As the college basketball gets going, we’re finally entering one of the most exciting sports seasons of the year. Before we get wrapped up in all of that, we’re nearing the end of our preseason series looking at and ranking all 365 D1 head coaches in the nation. This time around it’s been broken down conference by conference instead of all at once, though we’re still listing these coaches with their national rankings.
This time around we’re looking at the coaching talent in the SWAC. It’s not exactly a lead full of household names, though it does include a Heisman Trophy winner and someone who has nearly won a national championship as a head coach. There are three brand new head coaches and plenty of other recent changes in the SWAC, but who exactly stands out as things currently sit?
365. Trey Johnson (Jackson State) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
It’s a new beginning for Johnson, beginning his head coaching career this season at Jackson State. The former Tiger shooting guard spent nearly a decade in pro ball before spending the last six years with Mo Williams, both there and earlier at Alabama State. He’ll succeed Williams and hope to have SWAC success at his alma mater in the very near future.
356. Corey Lowery (Texas Southern) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
This won’t be the first rodeo for Lowery, who has significant experience as a head coach at the D2 level and below, with work at Middlesex College, Essex County College, and Lincoln University. That work especially with Lincoln was impressive before spending the last four years on the Seton Hall staff under Shaheen Holloway, though this is clearly still a big jump taking over his first D1 program.
345. Chris Wright (Alabama State) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 0-0
This season represents Wright’s first shot running a D1 program but let’s not act like he’s new to being a head coach. He’s bounced around and won a ton of games at schools like Central Baptist, Talladega, and most recently Langston, winning over 120 games in his four seasons there before jumping to Alabama State. His only previous D1 experience was a year on staff with Texas State twenty years ago and we’ll see how that affects his jump to Montgomery.
342. Jake Morton (Alcorn State) (Last year: 355)
Overall record: 9-23
Morton got his big shot last season when Alcorn State brought him aboard after extensive coaching experience. The former Miami guard bounced around between eight D1 programs, notably getting work at Miami, East Carolina, and Florida State. A 9-win campaign in his head coaching debut doesn’t exactly jump off the charts, but it’s a solid start for a Braves team that did decently in the SWAC last year.
318. Solomon Bozeman (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) (Last year: 333)
Overall record: 49-107
After his work as a point guard at Little Rock, Bozeman played overseas for a few seasons but quickly got into coaching back in the States. He worked initially under Joe Golding at Abilene Christian, spent some time at his alma mater, and then was on staff when Oral Roberts made a shocking Elite Eight run. He’s still looking for that big impact since taking over in Pine Bluff in 2021, though last year’s 13 wins ties his career best.
306. Patrick Crarey II (Grambling) (Last year: 298)
Overall record: 28-36
It’s been quite the head coaching journey for Crarey, who’s now at his fifth school and second at the D2 level. He was a high school head coach and then won a ton of games at two NAIA schools before landing at Florida A&M in 2024. He has produced 14 wins apiece in what would be his only year with the Rattlers and then his first season since jumping to Grambling, with bigger things potentially ahead.
284. Charlie Ward (Florida A&M) (Last year: 360)
Overall record: 15-16
A Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback at Florida State, Ward made a name for himself in basketball just as well, spending more than a decade playing in the NBA. There haven’t been a ton of stops in his coaching career, though he spent time with the Houston Rockets after his retirement and did solid work at the high school level. Securing a tie for 2nd in the SWAC in his first year as a collegiate head coach was obviously a fantastic debut.
248. Reggie Theus (Bethune Cookman) (Last year: 248)
Overall record: 166-217
Theus truly has been around in the sport of basketball, dating back to star play at UNLV in the late 70’s before becoming the 9th pick of the 1978 NBA Draft. He played in the NBA for over a decade and has been an NBA head coach with the Sacramento Kings. Theus led New Mexico State to the Big Dance in 2007, was a G-League head coach, and had a rocky run with Cal State Northridge before eventually landing with Bethune Cookman in 2021. This past season was another 17-win mark, but his Wildcats did nab the regular season title at least.
241. Kevin Johnson (Southern) (Last year: 242)
Overall record: 120-143
Most of Johnson’s coaching career has come in his home state of Louisiana, including his first head coaching work at Centenary, back when the Gentlemen were D1 two decades ago. He was an assistant at several schools, including recent work with Louisiana and Tulane before Southern hired him in 2023. Since then Johnson has produced three Top 3 finishes in SWAC play, including a 54-41 mark overall, though they’ve fallen short of the Big Dance each time.
224. Byron Smith (Prairie View A&M) (Last year: 241)
Overall record: 147-179
His coaching career includes work with the Harlem Globetrotters, meaning Smith has had quite the journey to date. A former player and assistant at Houston, he’s worked for several schools but has now been at Prairie View A&M for over a decade. After a few years on staff, he was promoted to head coach in January 2016 and remains in that role. Smith notably won three straight SWAC titles early in his tenure and just this past season took Prairie View to the NCAA Tournament for the second time.
210. Donte Jackson (Alabama A&M) (Last year: 208)
Overall record: 150-139
We’ve seen a steady rise from Jackson, who had humble beginnings at the D2 level before his more recent success in D1. He did solid work at Central State and took Tillman to the D2 Tourney before landing at Grambling back in 2017. Jackson won three SWAC titles and made a trip to the NCAA Tournament during his time with the Tigers before jumping to Alabama A&M last offseason. Year one with the Bulldogs saw 18 wins and a tie for 4th place in a solid start.
135. Mike Davis (Mississippi Valley State) (Last year: N/A)
Overall record: 412-360
A surprisingly experienced coaching addition to the SWAC, Davis succeeded Bob Knight at Indiana and led the Hoosiers all the way to the national championship game back in 2002. His head coaching career has consisted of 6-year stints with Indiana, UAB, Texas Southern, and Detroit Mercy with mixed results. However, with the Tigers he won four SWAC regular season titles and made four NCAA Tournaments, hoping to be just as successful as he begins at Mississippi Valley State.
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