Last year: 49)

  • Overall record: 352-227

Brownell formerly led both UNC Wilmington and Wright State to the NCAA Tournament before Clemson hired him in 2010. His tenure with the Tigers has been up and down, though fruitful in most recent times. He took Clemson to the Sweet Sixteen back in 2018. His team finished 9th this past season in the ACC and will look to bounce back in the near future and compete for postseason glory again.

49. Kermit Davis (Mississippi) (Last year: 54)

  • Overall record: 438-268

Long before Davis succeeded at Middle Tennessee, he was formerly the head coach at Idaho and Texas A&M and a pretty good assistant as well. He took the Blue Raiders to back-to-back first-round upsets, including their shocking win over 2-seed Michigan State in 2016. He landed in the SEC two seasons ago and made a surprising impact in year one, leading the Rebels to the NCAA Tournament. Last season was a step back, but what will the future hold?

48. Mike White (Florida) (Last year: 37)

  • Overall record: 209-105

Expectations were high for White when he took the Florida job in 2015, coming after four solid years at Louisiana Tech. He took the Gators to the Elite Eight in his second season, but the last few years have been less fruitful. This past season, his highly touted roster struggled, finishing just 4th in the SEC, and White will have to do a better job managing talent and expectations in the near future.

47. Dan Hurley (Connecticut) (Last year: 50)

  • Overall record: 186-134

Hurley took over at Connecticut in 2018 and now leads the program back to the Big East. He spent two seasons building success at Wagner before putting Rhode Island back on the map as their head coach. He’s still looking for that turnaround success with the Huskies but did show modest improvement in his first two seasons at the helm. Watch out for UConn if Hurley keeps recruiting at a high level.

46. Nate Oats (Alabama) (Last year: 51)

  • Overall record: 112-58

Oats landed at Alabama last season after a highly successful four-year stint leading Buffalo. He took the Bulls to a pair of NCAA Tournament opening-round victories, the first two in program history, before jumping ship for the SEC. His Crimson Tide may have been just 16-15 last season, but with the recruitment battles Oats is winning, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them competing for conference titles in a few years.

45. Fred Hoiberg (Nebraska) (Last year: 36)

  • Overall record: 122-81

It’s hard to blame Hoiberg for Nebraska’s struggles in his initial season, but the former head coach of Iowa State and the Chicago Bulls is in the midst of a serious rebuild. He took his alma mater to four NCAA Tournaments in five years before returning to the NBA, but Nebraska is a certain project. The Big Ten was extremely tough this season while Nebraska rebuilt and wallowed in the basement. Things could turn around in a few years as Hoiberg brings in new bodies; he already turned around Iowa State after all.

44. Steve Prohm (Iowa State) (Last year: 38)

  • Overall record: 199-102

Prohm landed at Iowa State when Hoiberg left for the NBA, arriving with four very solid years at Murray State in his pocket. He’s led the Cyclones to three NCAA Tournaments, though it’s been an up and down affair. This past season, Iowa State struggled to a 12-20 record, putting more pressure on Prohm moving forward.

43. Tubby Smith (High Point) (Last year: 39)

  • Overall record: 622-340
  • Final Four in 1998
  • National championship in 1998

It’s rare to see a coach with Smith’s resume in a league like the Big South, but he returned to his alma mater as head coach two seasons ago. Smith won a national title at Kentucky, while also coaching at Tulsa, Georgia, Minnesota, Texas Tech, and Memphis. His initial season with the Panthers was good, but they finished just 9-23 last season. Smith needs a turnaround as his program flails in a winnable Big South.

42. Randy Bennett (Saint Mary’s) (Last year: 48)

  • Overall record: 440-182

Bennett’s work at Saint Mary’s has been legendary since arriving at the school in 2001. Rebuffing chances to join bigger programs, he’s turned the Gaels into one of the premiere mid-majors on the West Coast. In a conference where Gonzaga is always in the NCAA Tournament, Bennett has led Saint Mary’s to seven bids of their own, highlight by a Sweet Sixteen run in 2010. They’ve won 70% of WCC games under Bennett’s watch and will continue to contend nationally as long as he remains.

41. Fran McCaffery (Iowa) (Last year: 43)

  • Overall record: 445-320

McCaffery has certainly found a home with Iowa, having previously spent stints leading Lehigh, UNC Greensboro, and Siena. He led those Saints to a pair of NCAA Tournament victories, but his finest work may have come with these Hawkeyes. They’ve been a contender in the Big Ten and look to do significant damage next season with the return of Luka Garza.

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