90. Kyle Keller (Stephen F. Austin) (Last year: 104)
- Overall record: 104-46
After bouncing around as a collegiate assistant, spending nearly two decades in the Big 12 and SEC, Keller has certainly found a home with Stephen F. Austin. The former junior college head coach inherited a fantastic program from Brad Underwood and has done his part to maintain the momentum. He’s taken the Lumberjacks to an NCAA Tournament, that incredible upset of #1 Duke in 2019, and has won more than 80% of games in the Southland Conference.
89. Darian DeVries (Drake) (Last year: 158)
- Overall record: 70-29
Few coaches live and breathe MVC has much as DeVries has throughout his basketball career. He played a Northern Iowa and then spent nearly two decades on staff at Creighton. His first chance as head coach came at Drake, sending him back to the MVC, and the results have been outstanding. He tied for the MVC regular season crown in his first season. His Bulldogs began last season 18-0 before making the NCAA Tournament and winning their First Four game, their first NCAA Tournament win in fifty years.
88. Mark Fox (California) (Last year: 81)
- Overall record: 309-214
Years ago, Fox was a hot name in coaching circles, though his most recent years have dimmed that star a bit. He led Nevada to a bevy of NCAA Tournament appearances as head coach before taking over Georgia. In the SEC, he made the Bulldogs a decent program and made a few NCAA Tournaments. Fox arrived at California two seasons ago, hoping to revive a dormant program, but it has yet to happen, sitting just 23-38 at this point.
87. Mike Hopkins (Washington) (Last year: 58)
- Overall record: 72-65
Hopkins shocked many people when he became Washington’s head coach back in 2017. He had been a player, assistant, and interim head coach under Jim Boeheim at Syracuse for nearly three decades and was expected to remain to succeed him when he retired. In his second year at Washington, Hopkins led the Huskies to a Pac-12 regular season title, but the good vibes didn’t last. The last two seasons have featured a last place finish in 2020 and an abysmal 5-21 record last year.
86. Travis Steele (Xavier) (Last year: 91)
- Overall record: 51-37
In 2018, Steele became the latest coach to take over at Xavier, having spent the last decade on the coaching staffs of Sean Miller and Chris Mack, who both left for better jobs. Steele is still getting going with the Musketeers, but the initial results have been a bit lacking, with no seasons above .500 in Big East play. Still, Xavier is a solid program and could be back competing at the top of the Big East very soon.
85. Travis Ford (Saint Louis) (Last year: 93)
- Overall record: 367-291
Head coaching post number five has been a successful venture for Ford, putting Saint Louis back on the map. For the coach who led Eastern Kentucky to an NCAA Tournament and took Oklahoma State to five of them, getting the Billikens back on track was a process in the tough A-10, but a conference tournament title in 2019 did the job. The last two seasons have ended with Saint Louis in 4th place in the league and they expect to continue competing for titles in the nation’s best mid-major league.
84. Mike Woodson (Indiana) (Last year: N/A)
- Overall record: 0-0
The last time Woodson was involved in college basketball he was leading Indiana to the Sweet Sixteen as a player back in 1980. The former NBA player, assistant, and head coach looks to return his alma mater to their former glory. He had varying levels of success as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks, but we’ll have to see how he transitions to coaching at the college level. The transition has been rough for many former NBA players and coaches, but it may be different at a program like Indiana.
83. Wes Miller (Cincinnati) (Last year: 116)
- Overall record: 185-135
It’s a new era in Cincinnati, as Miller takes over the Bearcats program this upcoming season. A former Tar Heel guard, he spent the last decade at UNC Greensboro, most of that time as head coach. He took the Spartans to a pair of NCAA Tournaments, including last season, and turned Greensboro into one of the SoCon’s top programs. Miller was 125-43 in his final five seasons with the Spartans and looks to replicate that success in the AAC.
82. Hubert Davis (North Carolina) (Last year: N/A)
- Overall record: 0-0
He played for Dean Smith at North Carolina, he spent a dozen years in the NBA, and he spent a near-decade on Roy Williams’ staff, but now its Davis’s turn to run North Carolina’s basketball program. It’s hard to know what exactly to expect as the Tar Heels back the transition after Roy Williams’ retirement. If Davis continues recruiting at a high level, it’s very likely he’ll shoot up these rankings in the coming seasons.
81. John Becker (Vermont) (Last year: 82)
- Overall record: 229-96
Becker arrived at Vermont back in 2006 and after five seasons was promoted to head coach. This last decade has been very good for the Catamounts, making three NCAA Tournaments and winning the last five America East regular season titles. This is clearly the best program in the conference, winning nearly 83% of their league games over the last ten years. The biggest question is if there will ever be a coaching job opening that will lure Becker away from the Catamounts because this program has shown they are a contender for the long-term.