NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 358 D-I head coaches for 2021-22 season

30. Juwan Howard (Michigan) (Last year: 83)

• Overall record: 42-17

For once, an NBA player/coach hire is working out at the collegiate level, though clearly what Howard has done at Michigan has been a better situation than for many other coaches. After nearly two decades as an NBA player and a stint on the Miami Heat bench, Howard returned to his alma mater as head coach in 2019, winning the Big Ten regular-season title and making the Elite Eight this past season; two moves that set the Wolverines up for even more success in the near future.

29. Jim Larranaga (Miami FL) (Last year: 27)

• Overall record: 642-439
• Final Four in 2006

Many moons ago, Larranaga was an assistant during one of Virginia’s finest runs of success and parlayed that into a pretty incredible head coaching career. He built a solid program at Bowling Green before his best years at George Mason, leading the Patriots to that unbelievable run to the Final Four in 2006. Larranaga has been entrenched in Miami since 2011, leading the Hurricanes to a pair of Sweet Sixteens. The last three years haven’t been as great, finishing 13th in the ACC this past season.

28. Bruce Weber (Kansas State) (Last year: 21)

• Overall record: 483-285
• Final Four in 2005

After nearly two decades under Gene Keady, mostly at Purdue, Weber has embarked on quite the head coaching career of his own. He took Southern Illinois to a Sweet Sixteen before inheriting a fantastic Illinois program and taking that 2005 team to the national title game. Weber landed at Kansas State way back in 2012 and has made an Elite Eight and tied for a couple of Big 12 titles along the way. However, the last two seasons have been bad, including just 9 wins last season, and you have to wonder if the magic is running out for Weber.

27. Mark Turgeon (Maryland (Last year: 29)

• Overall record: 471-272

Turgeon begins his 11th year at Maryland, has achieved plenty of success over his coaching career. A Sweet Sixteen with Wichita State and a slew of NCAA Tournament bids at Texas A&M led him to the job with the Terrapins. Since leading Maryland into the Big Ten, they’ve become a yearly contender in the conference, making five of the last six NCAA Tournaments, including another first-round win this past year even as a 10-seed.

26. Mike Brey (Notre Dame) (Last year: 24)

• Overall record: 547-300

After winning a few titles on Coach K’s Duke staff, Brey’s head coaching journey began with success at Delaware, leading him eventually to Notre Dame way back in 2000. For the last 21 seasons, Brey has built and maintained a success program with the Fighting Irish, leading them recently from Big East to ACC. Notre Dame’s made a flurry of NCAA Tournament appearances, including Elite Eight’s in 2015 and 2016. However, last season was an 11-15 struggle, though certainly not the end of Brey’s success with the Irish.

25. Chris Holtmann (Ohio State) (Last year: 26)

• Overall record: 201-129

Holtmann has risen quickly through the coaching ranks, with previous success as head coach at Gardner-Webb and Butler before landing at Ohio State in 2017. Holtmann led Butler to a Sweet Sixteen, winning four Tourney games in just three seasons, and has led the Buckeyes there in each of his first four seasons. Despite an 87-44 mark at Ohio State, Holtmann is still looking for a deep postseason run with the Buckeyes.

24. Brad Underwood (Illinois) (Last year: 33)

• Overall record: 180-83

Though upset in the NCAA Tournament, Underwood accomplished quite a bit last year, his fourth season leading Illinois. He previously did otherworldly work, winning a pair of NCAA Tournament games at Stephen F. Austin before a brief tenure at Oklahoma State. Last year’s 24-7 mark with the Illini marked their first NCAA Tournament in nearly a decade, plus their first Big Ten Tournament title in even longer, returning this program to some of its former glory before Loyola got in the way.

23. Jamie Dixon (TCU) (Last year: 23)

• Overall record: 424-194

It’s been quite a ride for Dixon, who begins his sixth season as head coach of his alma mater. He previously rose to fame as Pittsburgh’s head coach, leading the Panthers to an Elite Eight, two Sweet Sixteen’s, and a whole host of success across thirteen years. While TCU isn’t an easy place to win, he did win an NIT title and break a long NCAA Tournament drought as head coach of the Horned Frogs, though last season was his first year under .500 as head coach of the program.

22. Nate Oats (Alabama) (Last year: 46)

• Overall record: 138-65

The rise for Oats has been remarkably fast, having just been a high school coach less than a decade ago. He spent time on Bobby Hurley’s Buffalo staff before taking over the program, leading the Bulls to a pair of NCAA Tournament wins in four seasons. Alabama lured him away in 2019, and this past season was phenomenal for Oats, leading the Crimson Tide to SEC regular-season and tournament championships and a Sweet Sixteen appearance.

21. Eric Musselman (Arkansas) (Last year: 34)

• Overall record: 155-53

After a long period of time in professional coaching, Musselman has proven a winner at the collegiate level as well. He won 110 games in four superb seasons at Nevada, including a Sweet Sixteen run back in 2018. Arkansas hired him in 2019 and the results have been immediate for the Razorbacks, ending in an Elite Eight run this past season and setting them up for further success in the SEC.