In the last decade, there have been over a dozen head coaching changes in Big Ten Basketball. There have been some great hires, along with some that ultimately didn’t work out. Who would be viewed as the best and worst hires since 2016?
Here’s a ranking on both sides.
Best coaching hires
1. Dusty May - Michigan Wolverines
He was just there for two years, but it was a great two seasons for May at Michigan. He went 64-13 and won the national championship in April before joining the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. May gave the Big Ten its first national title since 2001, making him the obvious best coaching hire of the last decade.
2. Brad Underwood - Illinois Fighting Illini
Underwood was hired in 2017 at Illinois, amassing a total record of 193 wins and 110 losses. During that time, the Illini have made six straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Final Four appearance this past season. And with a top-5-caliber roster for the 2026-27 campaign, it could be back-to-back Final Four appearances for the program.
3. Fred Hoiberg - Nebraska Cornhuskers
While still three games under .500 (112-115), Hoiberg is clearly the best coach in program history, taking the Cornhuskers to their first-ever Sweet 16 appearance this past season. The reigning AP National Coach of the Year has turned the program into a Big Ten Basketball contender, a massive achievement for Hoiberg and his work with the program.
Worst coaching hires
1. Archie Miller - Indiana Hoosiers
Miller went 67-58 in four years at Indiana, failing to make the NCAA Tournament a single time. For a program with as many resources as the Hoosiers, not being a contender in any season was a massive failure. While they haven’t fully recovered since, the Miller era can be partly blamed.
2. Ben Johnson - Minnesota Golden Gophers
Johnson also had four years at Minnesota from 2021-25, going 56-71 combined, including two bottom-tier finishes in the Big Ten Basketball standings. It also included several bad non-conference defeats, which left them with little chance of an at-large bid. In his first year alone, Coach Niko Medved had the program much more competitive, giving hope that the Gophers can get back into the NCAA Tournament mix.
3. Juwan Howard - Michigan Wolverines
Things started out great for the former “Fab 5” star and Michigan alum, making the Elite 8 in 2021 and having multiple Sweet 16 appearances. However, the last two years were brutal, marked by several notable incidents and an 8-24 record in his final year before he was fired. They rebounded well with the Dusty May hire, but it was still a dark ending for a program and one of the best players in its history.
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