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Xavier Basketball: 7 candidates to replace Travis Steele as head coach

By Joey Loose

CINCINNATI, OHIO - FEBRUARY 16: Head coach Travis Steele of the Xavier Musketeers looks on in the second half against the St. John's Red Storm at the Cintas Center on February 16, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - FEBRUARY 16: Head coach Travis Steele of the Xavier Musketeers looks on in the second half against the St. John's Red Storm at the Cintas Center on February 16, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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Dennis Gates of the Cleveland State Vikings (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
Dennis Gates of the Cleveland State Vikings (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

Dennis Gates

There are a bunch of names on this list, but there could always be dozens more mentioned or brought up. We’re looking next at one of the hotter names on the mid-major market, and it’s another coach who’s doing wonderful things at a school in Ohio. However, Xavier is certainly not the only suitor for Gates’ services this offseason.

Gates has been around, growing up in Chicago, playing and coaching at California, and spending time under coaches like Tom Crean and Leonard Hamilton. Gates was an assistant under the latter for the last eight seasons at Florida State until Cleveland State gave him his first head coaching job in 2019. Gates has been wonderful for the Vikings, leading that program from despair to an NCAA Tournament appearance last season, with two straight Horizon League regular-season titles in his pocket.

Gates is a rising name and just rebuilt a faltering program on the other side of the state. Xavier is clearly not in the same state of ruin that Cleveland State was in, plus Gates does have that long recent success on an ACC staff. He could handle the jump back up to the power conference level; it’s just about if Xavier is the best fit for a coach who’s spent much of his career either in Florida or on the west coast.