College basketball is back in a major way once again this season. You can feel the excitement across the nation. With the season nearly here, we’re continuing our series looking all 365 D1 head coaches, the ninth year we’ve put this production together. However, this year is special with distinct pieces for each specific conference, including their national rankings.
That process takes us to the MAAC this time and it’s a very interesting league. There have been some notable names coming from this league in recent years and it’s fair to wonder who will be the next head coach to strike it big from the MAAC. For now, the league has plenty of experienced names and even a new face hoping to make his mark.
350. Nevada Smith (Siena) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
The past for Smith is far from inexperienced, though this is his first gig running a D1 program. He’s been a D3 head coach at SUNY Canton and Keystone and more recently spent half a decade as a head coach in the G-League. Smith most recently spent six years on staff with Shaka Smart at both Texas and Marquette, doing great work for the Golden Eagles before landing with Siena this offseason.
292. Greg Paulus (Niagara) (Last year: 289)
Overall record: 86-120
A Duke point guard in the late 2000’s, Paulus has had an odd journey through his coaching career, with a long stint at Ohio State while working for an interim head coach at Louisville. Paulus landed at Niagara in 2019 and was promoted to head coach only months later thanks to off-court issues. His time with the Purple Eagles hasn’t exactly jumped off the page, with 16 wins and a 5th place finish in the MAAC standing out as his high marks.
291. Anthony Latina (Sacred Heart) (Last year: 279)
Overall record: 170-230
Much of Latina’s coaching experience has come with Sacred Heart in a career that dates back more than three decades. After a few early stints, he joined the Pioneers’ staff in 2005 and rose to the head coaching job eight years later. Latina hasn’t yet made the NCAA Tournament but had some solid efforts in the NEC before leading Sacred Heart into the MAAC a few years ago, though results have been mixed since then.
274. Chris Casey (Fairfield) (Last year: 295)
Overall record: 121-175
This is head coaching position number four for Casey, who began his journey with D2 struggles at Rutgers-Newark around the turn of the century. Another D2 gig went better at LIU Post before winning just 33% of his games across six seasons at Niagara. He ascended to Fairfield top job in 2023 after four years on staff and already has a pair of 20-win seasons under his belt, though his Stags only tied for 6th in the MAAC last year.
264. Dan Geriot (Iona) (Last year: 327)
Overall record: 18-14
Considered a surprise hiring to some last offseason, Geriot did pretty solid work in his first head coaching gig at the college level. He did have a few years of experience on staff at Princeton and Campbell but made his mark in the NBA as an assistant, video coordinator, and G-League head coach. The Pennsylvania native had a nice 18-win effort in his debut with the Gaels, though we’ll see if he can build a real MAAC contender.
256. Kevin Baggett (Rider) (Last year: 206)
Overall record: 210-227
Another head coach seemingly here for the long haul, Baggett played at Saint Joseph’s and gained experience at a number of D1 schools but has been at Rider since 2006. He was on staff for six years, including time as associate head coach, before getting the top job in 2012. What has followed hasn’t been any trips to the NCAA Tournament, though his Broncs do have a MAAC title and a couple other nice seasons. Unfortunately, things really bottomed out with 4-25 record last season.
237. John Gallagher (Manhattan) (Last year: 209)
Overall record: 205-264
Another former Saint Joseph’s player, Gallagher had a few early coaching stints before a 12-year stint as head coach at Hartford. That first head coaching stint included some solid seasons in the America East, including a trip to the Big Dance in 2021. A year later, Hartford downgraded to D3 and Gallagher bolted, eventually landing at Manhattan. With just 36 wins in three years, it hasn’t been the smoothest start, especially coming off another 10th place finish in the MAAC.
229. John Dunne (Marist) (Last year: 233)
Overall record: 268-347
Now with twenty years of head coaching experience, Dunne is certainly a veteran in this business. He bounced around for nearly two earlier decades, including time on the Seton Hall coaching staff in the early 2000’s. He then took over at Saint Peter’s and took the Peacocks to one NCAA Tournament and a CIT title in his 12 years. Dunne headed to MAAC rival Marist in 2018 and hasn’t quite broken through to the postseason, though his Red Foxes have won at least 18 games in each of the last three years.
215. Donny Lind (Mount St. Mary’s) (Last year: 215)
Overall record: 38-30
He’s still a relatively young coach at just 39 years old but Lind has gotten his head coaching career off on the right foot. A video coordinator during VCU’s Final Four run back in 2011, he had a few other coaching stints, including three years on the Mount St. Mary’s bench before later returning as head coach in 2024. Year one with the Mountaineers ended with a trip to the NCAA Tournament, while year two was a mediocre 15-win affair.
183. Bashir Mason (Saint Peter’s) (Last year: 189)
Overall record: 227-190
A former Drexel point guard in the mid-2000’s, Mason has made his mark in coaching circles and already has 14 years of D1 head coaching experience. He was an assistant under Dan Hurley at Wagner before succeeding him back in 2012. Mason won three NEC titles but didn’t make the NCAA Tournament in a decade there, though he’s seen to that with Saint Peter’s. Mason took over the Peacocks in 2022 and made the Big Dance in his second season, though last year’s 2nd place finish in the MAAC is his best yet.
166. Tom Pecora (Quinnipiac) (Last year: 173)
Overall record: 262-268
Pecora has been around college basketball for decades at this point, getting his head coaching career started way back in 1989 at SUNY Farmingdale. He worked under Rollie Massimino and Jay Wright before succeeding Wright at Hofstra, taking the Pride to a number of wins and 3 NIT berths. Pecora had a less fruitful run at Fordham, but has bounced back nicely with Quinnipiac. He’s actually 63-36 since being promoted to the Bobcats’ head coach in 2023, with a pair of regular season titles.
157. Jim Christian (Canisius) (Last year: 164)
Overall record: 333-335
As a player in the 80’s, Christian played in a Sweet Sixteen while at Rhode Island and an eventful coaching career still has him chasing that high. He’s worked under Herb Sendek, Ralph Willard and several other great coaches and is now at his fifth D1 school as head coach. Christian made a pair of NCAA Tournaments and won a ton of games at Kent State, though success didn’t quite follow at TCU, Ohio, and Boston College. He’s been with Canisius since 2024 and his Golden Griffins took a big step forward last year even in a 10-21 campaign.
132. Joe Gallo (Merrimack) (Last year: 142)
Overall record: 123-90
After nearly a decade as a player and assistant at Merrimack, Gallo found a few other posts before eventually finding his way back to his alma mater. The New Jersey native started his head coaching career with three straight D2 Tournaments with the Warriors before leading what’s been a smooth transition to D1. Gallo hasn’t gotten Merrimack into the NCAA Tournament, but does have three NEC regular season titles and just got a MAAC crown in year two in the league.
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