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NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 68 head coaches in 2021 NCAA Tournament

By Joey Loose

Dec 26, 2020; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few(left) speakes with Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett before the game at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 26, 2020; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few(left) speakes with Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett before the game at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Alabama head coach Nate Oats NCAA Basketball Nas Sec Lsu Ala 051
Alabama head coach Nate Oats NCAA Basketball Nas Sec Lsu Ala 051 /

24. Eric Musselman (Arkansas)

3 NCAA Tournaments (2-3)

Musselman picked up a bevy of coaching experience long before getting his first collegiate head coaching job at Nevada. A former NBA head coach, he built four impressive seasons with the Wolf Pack before heading to Arkansas in 2019. Since his arrival, he’s produced a transformative effort with the Razorbacks, leading the team to a 2nd place finish in the SEC in his second season. If he stays long-term, this could become one of the perennial contenders in the conference.

23. Nate Oats (Alabama)

3 NCAA Tournaments (2-3)

Less than a decade ago, Oats was a high school coach in Michigan. It was just two seasons ago that he led Buffalo to a historic season and their second straight NCAA Tournament opening-round win. He departed soon after for the Crimson Tide and the results have been immediate, winning the SEC Tournament and regular-season title in just his second season in Tuscaloosa. There could be some fantastically bright days ahead for Oats and Alabama if he can keep this momentum up.

22. Brad Underwood (Illinois)

4 NCAA Tournaments (2-4)

In a short amount of time, Underwood has become a star in the coaching ranks. Less than a decade ago he was an assistant on Frank Martin’s bench and now he’s leading a third different team to the Big Dance. The man who pulled a pair of opening-round upsets with Stephen F. Austin has built one fantastic Illinois team this season, winning the program’s first Big Ten Championship in sixteen years; perhaps more history is on the horizon.

21. Shaka Smart (Texas)

7 NCAA Tournaments (7-7)

There were certainly rumblings that the end had come for Smart at Texas, with the results largely disappointing since his hiring in 2015. He took VCU to a Final Four and a flurry of Tournament bids but just hadn’t turned Texas into a successful program. This season, he’s led the Longhorns as high as #4 in the nation and won the first Big 12 Tournament title in program history. One season doesn’t absolutely change everything unless of course, Texas catches fire in the NCAA Tournament.

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