NCAA Basketball rewind: Most impactful coaching hires after 2014 season

9. Dan D’Antoni (Marshall)

Marshall is one of those weird programs that hasn’t been terrible in basketball, but hadn’t made an NCAA Tournament in nearly three decades. They’ve had some great head coaches (Lon Kruger and Billy Donovan stand out) and great players over the years, but have struggled for consistency in the MAC and then Conference USA. Another new hire came to the Thundering Herd in 2014, creating quite the reunion.

Dan D’Antoni starred at point guard for the Thundering Herd in the late 60’s and briefly served on the coaching staff. He then spent three decades as a high school coach in Myrtle Beach. He would later join his brother Mike’s NBA coaching staffs with the Phoenix Suns, and eventually New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. His hiring by Marshall marked a long-awaited return to college ball.

Let’s be clear, D’Antoni didn’t march back to Marshall and make them the next big mid-major super program, but he accomplished what a lot of Thundering Herd coaches couldn’t. In his fourth season, after a steady rebuild, he led Marshall back to the NCAA Tournament and even pulled a first round upset over 4-seed Wichita State. The program won the CIT title the following season and remain consistent in a tough C-USA.