340. Ted Hotaling (New Haven) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
He’s no stranger to coaching or D1 basketball, but it’s a first this year for Hotaling as New Haven transitions into the NEC and the D1 level. A former player at Albany and assistant at a few other schools, Hotaling began his head coaching career here at New Haven way back in 2010 and has had D2 success with the Chargers. That tenure has included five trips to the D2 Tournament, including an Elite Eight run in 2023, though the last two years have been slower and it’s fair to wonder how they’ll transition this year.
339. Flynn Clayman (High Point) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
It was quite unexpected for Clayman to get this job but he seems ready for his chance to run a program. The former Colorado State and Troy player spent several years at Southern Utah, including a brief stretch as interim head coach back in 2023. Alan Huss then brought Clayman aboard to high point as his associate head coach and the reigns now belong to him after Huss departed in the offseason. The Los Angeles native gets his chance to try to continue the momentum the Panthers have built these last two years.
338. Bill Armstrong (McNeese State) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
Opportunity has finally come knocking for Armstrong, who’ll begin his collegiate head coaching career this season with significant experience under his belt. He played and coached at UAB and at the junior college level and was even a high school coach, but he has many years as a power conference assistant. Armstrong spent over a decade at Ole Miss, many years with LSU, and was on Scott Drew’s Baylor staff this past season. He’s seen, coaching, and recruited many prominent athletes and will hope to continue McNeese’s momentum after Will Wade’s departure.
337. Jeremy Luther (Gardner-Webb) (Last year: 340)
Overall record: 11-20
Luther is far from a stranger to coaching basketball. He formerly coached at the high school level, spent several years on staff at Mercer, and led two different D2 programs in Newberry and Armstrong Atlantic. After more than a decade on Tim Craft’s coaching staff at Gardner-Webb, Luther was promoted to the top job last season. Year one left something to be desired but he’s just getting started and it’s too soon to make any judgments after 11 wins in his debut.
336. Larry Stewart (Coppin State) (Last year: 358)
Overall record: 8-51
More than three decades after playing forward at Coppin State, Stewart is back at his alma mater and making decent progress. Stewart spent a few seasons in the NBA and played internationally for more than a decade, building plenty of experience before his coaching career. After stints as an assistant at a few schools, Stewart returned to Coppin State in 2023. The overall record looks really rough, but last year he actually tripled the win total for the Eagles and is trending in a better direction.
335. George Halcovage (Buffalo) (Last year: 336)
Overall record: 13-49
Back in 2008, Halcovage graduated after playing guard at Babson, a D3 school up in Massachusetts. However, he caught the attention of Jay Wright and spent more than a decade on his staff at Villanova, working his way from grad assistant to operations to associate head coach. After two national titles, Halcovage’s own head coaching career began at Buffalo in 2023 though it’s been an awful beginning of that ride. The Bulls haven’t been very competitive in the MAC, though they at least showed progress with 9 wins last year.
334. Ryan Miller (Murray State) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
The time finally came for Miller to sit in the head coach’s seat after more than two decades as a collegiate assistant. He’s bounced around at several D1 schools, working under coaches like John Calipari, Jamie Dixon, and Greg McDermott, with his most recent work out at Creighton. Miller takes over at Murray State, with the Racers not having put their best foot forward since joining the MVC a few seasons ago; but with his pedigree and experience perhaps Miller is the right man for this program.
333. Solomon Bozeman (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) (Last year: 314)
Overall record: 36-88
A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, it feels fitting that Bozeman is cutting his teeth while leading a program in his home state. After playing both for South Florida and Little Rock, he briefly played point guard overseas before spending time as a D1 collegiate assistant. In addition to his alma mater, Bozeman also was a key assistant at Oral Roberts during their incredible Sweet Sixteen run in 2021. Things haven’t gone as smoothly with the Golden Lions and he’s coming off his worst season with just 6 wins and 11th place in the SWAC.
332. Grant Billmeier (NJIT) (Last year: 333)
Overall record: 14-46
Billmeier grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of his collegiate career in his home state. He played center at Seton Hall in the mid-2000’s and was back on staff after a brief pro playing career. He spent more than a decade with Kevin Willard with the Pirates before following him to Maryland. After just a single season with the Terrapins, Billmeier took the NJIT job in 2023. Two last place finishes and a very limited record are indications that there’s still plenty of work ahead with these Highlanders.
331. Qannas White (Louisiana) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
White did brilliant work as a guard at Oklahoma and really got into the scene at the AAU level in Louisiana. It’s not a surprise to see his first college head coaching gig back in his home state, but the New Orleans native has more experience than just that. After time with Tulane and Western Kentucky, White began a long partnership with Kelvin Sampson at Houston and was a big part of the Cougars’ ascension into a top program in recent years. White now takes control of the Ragin’ Cajuns with dreams of Sun Belt titles in the near future.
