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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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Colgate Raiders head coach Matt Langel. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Colgate Raiders head coach Matt Langel. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Matt Langel, Colgate

In 123 seasons, Colgate has only made the NCAA Tournament six times. Four of those have come under the leadership of Matt Langel — with all four NCAA Tournament appearances coming in five years. Langel, who is entering his 13th season leading the Raiders, has implemented a fast-paced, behind-the-arc efficient offense that offers plenty of intrigue for any athletic director looking for a program in need of revitalization.

Just last year, Langel’s Raiders were first in NCAA Division One three-point percentage, leading the nation at 40.5%, according to Team Rankings. Langel’s ability to not only win games but establish an identity at the mid/low-major level makes him one of college basketball’s fastest-rising coaches.

2. Bob Richey, Furman

Richey took over the reins for the Paladins in April 2017 when Niko Medved left to become the head coach at Drake. In his six years at Furman, Richey has eclipsed a winning record in all six seasons — five of them with 20+ wins. Most notably, Richey took the Paladins to the 2023 NCAA Tournament — including an infamous 68-67 over 4-seed Virginia in the Round of 64 thanks to a Kiehei Clark turnover leading to JP Pegues’s three-point basket with two seconds remaining.

As Bob Richey enters his seventh season, it is now the expectation that the Paladins will be near the top of the Southern Conference again. With expectations increased, so will his chances of landing a power-five gig.

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