NCAA Basketball rewind: Most impactful coaching hires after 2014 season

6. Kevin Keatts (UNC Wilmington)

At the beginning of the century, UNC Wilmington was a pretty solid mid-major program, having experienced a ton of success under former coaches Jerry Wainwright and Brad Brownell, who both wound up at power conference schools. The last decade or so had been less successful for the Seahawks, who had finished under .500 for six straight years come 2014. Suffice to say, they needed a new head coach who could turn things around.

Kevin Keatts turned out to be the answer to their prayers. His previous head coaching experience had come in two stints at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia. He had spent time at the collegiate level on the coaching staffs of Marshall and Louisville, having spent the last three seasons on Rick Pitino’s staff. Keatts was on staff as the Cardinals won the title in 2013; it was time for him to run his own ship.

Keatts’ impact at UNC Wilmington was immediate and profound, as he turned around the Seahawks program from the moment he stepped foot on campus. The Seahawks finished atop the CAA standings in his first season and would repeat the feat in each of his three seasons. He led the program to back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids, winning at least 25 games in both seasons. Keatts proved himself and took on the NC State in 2017 while UNC Wilmington faltered once more following his departure.