52. Robert Jones (Norfolk State)
2 NCAA Tournaments (1-2)
Jones has quietly done an incredibly solid job in his twelve years as head coach at Norfolk State. A former high school coach in New York, he originally joined the Spartans’ staff in 2007 and ascended to the top job in 2013, one year after Norfolk State upset 2-seed Missouri on that unforgettable night. As head coach, he’s taken the Spartans to the postseason in almost every season and now has a third MEAC Tournament title. Jones’ squad won a First Four game a few seasons ago and could repeat the feat, with this team winning a fourth regular season title in five years.
51. Ben McCollum (Drake)
0 NCAA Tournaments
This historic first season at the D1 level just keeps getting brighter for McCollum, who wasted no time returning Drake to the NCAA Tournament. A formerly player at Northwest Missouri State, McCollum did sensational work as head coach of his alma mater, taking that program to four D2 national titles all within the last decade. He finally accepted a new challenge with the Bulldogs this year and has 30 wins in an amazing rookie year, complete with Drake’s latest MVC Tournament crown.
50. Ritchie McKay (Liberty)
3 NCAA Tournaments (1-3)
McKay has led an eventful coaching career, with work at a great number of schools dating back more than 35 years. As a head coach, he had stops at Portland State, Colorado State, Oregon State, and New Mexico before latching on with Liberty. He did had a stint as Tony Bennett’s associate head coach with Virginia, but McKay’s second stint leading Liberty had been very successful. He won a Tournament game in 2019 and just led the Flames to their first CUSA Tournament title, nailing the team’s transition from the ASUN.
49. Niko Medved (Colorado State)
2 NCAA Tournaments (1-2)
A graduate of Minnesota, Medved now owns a dozen years of D1 head coaching experience but has done some of his best work this season. After a few stops on coaching staffs, his head coaching career kicked off with solid work at Furman and Drake, building up both of those programs but leaving before the payoff. He’s been at Colorado State since 2018 and these seven years have had payoff, including this year’s MWC Tournament title. It’s his third trip to the Big Dance in the last four seasons, though Medved is hoping to get out of the first round for the first time.