330. Ben Howlett (IU Indy) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
IU Indy is really hoping they got this hire right after major struggles in recent memory, though Howlett certainly isn’t foreign to coaching basketball. What stands out is Howlett’s success, even if it’s come at the D2 level at West Liberty. He actually played and assisted with those Hilltoppers before spending eight years as the program’s head coach, with trips to the D2 Tournament every year, including a trip to the title game in 2023. Can he translate his success in the Horizon League?
329. Marty Richter (USC Upstate) (Last year: 338)
Overall record: 6-26
Simple beginnings guided Richter, who played at Simpson College in Iowa and has been an assistant at several schools and programs. He most notably was on staff at Florida Gulf Coast during their Sweet Sixteen run in 2013 and was a big part of Darian DeVries’ recent work with Drake. Richter had previously done decent work as a junior college head coach in Florida but USC Upstate gave him his first shot running his own D1 program, with a slow start to year one but potential still ahead.
328. Gus Argenal (UC Riverside) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
It’s been quite the eventful rise for Argenal, a player at UC Davis just over two decades ago who now inherits his first D1 program. He assisted several programs, including impressive work with Eric Musselman at both Nevada and Arkansas. More importantly, Argenal led a pair of D2 programs, with decent work at Cal State East Bay before taking Cal State San Bernardino to the D2 Final Four in 2024. Now Argenal takes over UC Riverside, a rival of his alma mater, and will try to make another good impression.
327. Dan Geriot (Iona) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
Another coach starting off his collegiate coaching adventure, Geriot gets his opportunity at Iona, though he hasn’t been in the college game in a decade. He’s a former Richmond player who was briefly an assistant with Princeton and Campbell before getting his shot in professional coaching. He worked with the Cleveland Cavaliers in several capacities for nearly a decade, including a run as their G League head coach. That recent work in the NBA has Iona intrigued in what he can bring to New Rochelle.
326. Kevin Carroll (Lipscomb) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
These are new beginnings for Carroll as he begins his third head coaching gig but his first at the D1 level. He previously led D2 programs in Maryville and Trevecca, spending the last two seasons with those Trojans in Nashville. In actuality, he had been on the Lipscomb coaching staff for four years before taking that job, assisting outgoing coach Lennie Acuff. Carroll now succeeds his former boss and will try to instill even more winning for a Bisons program fresh off an ASUN title.
325. Nate Champion (Le Moyne) (Last year: 321)
Overall record: 24-40
An Indiana native and former collegiate guard, Champion starred at Le Moyne in the early 2010’s and returned to the program as head coach not too long after. He did have a few brief stops in between at other schools, but Champion has now led the Dolphins for six seasons with mixed results. There was some solid work in his initial year until transitioning to D1 just two years ago. After tying for 4th in the NEC in their first season, Champion’s team really scuffled with just 9 wins last season.
324. Jeremy Shulman (Tennessee-Martin) (Last year: 355)
Overall record: 14-19
The first experience back in D1 didn’t go too poorly for Shulman, a Middle Tennessee alum who built his career at the community college level. He had spent 14 years as head coach at Eastern Florida State College before he got the call from UT Martin last season. The former longtime AAU and junior college coach continues the transition this season. There was brilliance and a ton of victories in junior college and his first season with the Skyhawks became an 8th place finish in the OVC.
323. Josh Loeffler (Loyola MD) (Last year: 352)
Overall record: 12-19
Loeffler has had quite the route to this point in his coaching career and the 44-year old just keeps pressing forward. He was an assistant at a number of schools alongside head coaching stops at Stevens Tech and Johns Hopkins. After that extensive D3 work, he was a part of Wes Miller’s staff at Cincinnati before getting Loyola’s job in 2024. A 12-19 mark is nothing to be overjoyed about but it’s a start for Loeffler as he attempts to get this program back into contention in the Patriot League.
322. Andrew Wilson (VMI) (Last year: 348)
Overall record: 26-72
Wilson was a guard at Florida State in the early 2000’s, spending much of that time playing and learning under Leonard Hamilton before his own coaching career. An extensive part of that journey has come with Mark Byington, aiding him at Georgia Southern and James Madison before receiving VMI’s top job just three seasons ago. VMI isn’t exactly a program with great history and his first two years were pretty brutal but his Keydets took a big step forward with a 15-19 mark this past season.
321. Jaret von Rosenberg (East Texas A&M) (Last year: 322)
Overall record: 31-66
The work has been solid to this point from von Rosenberg, who has been entrenched at East Texas A&M as head coach since 2017. He was an assistant at a few schools, including Abilene Christian and with these Lions before beginning that head coaching journey. He helped the Lions to three D2 Tournaments before the program transitioned to D1 back in 2022. Their early work in the Southland wasn’t half bad, but winning just 5 games last season was certainly disappointing.