NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 358 D-I head coaches for 2021-22 season
By Joey Loose
70. Penny Hardaway (Memphis) (Last year: 75)
- Overall record: 63-32
Yet another NBA player turned collegiate coach, Hardaway starred in the NBA for more than a decade before coaching at the high school level in his hometown of Memphis. He took over the Tigers program back in 2018 and has been quite active on the recruiting front. He has three 20-win seasons to show from his efforts, but he’s still looking for his first NCAA Tournament at Memphis.
69. Isaac Brown (Wichita State) (Last year: N/A)
- Overall record: 16-6
On staffs under John Pelphrey, Mike White, and a few other coaches, Brown joined Wichita State way back in 2014, but was unexpectedly promoted to head coach last season after Gregg Marshall stepped aside. His debut season was phenomenal, leading the Shockers to an AAC regular season title and an NCAA Tournament bid. With the landscape of the AAC greatly changing, it’ll be interesting to see how Brown’s program continues to grow.
68. Cliff Ellis (Coastal Carolina) (Last year: 74)
- Overall record: 800-527
One of the college basketball’s most experienced coaches, Ellis enters his 44th season as a D1 head coach, having been at Coastal Carolina since 2007. He spent near-decade stints at South Alabama, Clemson, and Auburn and has led all four programs to NCAA Tournament bids. Last year, he took the Chanticleers to an impressive 18-8 mark and a runner-up finish in the CBI.
67. Andy Kennedy (UAB) (Last year: 79)
- Overall record: 288-176
Kennedy made an impact last year after his first season as head coach at his alma mater. Also a former UAB assistant, he was a Cincinnati assistant and interim head coach before spending twelve years as head coach at Ole Miss, leading the Rebels to a period of solid success in the SEC. In his first season leading UAB, his Blazers finished 22-7, a big step forward from previous seasons, and one can only imagine what could come next for this team.
66. Steve Pikiell (Rutgers) (Last year: 115)
- Overall record: 272-233
It’s hard to put into words just how awesome Pikiell has been these last few seasons. The former UConn point guard served on several staffs before an 11-year run as head coach at Stony Brook, though he’s been at Rutgers since 2016. After years of flailing in the Big East and Big Ten, Pikiell has turned Rutgers into a conference contender, finishing in 5th place in 2020 and then making an NCAA Tournament trip with a first round win this season, a massive step forward for the Scarlet Knights.
65. Steve Forbes (Wake Forest) (Last year: 67)
- Overall record: 136-59
Formerly an assistant for Porter Moser, Bruce Pearl, Gregg Marshall and other successful coaches, Forbes got his head coaching start at East Tennessee State. Those five years saw his Buccaneers become a force, finishing top 3 in the SoCon each season and winning a pair of conference tournaments. Wake Forest hired him last season, and a 6-16 mark in his first season is pretty much what was expected as he tries to rebuild this program.
64. Bobby Hurley (Arizona State) (Last year: 55)
- Overall record: 146-103
Hurley starred at Duke, played in the NBA, and served as a scout all before beginning his collegiate coaching career just over a decade. After spending time on brother Dan’s staffs at Wagner and Rhode Island, he became Buffalo’s head coach in 2013, leading the Bulls back to the NCAA Tournament. Arizona State hired Hurley six years ago, and while he’s led the Sun Devils to two NCAA Tournaments and increased their recruiting footprint, last season’s 11-14 mark was a certain disappointment.
63. Ben Jacobson (Northern Iowa) (Last year: 62)
- Overall record: 301-189
Jacobson has done some phenomenal work across more than two decades with the Panthers. After growing up and coaching in North Dakota, he joined Greg McDermott’s Northern Iowa staff in 2001 and succeeded him five years. The clear highlight is that Sweet Sixteen in 2010, but Jacobson has led the Panthers to four NCAA Tournaments and kept them as a top team in an ever changing MVC, even as last season was marred by injury.
62. Wayne Tinkle (Oregon State) (Last year: 97)
- Overall record: 271-200
Last season was clearly a huge breakthrough for Tinkle. The former Montana center, assistant, and head coach led the Grizzlies to three NCAA Tournaments as head coach before Oregon State hired him in 2014. His time with the Beavers has been up and down, breaking a long NCAA Tournament drought back in 2016, but that was nothing compared to a surprise run to the Elite Eight last season.
61. Cuonzo Martin (Missouri) (Last year: 69)
- Overall record: 252-177
Martin played and coached at Purdue before beginning his head coaching career at Missouri State back in 2008. He led Missouri State, Tennessee, and California to varying success on three-year stints (making a Sweet Sixteen with the Volunteers) before landing at Missouri in 2017. His attempt to resurrect the Tigers has been fruitful, leading them this past season to another NCAA Tournament after a hot start to their season.