NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 362 D-I head coaches for 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
![Nov 20, 2022; Spokane, Washington, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari, left, shakes hands with Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few before a game at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports Nov 20, 2022; Spokane, Washington, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari, left, shakes hands with Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few before a game at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/aeddb093b420a72de37945a62c03a01533cd39168bd19ee70c3b8d1b78b8bba1.jpg)
80. Todd Golden (Florida) (Last year: 61)
- Overall record: 73-53
Golden played guard for Randy Bennett at Saint Mary’s and got his own coaching career started a few years later. It began under Kyle Smith, a former Gaels assistant, who he aided at both Columbia and San Francisco, with a stint in between with Bruce Pearl at Auburn. Golden ascended to the head coaching job with the Dons back in 2019 and three very solid seasons, including a trip to the Big Dance in 2022. His stock higher than ever, he took the Florida job last offseason and got the Gators to the NIT, but 16-17 is not a record worth repeating.
79. Mitch Henderson (Princeton) (Last year: 134)
- Overall record: 208-117
During his playing career, Henderson helped lead Princeton to a Tournament upset back in 1996 before his coaching career even began. He’s now doubled that feat as the Tigers’ head coach. He actually began with an 11-year stint under former college coach Bill Carmody at Northwestern before taking over as Princeton’s head coach back in 2011. Prior to last season, he had a few postseason bids, including the 2017 NCAA Tournament, but clearly last season’s Sweet Sixteen run as a 15-seed is the crowning moment of his career.
78. Mark Pope (BYU) (Last year: 71)
- Overall record: 164-97
After a playing career that included time at Washington, Kentucky, and with four NBA franchises, Pope got into coaching just over a decade, grabbing a spot on Mark Fox’s new staff at Georgia. He was also an assistant at Wake Forest and BYU before starting his head coaching journey at Utah Valley. He took those Wolverines to three CBI bids and a plethora of wins before returning to BYU as head coach in 2019. Pope got the Cougars to the Big Dance in 2021, but BYU has struggled the last two seasons and transitions into a much tougher Big 12.
77. Bobby Hurley (Arizona State) (Last year: 79)
- Overall record: 183-133
Hurley won a pair of national championships as a point guard at Duke in the early 90’s before spending half a decade in the NBA. He actually didn’t get into coaching until more than a decade later, joining brother Dan’s staffs at Wagner and Rhode Island. His head coaching career started with a prosperous 2-year stint at Buffalo before Arizona State hired him in 2015. Under his leadership, the Sun Devils have had some highs and lows and have been to the NCAA Tournament three times, including at the end of last season, with his 23 wins his high point with the program.
76. Jeff Capel (Pittsburgh) (Last year: 98)
- Overall record: 250-191
Fresh off a prosperous season in a make-or-break year, Capel continues his head coaching career. A former Duke guard and assistant under Coach K, he was previously head coach at both VCU and Oklahoma, recruiting Blake Griffin and getting the Sooners to the Elite Eight over a decade ago. He was hired by Pittsburgh back in 2018 and wasn’t getting the job done in his first four seasons. Last year was very different, as the Panthers tied for 3rd in the ACC and made the Big Dance for the first time in seven years.
75. Herb Sendek (Santa Clara) (Last year: 92)
- Overall record: 533-389
Sendek has done impactful work throughout his coaching career, dating back to time as an assistant under Rick Pitino at both Providence and Kentucky. As head coach he led Miami-Ohio to a Tourney upset win in 1995, made five straight trips to the Big Dance at NC State and was mostly prosperous with Arizona State. He’s led Santa Clara since 2016 with varying success but is coming off his best season with the Broncos. Not only has his program won at least 20 games in three of the last four seasons, but the Broncos have finished 3rd in the WCC each of the last two seasons.
74. Wes Miller (Cincinnati) (Last year: 77)
- Overall record: 226-163
During his playing career, Miller won a national championship as a reserve at North Carolina back in 2005. After a brief international career, this former point guard got into coaching with brief stints on a few college staffs. An assistant at UNC Greensboro, he was promoted to interim head coach in 2011 and would hold the Spartan’s head coaching job for the next decade, leading the program to 125 wins in his final five seasons. He enters year three at Cincinnati fresh off a 23-win campaign and an NIT bid, but things are much tougher as the Bearcats just joined the Big 12.
73. John Becker (Vermont) (Last year: 76)
- Overall record: 280-113
Flying under the radar for much of his career, Becker’s first head coaching experience actually came at Gallaudet in Washington DC. He had success at the non-D1 level before joining Vermont’s coaching staff as an assistant way back in 2006. After five years with Mike Lonergan, he was promoted to the top job. These last twelve years have been filled with success for the Catamounts, who have made five trips to the NCAA Tournament and have won the last seven America East regular season titles. Last year was another checkmark in both of those columns for Becker’s dominant mid-major program.
72. Steve Lavin (San Diego) (Last year: 59)
- Overall record: 248-170
After playing college ball at the non-D1 level, Lavin sure caught on with some big programs, spending time as an assistant at Purdue and UCLA. After helping the Bruins to their national title in 1995, he was promoted to head coach a year later. He flamed out at UCLA despite leading the program to an Elite Eight and four Sweet Sixteen’s before five very eventful years leading St. John’s. San Diego brought Lavin back into the college coaching world last season and it’s a big task ahead, as the Toreros finished just 11-20 last season.
71. Tad Boyle (Colorado) (Last year: 70)
- Overall record: 324-214
A former player at Kansas, Boyle got his career started at the high school level before stints as an assistant under Jerry Green and Mark Turgeon, serving for six years at Wichita State under the latter. His head coaching journey began at Northern Colorado, where he resurrected the Bears into a winner in just four seasons. In 2010, Boyle jumped to Colorado and has been successful with the Buffaloes, leading the program to five NCAA Tournaments and numerous postseason bids in the Pac-12. Last season was a slight step back at just 18-17, but it did end in another trip to the NIT.