NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 358 D-I head coaches for 2021-22 season
By Joey Loose
200. Billy Donlon (Kansas City) (Last year: 192)
- Overall record: 136-121
Donlon enters year three at Kansas City, his second head coaching position, hoping it ends better than his first. A former assistant at several schools, he ascended to the top job at Wright State, but couldn’t lead the Raiders into the NCAA Tournament, despite six pretty successful years in the Horizon League. He’s transitioning this Kansas City program, not only trying to instill a winning culture but adjusting to the Summit League, though a 27-27 mark through two years isn’t a terrible start.
199. Jim Hayford (Seattle) (Last year: 205)
- Overall record: 170-146
A winner throughout his coaching career, Hayford enters his fifth year at Seattle hoping to match some of his past success. He spent a decade at Whitworth, leading them to a flurry of D3 Tournament appearances and wins. Six years at Eastern Washington followed, including a bid to the 2015 NCAA Tournament. He’s taken the Redhawks to a pair of postseason bids but has still yet to build them into a top-tier team in a WAC mostly dominated by other schools.
198. Dan Muller (Illinois State) (Last year: 166)
- Overall record: 156-135
Several years back, it looked like Muller was the perfect head coach for Illinois State, but things can change in a hurry. He starred for the Redbirds back in the 90’s and helped lead them to their most recent Tourney appearance as a player. After more than a decade on staff at Vanderbilt under Kevin Stallings, he returned home. His first few seasons were great, with postseason bids and a remarkable 28-win campaign in 2017, but the last two years have been a disaster, taking up the basement in the MVC.
197. Stan Johnson (Loyola Marymount) (Last year: 319)
- Overall record: 13-9
A longtime collegiate assistant, Johnson got his head coaching career off to quite a start last season. After years on staff at places like Utah, Arizona State, and Marquette, Johnson returned west to take over a Loyola Marymount program that has really struggled in recent years. In his first season, he led the Lions to a 3rd place finish in a very tough WCC, a remarkable feat that sets up the program well for the future.
196. Drew Valentine (Loyola Chicago) (Last year: N/A)
- Overall record: 0-0
It’s hard to know what to do with a new head coach, especially as Valentine takes over an incredible mid-major program in Loyola. A former player and assistant at Oakland, he joined Porter Moser’s staff in 2017, helping the program to a Final Four in 2018 and a Sweet Sixteen run this past season. Valentine’s six years as a full-time assistant make him relatively inexperienced, but he helped build this Ramblers team and could launch up this list with immediate success.
195. John Gallagher (Hartford) (Last year: 221)
- Overall record: 157-187
It’s been a long journey for Gallagher and it really paid off this past season. He’s been in coaching for over two decades, winding up with the Hartford job back in 2010. There have been ups and downs as he’s slowly built these Hawks into an America East contender, finally leading them to the NCAA Tournament last season. Now, with Hartford looking to drop from D1 athletics, you have to wonder how much longer Gallagher will stick with these Hawks.
194. King Rice (Monmouth) (Last year: 207)
- Overall record: 161-154
Rice played point guard under Dean Smith at North Carolina long before his coaching career began in the early 90’s. He’s been an assistant at a few great schools, ending with a five-year stint on staff at Vanderbilt. Monmouth hired him in 2011 and he’s led them to a number of solid seasons, with a pair of NIT bids and three MAAC regular-season titles, including last year. Still, Rice hunts for that first NCAA Tournament appearance.
193. Justin Hutson (Fresno State) (Last year: 195)
- Overall record: 46-40
After much of his early coaching days came in and around Bakersfield, California, it’s been a Mountain West journey for Hutson in recent years. He was briefly an assistant at UNLV and spent a decade on staff at San Diego State before taking the head coaching job at Fresno State in 2018. He won 23 games in his first season, though the last two have been less remarkable. Still, these Bulldogs are a middle team in a decent Mountain West.
192. Ed DeChellis (Navy) (Last year: 217)
- Overall record: 348-400
It’s been a long coaching career for DeChellis, with success here and there, but this past season was one of his very best. He formerly led East Tennessee State and Penn State to NCAA Tournaments, spending seven and eight years leading those programs, respectively. Head coach at Navy since 2011, his Midshipmen finally broke through this season, winning the Patriot League regular-season title and finishing 15-3.
191. Austin Claunch (Nicholls State) (Last year: 226)
- Overall record: 53-34
Claunch may still just be 31 years old, but already enters his fourth season as head coach at Nicholls State. A former staffer at George Mason and Clemson, he was on staff with the Colonels under Richie Riley before his departure for South Alabama in 2018. In three seasons, he’s now won two-thirds of Southland Conference games, winning the regular-season title with a 17-6 overall mark this season, leading a program on the rise.
