20. Grant McCasland (Texas Tech)
3 NCAA Tournaments (4-3)
No stranger to life in the Big 12, McCasland was a guard at Baylor in the late 90’s and actually begin his coaching career as Texas Tech’s director of operations. Since then there have been several stops, including some success as a D2 and JUCO head coach, as well as working at Baylor with Scott Drew. As a D1 head coach McCasland has been even more impressive, establishing a winning culture at Arkansas State and North Texas before landing at Texas Tech three years ago. Last year became a brilliant Elite Eight run and McCasland continues to have one of the most talented teams in the Big 12.
19. Randy Bennett (Saint Mary’s)
11 NCAA Tournaments (7-11)
He got early experience largely at other west coast schools, but Bennett has spent much of his coaching career turning Saint Mary’s into a mid-major powerhouse. A former assistant at San Diego, Saint Louis, and others, Bennett got his head coaching start with the Gaels in 2001 and has never left. The last quarter century has seen a handful of memorable moments, WCC titles, a Sweet Sixteen, and a fifth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament this year.
18. T. J. Otzelberger (Iowa State)
6 NCAA Tournaments (5-6)
Native to Milwaukee, Otzelberger has certainly made a name for himself in nearby Iowa. He had a few other coaching stints but worked for three different head coaches at Iowa State over a 10-year period. Otzelberger’s collegiate head coaching start came with short stints at South Dakota State and UNLV, with two trips to the Big Dance with the Jackrabbits. The Cyclones brought him back home in 2021 and he’s led them back to the NCAA Tournament all five seasons, with two Sweet Sixteen’s and plenty of victories in the Big 12.
17. Tommy Lloyd (Arizona)
4 NCAA Tournaments (6-4)
Very few people in the college basketball universe knew who Lloyd was when he was playing forward at CSU-Pueblo or Whitman back in the late 90’s, but his run with Gonzaga changed matters. He spent two decades on Mark Few’s staff with the Bulldogs and became a dynamic force in their international recruiting, helping get Gonzaga to the national title game twice from that bench. His first head coaching job began with Arizona in 2021 and the results have been as expected. He’s led the Wildcats to three Sweet Sixteen’s and just won the Big 12 Tournament for the first time.