ACC Basketball: Ranking all 15 head coaches in 2023 after recent changes

11. Kevin Keatts – NC State

It’s been quite a ride into prominence for Keatts, who played his college ball at Ferrum, a D3 college in Virginia. He coached high school ball for a number of years, including a decade leading Hargrave Military Academy before joining Rick Pitino’s staff at Louisville just over a decade ago. After helping the Cardinals to a national title (that was later vacated), he became head coach at UNC Wilmington in 2014, where he took the Seahawks to three straight CAA titles and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.

NC State brought him aboard in 2017 but these last six years have not been as prosperous as many expected. Keatts led the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament in this first season but missed the Big Dance the next four seasons, including a last-place finish in the conference just last season. This past year, he did get the Wolfpack back into the NCAA Tournament again, but making one trip every five years isn’t exactly what NC State expects from their basketball program.

Keatts’ rocky road at NC State isn’t complete and there’s certainly the chance that he turns things around next year. This year’s success likely saved his job, but this coach has already shown that he can win important games at UNC Wilmington. Whether or not he can do that at NC State is yet to be seen, but the ACC is only going to get tougher in the years ahead.