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NCAA Basketball: Top 15 head coaches on the rise entering 2023-24 season

By Cole Amundson

Dec 14, 2021; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Furman Paladins head coach Bob Richey in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2021; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Furman Paladins head coach Bob Richey in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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UC Santa Barbara Gauchos head coach Joe Pasternack. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos head coach Joe Pasternack. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

7. Casey Alexander, Belmont

Casey Alexander: a proven winner. After playing at Belmont for the 2021 College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Rick Byrd from 1992 to 1995, Alexander would then spend 16 seasons on staff under Byrd before landing gigs at Stetson and Lipscomb, respectively. After Rick Byrd announced his retirement in 2019, Alexander and the Bruins did not skip a beat. Alexander has averaged 24.5 wins per season in his four years at the helm.

Another interesting fact? Casey Alexander has had seven straight 20+ win seasons. Although the Bruins have yet to make the NCAA Tournament (note: they would have made the NCAA Tournament in 2020), Casey Alexander’s winning ways make him one of college basketball’s best mid-major coaches on the rise.

6. Joe Pasternack, UC Santa Barbara

Joe Pasternack has done nothing shy of a terrific job being the headman of the Gauchos. The former Arizona assistant has led the Gauchos to two NCAA Tournament appearances and has averaged 22 wins per season in his six years at the helm. Widely respected as a strong recruiter, he has shown his ability to adapt to the transfer portal era yet retain key talent — a recipe for success in college basketball’s new era.

This proven ability looks to keep the Gauchos near the top of the Big West Conference as he enters his seventh season in the Golden State.

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