4. Darian DeVries (West Virginia)
We talked earlier about Drake’s success in recent years and that was all because of DeVries and his work with the Bulldogs. His first head coaching gig was a great one, winning 150 games across those six seasons at Drake before moving on this offseason. DeVries opted for a West Virginia program in a tough position, having finished just 9-23 under interim head coach Josh Eilert after Bob Huggins’ dismissal just a few months earlier.
Just over halfway into his first season, DeVries has that recent struggle looking like the distant past. West Virginia returned less than 3% of its scoring from last season but look like a contender in the Big 12. Overtime wins in Maui over Gonzaga and Arizona showed this team’s promise, and more recent wins over Kansas (on the road) and Iowa State continued to punctuate that potential. What’s more impressive is that West Virginia hasn’t been fully health, missing Tucker DeVries for more than half of their games.
Even with some tough showings in recent weeks in Big 12 play, West Virginia has already exceeded expectations. The Mountaineers were picked to finish 13th in the league and instead look like an NCAA Tournament team that can pull off a win or two in the Big Dance. What DeVries has instantly accomplished has been outstanding and he certainly looks like the Big 12 Coach of the Year, though a lot depends on how this team fares in the weeks ahead, especially if they can get back to full health.