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

350. Lance Irvin (Chicago State) (Last year: 346)

• Overall record: 7-54

Irvin is facing a tough task head-on with the Cougars, but he had quite an eventful coaching career before settling in Chicago. A former assistant at schools like Iowa State, Texas A&M, and Missouri, he took his first head coaching job with the Cougars and sits at 0-30 in WAC play. Irvin’s a solid coach, but the task of fixing this program might be too much for any coach to handle, even in a league like the WAC.

349. Jason Crafton (Maryland-Eastern Shore) (Last year: 348)

• Overall record: 5-27

Crafton’s D1 head coaching career got started with a 5-win campaign last season, meaning there’s plenty of room for growth. The former Navy and G-League assistant struggled as head coach at D2 Nyack, his alma mater, but perhaps there are promising things on the horizon in a very winnable MEAC.

348. Brad Korn (Southeast Missouri State) (Last year: N/A)

• Overall record: 0-0

Having spent the last twenty years as a player and assistant in college basketball, Korn was more than ready for his first shot as head coach, even if it’s coming in a difficult place. The recent Kansas State assistant takes over a Redhawks program with very limited success at the D1 level. After success on a Big 12 bench, it’ll be interesting to see how he can recruit to this struggling OVC program.

347. Brian Barone (SIU-Edwardsville) (Last year: 352)

• Overall record: 8-23

Winning eight games in his first season, Barone didn’t do bad and even got the interim tag removed. He’s worked formerly on the staffs of coaches like Tom Crean and Porter Moser, but it’s all on him to introduce Edwardsville to their first success since joining D1 just over a decade ago. Eight wins is a solid start, but there’s work to be done.

346. Quinton Ferrell (Presbyterian) (Last year: 349)

• Overall record: 10-22

Ferrell took his first head coaching job last season at his alma mater and led them to 10 wins. He returned home after spending five seasons on staff at the College of Charleston, no doubt wanting his Blue Hose to experience that similar level of success. He’s rebuilding after the program’s best season at D1 in 2019, but can he be the guy to lead Presbyterian to the NCAA Tournament for the first time?

345. Dylan Howard (Alabama A&M) (Last year: 344)

• Overall record: 13-49

While the record seems disappointing, Howard did actually improve the Bulldogs this past season. Their eight wins mark a three-game improvement, and the former junior college head coach is certainly trending in the right direction. Alabama A&M hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2005, though finishing in the upper half of the conference might be a more reachable goal for Howard moving forward.

344. Steve Smiley (Northern Colorado) (Last year: N/A)

• Overall record: 0-0

As Jeff Linder departed for Wyoming, Smiley took over the Bears head coaching job after four seasons on Linder’s staff. He’s a former junior college head coach and also appeared in the NCAA Tournament on Weber State’s coaching staff earlier in the decade. The pieces are in place to take Northern Colorado to the next level in the coming years, but can Smiley pick up where Linder left off?

343. Brett Nelson (Holy Cross) (Last year: 337)

• Overall record: 3-29

Last season was a major rebuilding effort for Nelson. The former Marquette assistant took over the program last year but it’s far too early to tell how successful he’ll be as a head coach. He certainly paid his dues as a collegiate assistant, and his work on the recruiting trail in the coming years will be a major indicator of Holy Cross’s future success.

342. Zac Claus (Idaho) (Last year: 350)

• Overall record: 8-24

Idaho improved by three wins in Claus’s first season leading the program, taking over after Don Verlin was fired for NCAA violations. Claus has spent nearly two decades as a west coast assistant, including a full decade at Nevada. It’s probably too early to tell how things will go with the Vandals moving forward, but Claus certainly seems up to the job; Idaho removed the interim tag late this past season.

341. Eric Skeeters (Delaware State) (Last year: 335)

• Overall record: 12-51

It certainly isn’t easy to win in the MEAC and it’s no easy task at Delaware State. Skeeters won just six games in each of his first two seasons with the Hornets after a long assistant coaching career. His career highlight is likely his role in UMBC’s upset of Virginia, but something like that can only carry you so far. The former ACC and Big East assistant needs to get the Hornets out of the MEAC basement.

