NCAA Basketball: 7 notable mid-major coaches jumping up a level for 2022

NCAA Basketball: 7 notable mid-major coaches jumping into high-major ranks

March 31, 2022; South Orange, NJ, USASeton Hall welcomes Shaheen Holloway as the new men's basketball head coach during a press conference at Seton Hall in South Orange on Thursday March 31, 2022. Holloway speaks during the press conference.Seton Hall Welcomes Coach Shaheen Holloway /

3 of 8

Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images /

Dennis Gates, Missouri Tigers

Dennis Gates is yet another new head coaching face joining the SEC coaching landscape from the mid-major level after making a splash with the Cleveland State Vikings in the Horizon League.

Gates used a three-year turnaround of the Cleveland State program to catapult himself into his current position with the Tigers. He made one appearance in the NCAA Tournament across three seasons with the Vikings, with his best season coming in 2020-21 when he won the Horizon Coach of the Year award in leading his squad to both a regular-season and conference tournament title and led Cleveland State to its first NCAA Tournament since 2009.

He led the Vikings to a 50-40 record while winning two Coach of the Year awards and two regular-season league crowns at the helm from 2019-22.

Missouri isn’t without tournament appearances, it’s more or less stability they’re looking for and higher-ups hope they’ve solved that problem with the hiring of Gates. The Tigers went 78-77 (.503) in five seasons under Cuonzo Martin and made two appearances in the NCAA Tournament, losing both times in the first round.

Gates hopes to turn them into a consistent NCAA Tournament threat and brings with him D’Moi Hodge, Tre Gomillion, and Mabor Majak from his Cleveland State squad out of the transfer portal looking to turn things around in a big way in Missouri.

Home/NCAA Basketball News