NCAA Basketball: Picking each league’s Coach of the Year for 2023-24 season

Conference USA: Chris Mudge (Sam Houston State)

This new-look Conference USA will take some getting used to with several league changes in recent years. One thing that is clear is that Sam Houston State looks to remain a power in their new league, even with changes at the top. Mudge is a former student manager at Texas who only just began his head coaching career this year after 13 years as an assistant with the Bearkats.

Year one is certainly going according to plan, as the Bearkats are tied atop the league standings with Louisiana Tech at 9-3. Keep in mind that the Bearkats were picked to finish 6th in the CUSA are adjusting to their third conference in four seasons. Remember, this is also Mudge’s first season helming any program; the work he’s done early on has set Sam Houston State up for a fantastic future.

Horizon League: Sundance Wicks (Green Bay)

Let’s consider recent history in Green Bay because it’s not pretty. The Phoenix won just 16 games in three years under Will Ryan, including a paltry 3-29 mark last season. After many years as a D1 assistant, Wicks arrived at Green Bay this past offseason taking his first chance as a D1 head coach and already has more wins in less than a full season than his predecessor had in three.

Green Bay was picked to finish dead last in the Horizon League in the preseason and have instead blown any expectations out of the water. The Phoenix are just a game behind Oakland for the league lead with a remarkable 12-4 record in conference play. As mentioned, Green Bay has 17 wins, already a major step forward for the program. Wicks has brought winning basketball back to northern Wisconsin.