We are rapidly pushing forward towards the start of another college basketball season. As a result, we’re nearing the final stages of our yearly project ranking all 365 D1 head coaches in the nation. This project is quite the ordeal and we’ve broken it down into individual conference pieces this year for the very first time, meaning all you’re going to see today are coaches in the Summit League.
This is a conference that has lost some great coaching talent in recent years, though it also gained a very experienced new face from an unlikely source. Still, it’ll be interesting to see how the basketball unfolds in the Summit, especially with coaches both younger and old jockeying for position in this new era of college hoops.
335. Kory Barnett (Oral Roberts) (Last year: 351)
Overall record: 10-23
He wasn’t a major player under Tom Crean at Indiana, but Barnett has been on some notable staffs over the years. After a brief stint in Bloomington as a grad assistant, he would spend the next 11 years with Steve Alford at both UCLA and Nevada before a single season out at West Virginia. After that lone year with Darian DeVries, Oral Roberts brought him aboard for his head coaching debut, though a bit of an underwhelming debut has tempered the excitement in Tulsa.
325. Bryan Petersen (South Dakota State) (Last year: 348)
Overall record: 14-18
A walk-on at Iowa State under Greg McDermott, Petersen did much of his early work at the junior college level in his home state of Iowa before joining Eric Henderson’s staff at South Dakota State back in 2019. He spent six years as a full-time assistant, helping the Jackrabbits to a host of success, before succeeding Henderson last offseason. After brilliant numbers at the JC level, Petersen got off to a slow start with those 14 wins and a 7th place finish in the Summit League standings.
282. Eric Peterson (South Dakota) (Last year: 284)
Overall record: 59-69
The first head coaching opportunity for Peterson was a successful 2-year run at the junior college level with Williston State in the early 2010’s. He had been an assistant there for several years, but it was after that stint that he jumped to the D1 level. He aided Craig Smith at South Dakota, Utah State, and Utah before heading back to South Dakota as head coach in 2022. His Coyotes struggled in his first two seasons, though Peterson produced a 19-win season in year three and tied for 4th in the Summit this past year.
273. Paul Sather (North Dakota) (Last year: 283)
Overall record: 91-132
He may possess more than two decades of head coaching experience but Sather is still looking to make his mark at the D1 level. A former assistant at Colorado, he did great head coaching work at the NAIA level with Black Hills State and with Northern State in D2, taking both to deep postseason runs. Sather landed at North Dakota in 2019 and has had some good and bad moments with the Fighting Hawks. However, he’s coming off another 18-win season, his best effort with the program.
205. Chris Crutchfield (Omaha) (Last year: 176)
Overall record: 62-71
While he did have a couple seasons leading junior college and D2 programs, most of Crutchfield’s experience has come on D1 benches. The former Omaha player has been on staff with TCU, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Oregon among others throughout his career. The Mavericks brought him back as head coach in 2022 and that decision really paid off. Crutchfield led Omaha to the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever in 2025, but is coming off a less impressive 16-17 campaign.
185. Johnny Tauer (St. Thomas) (Last year: 187)
Overall record: 97-67
As a player, Tauer was part of a D3 Final Four team with St. Thomas back in the early 90’s. After earning his doctorate, he’s been teaching and coaching with the Tommies for more than a quarter century, rising to the head coaching position back in 2011. After immense success, including the D3 national title in 2016, he led their transition to D1 right after the pandemic. Things are trending upwards, with the Tommies winning 24 games each of the last two seasons and making last season’s NIT.
107. Dave Richman (North Dakota State) (Last year: 126)
Overall record: 238-150
A North Dakota native who’s spent his entire career in the state, Richman arrived at North Dakota State as graduate assistant in 2003 and has never left. He worked under multiple head coaches before being promoted to the top job in 2014. Not every year has been amazing, but he’s never finished lower than 5th in the Summit and just took the Bison to the NCAA Tournament for the third time this past year, and the first time since the pandemic canceled what would have been a fourth trip.
82. Mark Turgeon (Kansas City) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 476-275
A surprising new face in the Summit League, Turgeon joins the fold with immense coaching experience. A former Kansas point guard under Larry Brown, his head coaching experience includes 10 trips to the NCAA Tournament and work with Jacksonville State, Wichita State, Texas A&M, and Maryland. He took the Shockers to the Sweet Sixteen in 2006, never missed the Big Dance in four years with the Aggies, and had ups and downs in leading the Terrapins into the Big Ten, but now he’ll hope to create a winner with the Roos.
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