We’re only a few weeks away from the start of the college basketball season and we’re in the prime time for predictions, previews, and plenty of other attention. This is the ninth year we’ll be ranking all 365 D1 head coaches in the nation, but we’re presenting that information differently this year. Instead of one large article, we’ll be breaking down the coaches individually by conference.
The America East hasn’t really had any crazy changes in recent years, with the conference actually returning all nine coaches from last season. Without further ado, let’s run through where these coaches stand heading into a new season.
312. Levell Sanders (Binghamton) (Last year: 294)
Overall record: 63-90
Sanders is a former Seton Hall point guard who has actually done most of his basketball work overseas. He played professionally there for more than a decade and was even a head coach in the Czech Republic less than a decade ago. He joined the Binghamton staff in 2019 and became head coach two years later, though progress has stalled, as his Bearcats won just 9 games and finished in last place in the America East last season.
308. Grant Billmeier (NJIT) (Last year: 332)
Overall record: 30-63
Another former Seton Hall guard turned head coach, Billmeier had a brief playing career before rejoining the Pirates staff back in 2010. He spent more than a decade with Kevin Willard, both there and at Maryland, before getting his first head coaching shot with NJIT in 2023. Progress was slow out of the gate, but Billmeier led the Highlanders to a 15-16 mark this past year that represents a great step forward.
303. Dwayne Killings (Albany) (Last year: 296)
Overall record: 62-97
It’s already year six for Killings at Albany, though the former NBA video coordinator is still looking to make his mark in the America East. He bounced around several schools as an assistant after that pro work, including stints at UConn and Marquette in the Big East. After he was associate head coach with the Golden Eagles, he took over the Great Danes and has yet to top 17 wins, finishing just 11-21 last year.
286. Chris Markwood (Maine) (Last year: 239)
Overall record: 56-72
A player and former assistant for the school, Markwood lives and breathes Maine basketball and hopes to rejuvenate this program, though he’s hit a bit of a wall. The former longtime assistant at Vermont and Northeastern had a year with Boston College in the ACC before returning to Orono in 2022. A 20-win performance in year three marked the start of that breakthrough, but the Black Bears struggled to an 8-24 finish this past season.
227. Pat Duquette (UMass Lowell) (Last year: 227)
Overall record: 190-206
Much of Duquette’s coaching career has seen him working in his home state of Massachusetts, including a 13-year run on Al Skinner’s staff at Boston College. A few years later, Duquette took over UMass Lowell right as the River Hawks joined the D1 ranks in 2013. His work in Lowell has been a mixed bag, albeit largely satisfactory, with a pair of 2nd place finishes in the America East in recent years.
220. Jamion Christian (Bryant) (Last year: 175)
Overall record: 156-183
Christian has had quite the coaching journey over the years. The former Mount St. Mary’s guard started his head coaching career at his alma mater in 2012, taking the Mountaineers to two NCAA Tournament appearances. After a brief jump to Siena, he didn’t quite have success in the A-10 with George Washington and recently bounced back while coaching in Italy. Year one at Bryant wasn’t good either, with the Bulldogs underwhelming and ending up just 9-22.
219. Jim Ferry (UMBC) (Last year: 238)
Overall record: 305-337
It’s been a long and eventful coaching career for Ferry, who just keeps humming along at UMBC. He spent two decades leading four different programs, with great D2 success at Adelphi, and a pair of D1 Tourneys with Long Island. After struggling at Duquesne, Ferry was on staff at Penn State and spent a year as interim head coach before taking over UMBC in 2021. His early work with the Retrievers wasn’t very notable, at least until leading them back to the NCAA Tournament last season.
200. Nathan Davis (New Hampshire) (Last year: 198)
Overall record: 162-175
After such a brilliant start to his head coaching career, Davis is still looking for his bounce back into notoriety after recent struggles. His start at Randolph-Macon, his alma mater, saw those Yellow Jackets win a boatload of games at the D3 level before heading to Bucknell. Davis won four straight Patriot League titles and made a pair of NCAA Tournaments before his final four years saw significant struggle. Davis landed on his feet with New Hampshire but is just 33-60 and not really finding that footing.
67. John Becker (Vermont) (Last year: 73)
Overall record: 351-144
Unquestionably the top coach in the America East for some time, Becker got his head coaching start at Gallaudet but has been entrenched at Vermont for two decades. He was originally an assistant to Mike Lonergan, though he’s had the top job since 2011. Becker has taken the Catamounts to six NCAA Tournaments and a whole host of success, finishing Top 3 in the conference every single season.
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