NCAA Basketball: Retrospective look at 2011 offseason coaching hires

10. John Becker (Vermont)

Vermont basketball was largely uninteresting prior to the turn of the century. The Catamounts only made their first NCAA Tournament back in 2003, as the momentum built by longtime coach Tom Brennan turned this into one of the best America East programs. By 2011, that success had continued, but another new coach was needed, as this time it was Mike Lonergan stepping aside after the success.

Their attention was turned to John Becker, a relatively young and inexperienced coach at the time. He had begun his coaching career at Gallaudet before later returning to the basketball world on the staff of Catholic, his alma mater. He got his first D1 experience when he joined the Vermont staff just five years earlier, working his way up to Lonergan’s top assistant.

In the ten years since taking over, Becker has made Vermont an even more successful program. He’s led the Catamounts to six regular-season titles, three NCAA Tournaments, and a bevy of postseason bids. His Vermont squad has won just under 83% of conference games, with at least 20 wins in every full season since he took over. Becker shows no signs of slowing down, meaning Vermont should continue to run the America East.