NCAA Basketball: UNC, Kansas among top head coaching hires from 2003

7. Mick Cronin (Murray State)

It’s been pretty clear for at least the last three decades that Murray State is the best program in the OVC. Much of the coaching turnover for the Racers have been a result of that success, leading some of these coaches onto better jobs at different programs. As Tevester Anderson moved on in 2003, the Racers were again looking for new blood and this time landed one of the very best coaches in their history.

Mick Cronin was not a well-known name in the coaching world in 2003, though his first decade of coaching experience had been nothing short of interesting. Cronin won a bunch of games as a high school before joining Bob Huggins’ staff at Cincinnati, his alma mater. Before Murray State came calling, Cronin spent two years with Rick Pitino at Louisville and was more than ready to lead his own program.

In three seasons with the Racers, Cronin had great success. He won more than 80% of their OVC games and led Murray State to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. Their 28 wins in his debut season were just shy of a program record, and it’s clear that Cronin got the most out of this program in his three years before departing for Cincinnati.