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NCAA Basketball: Top 10 impact head coaching hires from 2008 offseason

By Joey Loose

BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 30: Tom Crean the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers points up to the student section following the 76-67 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels at Assembly Hall on November 30, 2016 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 30: Tom Crean the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers points up to the student section following the 76-67 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels at Assembly Hall on November 30, 2016 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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NCAA Basketball Bob Hoffman Mercer Bears (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
NCAA Basketball Bob Hoffman Mercer Bears (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

7. Bob Hoffman (Mercer)

Mercer had made a few NCAA Tournaments back in the 1980’s, but there hadn’t been too much to celebrate in recent years. Under .500 each of the last three seasons, the Bears needed new blood to turn things around and make this program finally competitive at the top of the Atlantic Sun.

Bob Hoffman had plenty of experience already by 2008. He was a former head coach at the high school level, collegiate (for both men and women), and professional levels. He had recently spent a pair of seasons on staff at Oklahoma and had five years of D1 head coaching experience at Texas-Pan American. With lots of experience, he returned to collegiate coaching, leaving behind his job as an NBA G-League head coach.

Mercer played much better basketball under Hoffman, starting soon after his arrival. In his fourth season, the Bears won the CIT championship and won the regular season A-Sun title the following year. It was the 2014 team that made headlines, finally returning to the NCAA Tournament and upsetting 3-seed Duke in the opening round. Mercer was very successful during Hoffman’s 11 seasons, but a disappointing final season led to his exit.

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