NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 357 D-I head coaches for 2020-21 season
By Joey Loose
30. Mick Cronin (UCLA) (Last year: 30)
- Overall record: 384-183
After thirteen solid years at Cincinnati, it was a bit of a surprise when Cronin took the UCLA job last season. He led the Bearcats to nine straight NCAA Tournaments, but his 6-9 mark in the Tournament won’t fly with the Bruins. In his first season, he won 19 games and led UCLA to a 2nd place finish in the Pac-12, a decent enough start for Cronin as he looks to build success on the West Coast.
29. Mark Turgeon (Maryland) (Last year: 32)
- Overall record: 454-258
Turgeon has led a successful coaching career that started over two decades ago leading Jacksonville State. He later took Wichita State to the Sweet Sixteen and Texas A&M to solid success before arriving at Maryland in 2011. Under his guidance, the Terrapins have joined the Big Ten and done fantastic work to contend in their new league, tying for the conference title this past season. He’s put together some very solid rosters and could have had a real contender this previous postseason.
28. Kelvin Sampson (Houston) (Last year: 25)
- Overall record: 564-287
- Final Four in 2002
Even after a recruiting scandal nosedived his success at Indiana, Sampson has certainly bounced back with the Cougars these last few seasons. Sampson was successful at Washington State and led Oklahoma to a Final Four, but has built what’s become the best program in the AAC these last few seasons. Houston finished atop the AAC for the second straight season and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in 2019.
27. Jim Larranaga (Miami FL) (Last year: 21)
- Overall record: 632-422
- Final Four in 2006
Larranaga is entering his 35th year as a D1 head coach, arriving at Miami back in 2011. After a long tenure with Bowling Green, he grew famous for leading 11-seed George Mason to the Final Four back in 2006. Larranaga has taken the Hurricanes to a pair of Sweet Sixteens, while his 2013 won the ACC outright. These last few seasons have been a struggle, but perhaps Larranaga will get things back on track as his career nears its end.
26. Chris Holtmann (Ohio State) (Last year: 24)
- Overall record: 180-119
Ten years ago, Holtmann was named head coach at Gardner-Webb but has quickly risen through the coaching ranks ever since. He took Butler to a trio of NCAA Tournaments before accepting the Ohio State job in 2017. His Buckeyes fishing 2nd in the Big Ten in his first season and have done a solid job continuing to compete in the conference. Holtmann led Butler to a Sweet Sixteen back in 2017 and we’ll have to see if he can do the same (or better) with the Buckeyes in the coming years.
25. Gregg Marshall (Wichita State) (Last year: 23)
- Overall record: 525-204
- Final Four in 2013
Despite not coaching at a power conference school, Marshall is certainly one of the nation’s best basketball coaches. He took Winthrop to seven NCAA Tournaments in nine years before landing in Wichita in 2007. The success with the Shockers has been fantastic, with the Final Four in 2013 the clearest highlight. Wichita State has since moved to the AAC and has been a solid competitor in the tougher league since day one.
24. Mike Brey (Notre Dame) (Last year: 20)
- Overall record: 536-285
Perhaps the most successful member of Mike Krzyzewski’s coaching tree, Brey took over at Notre Dame in 2000 after five decent years honing his craft at Delaware. He took the Fighting Irish to a pair of Elite Eights and has been successful in both the Big East and ACC. After struggling in 2019, his Notre Dame team was in better shape last season, though Brey will have his eyes on a bigger prize, even with stark competition for an ACC crown.
23. Jamie Dixon (TCU) (Last year: 18)
- Overall record: 412-180
Dixon spent 13 successful years leading Pittsburgh before returning home to TCU four years ago. After great success with the Panthers, he led his Horned Frogs to an NIT title and a long-awaited return to the NCAA Tournament. While TCU has yet to finish higher than 5th in the Big 12, Dixon has accomplished much greater things for this program than anyone in recent memory, especially in a tough, competitive league like the Big 12.
22. Leonard Hamilton (Florida State) (Last year: 26)
- Overall record: 582-431
Long ago, Hamilton served as head coach at Oklahoma State, Miami, and the Washington Wizards, but his finest work has come at Florida State. He’s put together 18 great years with the Seminoles, especially in recent years. He took this program to the Elite Eight in 2018 and won the ACC regular-season title this past season. With a slew of fantastic teams in this conference, Florida State has stood out in recent years and Hamilton is a major reason for this burst of success.
21. Bruce Weber (Kansas State) (Last year: 19)
- Overall record: 474-265
- Final Four in 2005
Weber is best known for leading Illinois to the national title game in 2005, while previously having great success with Southern Illinois. Since arriving at Kansas State eight years ago, he has led the Wildcats to five NCAA Tournaments, including that Elite Eight run back in 2018. However, this past season was an 11-21 train wreck, paired with a last-place finish in the Big 12. Will Weber turn things around this season?