There’s a constant revolution of talent in college basketball but that doesn’t just pertain to the talent on the court. Great talent doesn’t bring itself to these programs and the coaches play an immensely important role, especially in this new era with NIL, the Transfer Portal, and other new challenges.
We’ve had nearly two months of basketball action, meaning the regular season is nearly half over. We’ve had ample time to get a look at the programs across the country and while the final chapters are far from written, some things are apparent about certain teams. As a result of slow starts or recent struggles, several coaches are on the hot seat. This isn’t an all-inclusive list, but we’re quickly considering 10 names that might be on the move this offseason… or perhaps even in the coming weeks.
Jeff Capel III – Pittsburgh
This is year eight at Pittsburgh for Capel and while there have been some good seasons, this one is heading in the wrong direction again. His Panthers lost their ACC debut on Tuesday, falling to just 7-7 on the season, mark that includes home losses to Hofstra and Quinnipiac. It’s hard to imagine a turnaround in the weeks ahead for a team with question marks all over the place, especially with a head coach who was already given eight seasons.
Jake Diebler – Ohio State
Brilliant work as Ohio State’s interim head coach in 2024 got Diebler the full-time gig, but the Buckeyes underperformed last season. The faithful in Columbus could likely lure a prominent name to town this offseason if there’s not a turnaround for the Buckeyes. Close losses to North Carolina and Pittsburgh pair with a tough loss to Illinois and we’re still wondering what exactly this team can be by season’s end. If Ohio State isn’t at the very least in the top half of the Big Ten standings there might be a change.
Kim English – Providence
After taking the Friars to the NIT and a solid year in his debut season, English and Providence bottomed out last season. There was certainly plenty of pressure on him and this program this season and a 7-6 start isn’t exactly the response many envisioned. The Friars’ best win right now is probably against Penn State and they’ve wasted opportunities to build momentum, including an 0-2 start to Big East play. Who knows if Providence makes a move after just three seasons, but that early success seemed to be a flash in the pan.
Earl Grant – Boston College
Boston College surprisingly won 20 games in Grant’s third season at the helm, but that was suddenly a long time ago. After finishing 17th place in the ACC last season, the Eagles might be the worst team in the ACC to this point in the season. They lost at home to Central Connecticut and have also dropped games against teams like Davidson, UMass, and Tulane. These five years for Grant haven’t really pushed the Eagles in a positive direction and a change is likely, barring a massive shift during ACC play.
Bobby Hurley – Arizona State
Hurley has survived to his 11th year in Tempe despite never making it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He’s had a few notable victories along this past decade but his Sun Devils have only danced three times and don’t really look like they’re going to change that this year. Double-digit losses to Gonzaga, UCLA, and USC are understandable and they do have nice wins over Oklahoma and Texas, but the Sun Devils fell at home to Oregon State right before Christmas. Can this team really surprise people in the Big 12?
Wes Miller – Cincinnati
Last year was supposed to be the standout season for Miller at Cincinnati thanks to a great roster and momentum, but that didn’t happen. His Bearcats tied for 12th in the Big 12 and failed to get back to 20 wins again and this season looks just as underwhelming. The Bearcats’ only notable win is at home over Dayton back in early November and they’ve since lost at home to Eastern Michigan. They’ve got shooting problems and roster issues and right now it’s hard to imagine improvement in Big 12 play.
Lamont Paris – South Carolina
Paris has bounced between bad and good years in Columbia, taking the Gamecocks to the NCAA Tournament by finishing 2nd place in the SEC in 2024. In his other two full seasons before and after, South Carolina won no more than 12 games, and they’re fresh off a last place finish last year. Nonconference play wasn’t great, as the Gamecocks lost all their prominent matchups, with their best win coming in overtime over Southern Miss. Does Paris get a fifth season if South Carolina is at or near the bottom of the SEC standings again?
Steve Pikiell – Rutgers
Pikiell honestly did the unthinkable by turning Rutgers into a Big Ten contender, making a pair of NCAA Tournaments right after the pandemic. Unfortunately, there’s been a lot of disappointment since then, including a rough season with two NBA first round draft picks last season. There’s even less talent on the Scarlet Knights and they’re just 7-6, including two blowout losses in conference play already. If Rutgers finishes at or near the bottom of the Big Ten standings again, there might be a change even after Pikiell’s past success.
Shaka Smart – Marquette
Following four nice seasons and four NCAA Tournament appearances, Marquette is really bottoming out this year. Despite a Big East title three years ago and a Sweet Sixteen two seasons back, Smart’s Eagles are just 5-9 and look even worse than that record indicates. Their only win since Thanksgiving was in overtime over Valparaiso and they’ve played poorly during an 0-3 start to Big East play. Marquette has no good wins and has shown no signs of turning it around; could Smart be out of town after one implosion?
Jerome Tang – Kansas State
Kansas State surprised many with 26 wins and an Elite Eight run back in 2023 during Tang’s head coaching debut, but things haven’t gone according to plan since then. The Wildcats haven’t lived up to recent expectations with a pair of 9th place finishes in the Big 12. This team is just 9-4 so far this season, including a mind-boggling 16-point home loss against Bowling Green to begin December. Kansas State has added great talent in recent years but Tang just hasn’t delivered the results and the patience won’t last forever.