The road to becoming a Division I college basketball head coach isn't always straightforward. Some coaches spend years working as assistants before receiving their first opportunity, while others build successful programs at smaller schools and gradually work their way toward the national spotlight.
The 2026-27 season features several coaches whose career paths deserve more attention. Their journeys include national championships at the Division II level, unusual professional decisions, dramatic homecomings and successful transitions between different levels of college basketball.
What makes these stories particularly interesting is that each coach established his reputation through a different combination of persistence, opportunity and success.
Here are five college basketball coaches whose journeys offer fascinating stories heading into the new season.
1. Ben McCollum, Iowa: Four national championships before reaching Division I
Ben McCollum's coaching career provides one of the most remarkable examples of success translating from Division II to Division I.
Before becoming Iowa's head coach, McCollum spent 15 seasons leading Northwest Missouri State. His teams captured four NCAA Division II national championships, winning titles in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022. The program became one of the most successful in the country under his leadership.
McCollum finally received his first Division I head coaching opportunity at Drake in 2024. Rather than experiencing a difficult adjustment, he immediately guided the Bulldogs to a 31-4 record, Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships, and an NCAA Tournament victory over Missouri.
That extraordinary debut earned him the Iowa job in March 2025. McCollum's first season with the Hawkeyes produced another remarkable achievement when Iowa reached the Elite Eight in 2026, defeating Clemson, defending national champion Florida and Nebraska during its tournament run.
Perhaps the most fascinating part of his journey is how consistently his coaching philosophy has worked at different levels. McCollum spent years building a championship program outside Division I before demonstrating that the same principles could succeed against major-conference competition.
2. Matt Logie, Montana State: NCAA Tournament success at three different levels
Matt Logie's coaching resume includes an accomplishment few college basketball coaches can match.
Before taking over Montana State in 2023, Logie spent eight seasons at Division III Whitworth and four seasons at Division II Point Loma. His teams compiled a 194-35 record at Whitworth and an 82-23 mark at Point Loma, establishing him as one of the most successful coaches outside Division I.
His success continued after arriving in Bozeman. During his first season at Montana State, Logie guided the Bobcats to the 2024 Big Sky Conference Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
That achievement gave Logie NCAA Tournament experience as a head coach at the Division I, Division II and Division III levels. Montana State's athletic department has identified him as one of a very small number of men's coaches believed to have accomplished that feat.
The story becomes even more interesting when considering the circumstances surrounding his first Montana State team. The Bobcats had lost four starters from the previous season and were projected to finish seventh in the Big Sky preseason coaches' poll.
Instead of enduring a rebuilding season, Montana State won the conference tournament and reached March Madness.
Logie's career demonstrates that success at smaller schools can provide an excellent foundation for coaching at the highest level. His ability to establish winning programs in different environments makes him one of the more intriguing coaches in the country.
3. Jerrod Calhoun, Cincinnati: A coaching journey that started and ended with the Bearcats
Jerrod Calhoun's return to Cincinnati in March 2026 created one of the more interesting homecoming stories in college basketball.
Calhoun began his coaching career as a student assistant under Bob Huggins at Cincinnati during the 2003-04 season. Before that, he had played college basketball at Cleveland State under Rollie Massimino.
His early coaching experiences included working at Walsh University, where he helped the program capture the 2005 NAIA national championship. Calhoun later reunited with Huggins at West Virginia, spending five seasons with the Mountaineers.
The next step required a significant personal decision. Calhoun left his position at West Virginia to become the head coach at Division II Fairmont State.
During his Cincinnati introductory press conference, Calhoun explained that accepting the Fairmont State job required taking a substantial pay cut. He wanted the opportunity to lead his own program, even if that meant sacrificing financial security.
The decision helped launch a successful head coaching career that eventually included stops at Youngstown State and Utah State.
When Cincinnati hired him in 2026, Calhoun returned to the same program where he had first learned the coaching profession. His career had taken him through multiple universities, different competitive levels and numerous professional challenges before bringing him back to the Bearcats.
For Cincinnati fans, the homecoming offers an opportunity to reconnect with a coach who understands the program's history and traditions.
4. Josh Schertz, Saint Louis: Building a reputation far from the national spotlight
Josh Schertz spent more than a decade building one of the most successful Division II programs in college basketball before becoming a recognizable Division I coach.
Schertz served as Lincoln Memorial's head coach for 13 seasons, compiling a remarkable 337-69 record. His teams reached ten NCAA Division II tournaments and advanced to the national semifinals three times.
Lincoln Memorial finished as the national runner-up in 2016. The program was also 32-1 when the 2019-20 season ended prematurely because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
His success eventually earned him the Indiana State job in 2021. Schertz transformed the Sycamores into an exciting offensive team that reached the championship game of the 2024 National Invitation Tournament.
Saint Louis hired him shortly afterward, giving Schertz another opportunity to establish his coaching philosophy at a different program.
The results were impressive during his second season. Saint Louis finished 29-6 in 2025-26, captured a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season championship and earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.
Schertz's journey illustrates the value of developing a coaching identity over time. His offensive approach and program-building experience were established long before he became a nationally recognized Division I coach.
5. Matt Majkrzak, Northern Illinois: Facing his former program in his first exhibition
Matt Majkrzak enters the 2026-27 season with an unusual opportunity to begin his Northern Illinois coaching career.
Before accepting the NIU position, Majkrzak spent seven seasons leading Northern Michigan at the Division II level. His success there helped him earn the opportunity to become a Division I head coach.
His first exhibition opponent at Northern Illinois is none other than Northern Michigan.
The Huskies host the Wildcats on October 17, creating a remarkable reunion for Majkrzak and several players who followed him to DeKalb. Northern Illinois confirmed that four members of its roster played at Northern Michigan during the previous season.
The circumstances make the exhibition particularly interesting. Majkrzak will be coaching against the program he helped develop while evaluating players who are familiar with his system and expectations.
The transition also represents an important opportunity for Northern Illinois. The Huskies are attempting to establish a new identity under their first-year head coach, and Majkrzak brings experience building a successful program at a smaller school.
His story might not include the national championships associated with some other coaches on this list, but the opportunity to move from Division II to Division I remains a significant professional achievement.
Different paths, similar opportunities
These five coaches demonstrate that there isn't one established route to becoming a successful Division I head coach.
McCollum and Schertz built outstanding Division II programs before earning opportunities at larger schools. Logie established an impressive record across three NCAA divisions, while Calhoun worked his way back to the university where his coaching career began.
Majkrzak represents another coach attempting to translate success at a smaller school into a new opportunity.
Their careers also offer an important reminder about college basketball. Some of the most interesting coaching stories develop far from the national television spotlight.
As the 2026-27 season approaches, these five coaches have opportunities to add new chapters to already fascinating careers.
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