NCAA Basketball: Purdue, Vols with head coaching hires from the year 2005

4. Fran McCaffery (Siena)

Though an NCAA Tournament team just three years earlier, Siena had fallen on hard times in recent years. A solid enough mid-major that had produced a handful of successful head coaches, the Saints were just 6-24 in 2005 and a new head coach was needed to turn things around. We’re pretty sure the new coach exceeded expectations.

Fran McCaffery had extensive experience as both head coach and as an assistant. In addition to stints at Penn and Lehigh, he spent more than a decade on staff at Notre Dame. McCaffery spent time as head coach of both Lehigh and UNC Greensboro, leading both programs to the NCAA Tournament. He had worked for six years at Greensboro when Siena came calling in 2005.

For five years, McCaffery led the Saints program. He won at least 20 games in his last four seasons, led the Saints to three straight NCAA Tournaments, and actually pulled off opening round Tourney wins in both 2008 and 2009. McCaffery transformed Siena into the best program in the MAAC and one of the very best mid-majors in the country during his final few seasons. After that fifth season, McCaffery departed for Iowa (he’s done solid there) whereas Siena isn’t exactly a program of world-beaters anymore.