NCAA Basketball: 10 most unappreciated head coaches in 2022

1. Randy Bennett – Saint Mary’s

Definitions of underrated differ and there are certainly reasons for different people to top this list, but it’s hard to really appreciate what Bennett has meant for basketball at Saint Mary’s. The longtime former assistant bounced around at several schools, spending five years under Lorenzo Romar at Pepperdine and Saint Louis before getting his shot to run a program. He hasn’t wasted that opportunity.

Bennett arrived in 2001, right when Gonzaga was starting to come alive as a program. Saint Mary’s is not Gonzaga, but Saint Mary’s has consistently been the second-best program (if not sometimes better) in the WCC. He’s led the Gaels to a slew of Tournament appearances and five victories, including this past season over Indiana and a Sweet Sixteen run back in 2010. He’s won more than 70% of his games, with last year being his 12th season with 25 or more victories.

Bennett and his program fly under the radar because of how Gonzaga has become a national power and because of BYU, though they’ll be out of the WCC very soon. However, when you look at the big picture, Bennett has been incredible as head coach. Without him and his consistency, this program could’ve easily fallen apart under the weight of Gonzaga, much like conference rivals like San Diego, Santa Clara, and Pepperdine has done these last few decades.

Do you agree with this list? Who did we forget? We’ve shared our thoughts on the top ten underrated coaches in college basketball today, but perhaps there’s someone else who’s flying under the radar.