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NCAA Basketball: 3 underrated Power 6 coaching hires from 2023 offseason

By Holden Walter-Warner

Texas Head Coach Rodney Terry watches his team during the second half of the Longhorns' game against the Jayhawks at the Moody Center in Austin, Saturday, March 4, 2023. Texas won the game 75-59.Texas Longhorns Basketball V University Of Kansas 35
Texas Head Coach Rodney Terry watches his team during the second half of the Longhorns' game against the Jayhawks at the Moody Center in Austin, Saturday, March 4, 2023. Texas won the game 75-59.Texas Longhorns Basketball V University Of Kansas 35 /
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NCAA Basketball Grant McCasland of the North Texas Mean Green (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
NCAA Basketball Grant McCasland of the North Texas Mean Green (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Grant McCasland to Texas Tech

The Texas Tech Red Raiders had to be patient in making their coaching hire, despite being one of the first to move off of their last person at the end of the season. Why? Grant McCasland was too busy delivering his second postseason title to the North Texas Mean Green.

Mark Adams did a strong job replacing Chris Beard in his first season, but the second season underwhelmed many in Lubbock. Add in the distracting controversy regarding Adams’ alleged Bible-thumping, and it was simply time for a change.

McCasland’s coaching identity should be a seamless fit in Texas Tech, which is only a few years removed from an appearance in the national championship game. His teams prided themselves on defense and the Red Raiders have annually been a juggernaut in the category.

He’s been coaching in Texas at various levels for a long time, so he knows the area well. While not super applicable, he even started his coaching career more than two decades ago with the Red Raiders, where he was director of operations from 1999 to 2001.

He’s also just a winner. In addition to the NIT title North Texas won this year, they also won the CBI during his first season in charge. The team won three regular season conference titles during his tenure and made one NCAA Tournament trip (it would’ve been two were it not for the pandemic), upsetting Purdue during that trip. McCasland went 135-65 in six seasons.

It should be a seamless transition for McCasland from North Texas to Texas Tech. While there are a few coaching juggernauts in his league that will annually hog the attention, McCasland should elevate the Red Raiders program on a more consistent basis.

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