NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 362 D-I head coaches for 2023-24 season

50. Mike White (Georgia) (Last year: 51)

• Overall record: 259-144

White played point guard at Ole Miss back in the late 90’s before getting his coaching career started at Jacksonville State. He was later an assistant with the Rebels before his head coaching career began at Louisiana Tech in 2011. After more than 100 wins in four years with the Bulldogs he was hired by Florida and had a decent 7-year run with the Gators, making four trips to the Big Dance. He jumped over to Georgia last offseason, staying in the SEC and taking over a program in much worse shape. His Bulldogs finished 11th in the SEC in year one.

49. Frank Martin (Massachusetts) (Last year: 41)

• Overall record: 303-217
• Final Four in 2017

Prior to 2000, Martin’s entire coaching career had been spent coaching high school ball in Miami. He then was an assistant at a few schools, including Cincinnati and Kansas State under Bob Huggins. After Huggins left for West Virginia in 2007, Martin ascended to head coach and led the Wildcats to an Elite Eight. He had very mixed results over a decade as head coach at South Carolina with the clear highlight being the team’s Final Four run in 2017. Martin started at UMass last season and finished 13th in the A-10, but he’s only just begin his work with the Minutemen.

48. Dennis Gates (Missouri) (Last year: 135)

• Overall record: 75-50

Certainly one of the hottest names in coaching in recent years, Gates was an assistant for many years, including nearly a decade at Florida State with Leonard Hamilton. His head coaching career began in 2019 at Cleveland State and he effectively turned around a Vikings program in tough shape, leading them to the NCAA Tournament in just his second season. Quick turnarounds seem to be his thing because he joined Missouri as head coach last season and led the Tigers to 25 wins and the second round of the Big Dance in his first year.

47. Chris Jans (Mississippi State) (Last year: 63)

• Overall record: 164-57

Earlier in his career, Jans was a head coach at four different junior colleges before catching on at the D1 level, assisting at Illinois State and Wichita State. Things went sideways after a single season leading Bowling Green, but his head coaching career would rebound nicely at New Mexico State, leading the Aggies to three NCAA Tournaments and an upset win in 2022. He accepted the Mississippi State job and did marvelous work in his first season, winning 21 games and making a trip to the Big Dance.

46. T. J. Otzelberger (Iowa State) (Last year: 60)

• Overall record: 140-90

After growing up and playing ball in Wisconsin, Otzelberger’s career began at the high school and junior college level before joining Greg McDermott’s Iowa State staff in 2006. He would spend eight of the next ten years with the Cyclones (leaving briefly for Washington) before head coaching stops at South Dakota State and UNLV, taking the Jackrabbits to the NCAA Tournament twice. Iowa State brought him back as head coach in 2021 and he’s led the Cyclones to the Big Dance both years, including a Sweet Sixteen run in 2022.

45. Mike Young (Virginia Tech) (Last year: 44)

• Overall record: 372-295

Native to Radford, Virginia, Young had his best coaching work down in South Carolina, spending three decades on staff at Wofford. He was an assistant for thirteen years before earning the Terriers’ top job in 2002, leading the program to the NCAA Tournament five times, including a win in his final season. Virginia Tech summoned him back to his home state in 2019 and he’s done pretty decent work, taking the Hokies to the Big Dance twice, though last season ended with an 11th place finish in the ACC and an NIT bid.

44. Brad Brownell (Clemson) (Last year: 47)

• Overall record: 408-262

Entrenched at Clemson for the last thirteen years, Brownell has had a successful head coaching career these last few decades. He spent eight seasons assisting Jerry Wainwright at UNC Wilmington before beginning his head coaching career at the school. He’d lead both those Seahawks and Wright State to the Big Dance in brief stints before landing at Clemson in 2010. Brownell’s tenure with the Tigers has included three trips to the Big Dance, including a Sweet Sixteen run in 2018. Last year was a bounce back season, as the Tigers tied for 3rd in the ACC, though they settled for a trip to the NIT.

43. Andy Kennedy (UAB) (Last year: 54)

• Overall record: 344-194

A player at UAB more than three decades ago, Kennedy is now doing a world of good leading his alma mater. He spent several seasons as an assistant at both UAB and Cincinnati before spending a year as interim head coach of the Bearcats. There were plenty of positive moments across a 12-year stint with Ole Miss, including a couple trips to the Big Dance. Kennedy was brought home to UAB in 2020 and has been impressive, taking the Blazers to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and the NIT title game last season, with a 78-25 record through three seasons.

42. Hubert Davis (North Carolina) (Last year: 28)

• Overall record: 49-23
• Final Four in 2022

Chosen as Roy Williams’ successor, there’s certainly been pressure on Davis, who played under Dean Smith with the Tar Heels over thirty years ago. He played a dozen seasons in the NBA and was an ESPN analyst before joining Williams’ staff back in 2012. After nine years on the bench, including a national title in 2017, Davis took over the program and immediately led North Carolina on an unexpected run to the championship game. The Tar Heels crashed back down to earth last season, winning 20 games but missing the Big Dance entirely.

41. Mike Woodson (Indiana) (Last year: 64)

• Overall record: 44-26

Woodson played at Indiana under Bob Knight way back in the late 70’s but had no involvement in the college game for over four decades. He spent eleven years playing in the NBA and coached in the league for even longer, including head coaching stints with the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks. Indiana handed him his first collegiate coaching job in 2021 and he’s been effective, getting the Hoosiers back to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two seasons, including 23 wins and a first round win last season.