190. Jamion Christian (George Washington) (Last year: 172)
- Overall record: 135-143
After recent struggles, Christian enters year three of trying to turn this George Washington program around. He formerly spent six years as head coach at Mount St. Mary’s, his alma mater, leading the Mountaineers to a pair of NCAA Tournaments. He spent just a single season as head coach at Siena before bolting for George Washington. He’s 17-32 with the Colonials and has his work cut out for him.
189. Donnie Jones (Stetson) (Last year: 186)
- Overall record: 183-161
Jones returned as a head coach when Stetson hired him in 2019, having previously served at Marshall and UCF. His career really got started with over a decade on Billy Donovan’s staffs at Marshall and Florida, winning a pair of national titles as an assistant. He had decent success at his first two head coaching posts but has yet to lead a team to the NCAA Tournament. Last year’s deep CBI run with the Hatters is a start, but it was still a below .500 campaign.
188. Dennis Gates (Cleveland State) (Last year: 309)
- Overall record: 30-29
Gates waited a while before taking a head coaching job and he’s certainly taking advantage of the opportunity. A former player at Cal, he’d been an assistant at several schools, spending the last eight seasons on staff at Florida State. He inherited a Cleveland State program in rough shape when he took the top job in 2019. All he’s done is lead the Vikings to the NCAA Tournament in his second season after tying for the regular season Horizon League crown, a remarkable turnaround.
187. Steve Henson (UTSA) (Last year: 208)
- Overall record: 79-79
Henson’s career has seen him spend a lot of time learning from recently retired coach Lon Kruger. He played for Kruger at Kansas State and spent nearly two decades on his staffs, with the Atlanta Hawks and at Illinois, UNLV, and Oklahoma. Henson took over UTSA in 2016 and has done decent work to this point, with a few top 5 finishes in a tough Conference USA already under his belt.
186. Byron Smith (Prairie View A&M) (Last year: 227)
- Overall record: 92-75
Smith’s star has risen quickly since taking over the Prairie View A&M program in 2016. Himself formerly head coach of the Harlem Globetrotters, he served on several staffs in and around Texas before making a home with the Panthers. Since his promotion to head coach in January 2016, he’s built this into the SWAC’s best program, winning the regular-season title each of the last three years, with last year’s 16-5 mark another great year.
185. A. W. Hamilton (Eastern Kentucky) (Last year: 285)
- Overall record: 51-42
After playing and coaching with Kevin Keatts, it should be no surprise that A. W. Hamilton has led his own big turnaround at Eastern Kentucky. A former player, assistant, and head coach at Hargrave Military Academy, he spent a year on staff at NC State before the Colonels hired him in 2018. He’s resurrected Eastern Kentucky, leading them to a fantastic 22-7 mark this past season, setting them up to be contenders as they join the A-Sun this season.
184. Kevin Broadus (Morgan State) (Last year: 228)
- Overall record: 66-49
After an unceremonious first head coaching stint, Broadus enters year three at Morgan State hoping things go more smoothly. He formerly led Binghamton to the NCAA Tournament back in 2009 but was fired a few months later for NCAA violations. A former assistant at Georgetown and Maryland, among other schools, he was 14-8 in year two at Morgan State, doing solid work at the MEAC school.
183. Richie Riley (South Alabama) (Last year: 184)
- Overall record: 89-67
Riley has worked his way up through the coaching ranks over the years. He was an assistant at several schools, with UAB and Clemson his final stops before his first head coaching job. After two solid seasons at Nicholls State, he took over South Alabama in 2018. His first three seasons with the Jaguars have also been solid, finishing above .500 in the Sun Belt these last two years.
182. Rick Croy (Cal Baptist) (Last year: 196)
- Overall record: 50-35
Croy’s done some fantastic work as a head coach at multiple levels, spending his whole career out in California. He did great work at Citrus College, spent a few seasons at Saint Mary’s as an assistant, and has been at Cal Baptist since 2013. After five D2 NCAA Tournaments in five years, he’s had three great years since the Lancers transitioned to the D1 level, finishing top 5 in the WAC each year.
181. Michael Huger (Bowling Green) (Last year: 187)
- Overall record: 102-87
After playing for the Falcons three decades ago, Huger enters his seventh season as head coach at his alma mater. He played overseas for a dozen years before getting into coaching, with most of his experience coming under Jim Larranaga at George Mason and Miami. He’s built Bowling Green back into a solid program in the MAC, finishing above .500 in the conference in three straight seasons, even if last year’s 14-12 mark wasn’t jaw-dropping.