NCAA Basketball: Top 10 impact head coaching hires from 2006

By Joey Loose | Jun 7, 2021

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 01: Head coach Mick Cronin of the Cincinnati Bearcats gestures to his players during their game against the UNLV Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center on December 01, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bearcats defeated the Rebels 65-61. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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NCAA Basketball Mick Cronin Cincinnati Bearcats (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

1. Mick Cronin (Cincinnati)

Bob Huggins produced some very high-quality basketball during his time at Cincinnati, but his time with the Bearcats came to a bitter end. After previously mentioned Andy Kennedy spent a year as the interim, Cincinnati was on the look for their next leader in 2006.

Mick Cronin was certainly the answer. He had previous experience with the Bearcats, having spent five years on Huggins’ staff, while also spending time as an assistant at Louisville. In his first head coaching job, he led Murray State to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in three seasons, proving he was ready for the bigger stage.

Cronin slowly rebuilt Cincinnati back into a Tournament team, leading the Bearcats to nine straight Tourney appearances. They were competitive in the Big East before becoming the best program in the early days of the AAC, winning a pair of conference titles. That consistency and success led Cronin to taking the UCLA job in 2019, though he clearly built up something brilliant with the Bearcats before his exit.

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We’ve completed our deep look at the best coaching hires from 2006; but which of these do you think was the best hire?

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