ACC Basketball has a history of having some of the top coaches in the industry, and that hasn’t changed in recent time. Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Boeheim are all-time greats, while Tony Bennett and Leonard Hamilton have seen their stock take an upswing since taking over Virginia and Florida State, respectively.
Here is a look at my rankings of the ACC coaches.
15. Hubert Davis, North Carolina
Davis is in his first season as a head coach. While I believe Davis will do a fantastic job on Tobacco Road, he has yet to prove anything besides that he is a fantastic recruiter.
14. Steve Forbes, Wake Forest
A long-time assistant coach, Forbes begins his second year with the Demon Deacons. Wake was 6-16 last year. He is 136-59 in six seasons overall.
13. Jeff Capel, Pittsburgh
Hot seat alert. Capel is undoubtedly a fantastic recruiter, but his problem at Pitt has been keeping the talent. 11 players have left the Panthers’ program since the 46-year-old arrived in Southwestern Pennsylvania, including five this past season. Xavier Johnson, Trey McGowens, Au’Diese Toney are among the players that have departed.
Pitt has yet to post a winning season in any of Capel’s three campaigns, and the Panthers have finished 12th or worse in the ACC each season. Capel is 40-44 during his tenure at Pitt, including 15-38 in conference play.
This year is significant for Capel, but I don’t see it as a make-or-break season since he is under contract until 2027. Capel owns a 202-158 career record.
12. Earl Grant, Boston College
The 44-year-old gets his first chance with a high-major program. Grant comes to Chestnut Hill from the College of Charleston, where he directed the Eagles to six winning seasons in eight years and two postseason appearances, including a berth in the NCAA Tournament (2017-18). He enters his BC tenure with a 127-89 record.