10. Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) (Last year: 9)
- Overall record: 1083-409
- Final Four in 1987, 1996, 2003, 2013, 2016
- National championship in 2003
Entrenched at Syracuse for more than fifty years, Boeheim enters year 46 as head coach of the Orange. His program has accomplished quite a lot over the years, with that national championship in 2003 the clear highlight. Syracuse hasn’t been near the top of the standings since joining the ACC, but they’ve won games when it’s mattered most, including another surprise run to the Sweet Sixteen this past season, this time as an 11-seed.
9. Chris Beard (Texas) (Last year: 10)
- Overall record: 142-60
- Final Four in 2019
Ten years ago, Beard was coaching semi-professional basketball in Myrtle Beach. He’s been a head coach at many different schools, with tremendous success at the D1 level. He won 30 games at Little Rock and took Texas Tech to a national title game, but the best could be in the near future. Beard takes over at Texas this season and could put together some incredible years with those resources.
8. Scott Drew (Baylor) (Last year: 20)
- Overall record: 392-226
- Final Four in 2021
- National championship in 2021
This was a dream come true, as Drew led Baylor to their first national championship last season, a phenomenal turnaround from where this program was. Drew left behind his roots in Indiana, attending Butler and coaching at Valparaiso before inheriting the Bears in 2003. There was success, there were deep tournament runs, but this past year was clearly the culmination of a lot of hard work for Drew and it’s hard to find a more deserving coach to have finally broken through.
7. Tony Bennett (Virginia) (Last year: 7)
- Overall record: 364-136
- Final Four in 2019
- National championship in 2019
Bennett took Washington State to a Sweet Sixteen just thirteen years ago, an impressive feat even if you ignore his amazing work at Virginia. The clear highlight is the national championship in 2019, but he’s made the Cavaliers one of the top programs in the ACC, finishing atop the conference standings in five of the last eight seasons. Success in the postseason has clearly been up and down, with his team being upset early in the NCAA Tournament again this season.
6. Mark Few (Gonzaga) (Last year: 6)
- Overall record: 630-125
- Final Four in 2017, 2021
Year after year, Few and Gonzaga are making national headlines. Since taking over as head coach in 1999, the Bulldogs haven’t missed an NCAA Tournament, are in complete control of the WCC, and are now even recruiting at a Blue Blood level. Gonzaga has been as far as the Sweet Sixteen in each of the last six NCAA Tournaments, marching all the way to this year’s national title game before suffering their first loss. Clearly, Gonzaga is a power, especially with Few remaining in control.