340. Carson Cunningham (Incarnate Word) (Last year: 340)

• Overall record: 14-57

While they’ve yet to seriously compete in the Southland, Cunningham is making some strides early on with Incarnate Word. His second season saw a 5-game improvement in conference play, though just 15 wins in two seasons is clearly a slow start any way you look at it. Cunningham succeeded at Carroll, an NAIA school in Montana, but can he do it at Incarnate Word, a relatively fresh D1 program?

339. Jon Judkins (Dixie State) (Last year: N/A)

• Overall record: 0-0

As Dixie State transitions to D1 basketball, Judkins also prepares for quite a transition. He already has nearly three decades as a collegiate head coach, spending the last 15 years building some great success at the D2 level with the Trailblazers. Judkins could jolt up this list if Dixie State quickly transitions into the WAC, though it’s impossible to know how things will go for this program.

338. Ryan Looney (Idaho State) (Last year: 345)

• Overall record: 8-22

After leading Point Loma to the D2 title game in 2019, Looney joined D1 with Idaho State, winning eight games in his first season with the Bengals. With nearly two decades of head coaching experience, Looney is no stranger to taking over and running a program, but he has his work cut out for him, as the Big Sky is much different than the level of competition he’s used to at lower-level colleges.

337. Greg Paulus (Niagara) (Last year: 351)

• Overall record: 12-20

A wild tumultuous coaching career has led Paulus to become Niagara’s head man, and a 12-20 start is actually pretty solid. The former Duke guard spent time on the staffs of Ohio State and Louisville before suddenly taking the Niagara job just before this previous season began. Paulus is a talented young coach and will certainly have his eyes on getting the Purple Eagles back into regular MAAC contention.

336. Scott Davenport (Bellarmine) (Last year: N/A)

• Overall record: 0-0

Davenport took over at Bellarmine in 2005, though this will be the Knights’ debut at the D1 level. Davenport was previously an assistant under Denny Crum and Rick Pitino at Louisville and is certainly ready for college basketball’s biggest stage. His Knights won the 2011 D2 national title and has been a powerhouse program for the last decade, but how will they handle the transition?

335. Richard Barron (Maine) (Last year: 341)

• Overall record: 14-49

A longtime women’s college coach, Barron prepares for year three leading the Black Bears men’s team, having spent six years in charge of the women’s program. A four-win improvement is a good start, though Maine seems ensconced in the basement of the America East. There’s plenty of work ahead for Barron to compete in this league.

334. Clayton Bates (Western Michigan) (Last year: N/A)

• Overall record: 0-0

It seemed almost inevitable that Bates would take over as Western Michigan’s head coach, having spent 17 nonconsecutive years on the coaching staff. That long marriage began after playing and coaching under Lon Kruger, but Kalamazoo became home for Bates, taking over for the retiring Steve Hawkins. The Broncos have struggled the last few seasons, leaving Bates with the important task of turning things around and making them a MAC contender again.

333. Donyell Marshall (Central Connecticut) (Last year: 323)

• Overall record: 35-88

Another relatively young head coach with a long NBA career in his pocket, Marshall has struggled with the Blue Devils, bottoming out with a 4-27 campaign this past year. Progress seems stagnant, though perhaps with some new recruits Central Connecticut can turn things around. If the Blue Devils don’t make a marked improvement, I’d imagine Marshall will find himself on the hot seat very soon.

332. David Kiefer (Southeastern Louisiana) (Last year: 333)

• Overall record: 8-23

After four years on staff, Kiefer took over as head coach this past season when predecessor Jay Ladner moved on to Southern Miss. Kiefer’s first season as a head coach became an 8-win campaign, which means there’s still plenty of work in the coming months and years. It’s too early to judge the Kansas State grad; we’ll have to see how he does when he builds his own roster for the Lions.

331. Amir Abdur-Rahim (Kennesaw State) (Last year: 325)

• Overall record: 1-28

Abdur-Rahim falls slightly in the rankings due solely to a 1-28 debut with Kennesaw State. He’s a fantastic recruiter who just spent five years in the SEC, but it’ll take time to bring that talent to the Owls. Abdur-Rahim could be a hot name in coaching circles if he can be the man to turn things around, something his predecessor, former Boston College coach Al Skinner, could not accomplish.