- Ky McKeon
With an abrupt end to the 2019-20 season came an ample amount of time, time I chose to use to undertake the ambitious process of ranking every Division I coach in America. This list will no doubt ruffle some feathers, but please note (if you read this introductory section) this process was almost entirely objective in nature. Were I to do this ranking purely off my own gut feelings, this list would look totally different. But in the spirit of fairness, I wanted to make this a results-based ranking - not just results like “NCAA Tournament bids” or “Final Four appearances”, as those opportunities skew heavily towards the Power 6 leagues, but relative results based on program history and preseason expectations.
Most of those who click this article will not read the introduction, or any of the ranking justifications themselves. Before reacting rashly and bombarding us with "crying laughing" emojis, I urge you to read the criteria below, and understand that the list was assembled in an almost completely objective, statistical manner. Of course, most of the people who need to read this section won't do so...
Criteria
General Notes
KenPom data was used for all performance scores. Data in KenPom goes back to the 2002 season, meaning any coaching performance from prior to 19 years ago was not considered in this ranking. For example, Coach K’s 1991 and 1992 national titles were not considered in this ranking.
KenPom tracks preseason rankings back to the 2012 season. For example, this means Steve Alford’s performance relative to preseason expectations at Iowa in 2006 was not considered in this ranking.
Ties were broken more or less subjectively, but most weight was given towards relative performance metrics.
Relative Performance (57% of total score)
Relative performance is made up of two attributes. The first is a coach’s performance relative to his school’s average performance. Average school performance was derived by taking the average ending (pre-Tourney) Adj. EM from 2002 to 2020, per KenPom. A coach’s average ending (pre-Tourney) Adj. EM at a particular school was measured against his school’s average Adj. EM.
The second attribute is a coach’s performance relative to preseason expectations. This is simply the difference between a coach’s beginning Adj. EM per KenPom and ending Adj. EM (from 2012 to 2020).
Note, in order to limit skewed results, special consideration was made for coaches who have been head coaching for only 1-2 years and coaches who have been at a program for 15+ years.
Raw Performance (34% of total score)
Raw performance takes into account the following: 1) KenPom top 100 finishes, 2) KenPom top 50 finishes, 3) KenPom top 10 finishes, 4) Tournament appearances, 5) Sweet Sixteens & Elite Eights, 6) Final Four appearances, and 7) National Championships.
Raw performance is an average. As such, special consideration was made for coaches who have been head coaching for only 1-2 years and coaches who have been at a program for 15+ years.
Job Moves (9% of total score)
Job moves takes into account promotions, demotions, and longevity. Promotions are reflected as additional points to a coach’s score. Demotions take away from a coach’s score. Bonuses were given to coaches who have been at their current programs for 10+ years.
The Unranked
These coaches are new to the DI head honcho ranks in 2020. As these rankings are based on past results, these particular coaches have no data and therefore are excluded from the official rankings.
Scott Davenport, Bellarmine; Anthony Boone, Central Arkansas; Jon Judkins, Dixie State; (Fordham is currently coachless); Brian Burg, Georgia Southern; Luke Yaklich, Illinois Chicago; Stan Johnson, Loyola Marymount; Steve Smiley, Northern Colorado; Bucky McMillan, Samford; Brad Korn, Southeast Missouri State; Eric Olen, UC San Diego; Takayo Siddle, UNC Wilmington; Clayton Bates, Western Michigan
The Rankings
344. Amir Abdur-Rahim, Kennesaw State
Score: 18
Raw Rank: T-213th
Relative Rank: T-341st
Somebody had to be last, and unfortunately for first-year Kennesaw State coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, it was he. Abdur-Rahim actually tied from an overall score perspective with Brett Nelson, Lance Irvin, and Mike Morrell, but his performance this season against preseason expectations tanked him to a lower spot on the totem pole than the aforementioned trio. Only Scott Padgett (formerly of Samford) underachieved more than Abdur-Rahim from an Adj. EM perspective. Hopefully Shareef’s little brother can right the ship over the next few years.
343. Brett Nelson, Holy Cross
342. Lance Irvin, Chicago State
341. Mike Morrell, UNC Asheville
340. Kenny Blakeney, Howard
339. David Kiefer, Southeastern Louisiana
338. Carson Cunningham, Incarnate Word
337. Terry Porter, Portland
336. Rodney Billups, Denver
335. Pat Baldwin, Milwaukee
334. Tommy Dempsey, Binghamton
333. Jean Prioleau, San Jose State
332. Jay Young, Fairfield
331. Michael Fly, Florida Gulf Coast
330. Dan Engelstad, Mount Saint Mary’s
329. Preston Spradlin, Morehead State
328. Quinton Ferrell, Presbyterian
327. Mark Madsen, Utah Valley
326. Murray Garvin, South Carolina State
325. Jason Crafton, Maryland Eastern Shore
324. Eric Skeeters, Delaware State
323. Brian Barone, SIU Edwardsville
322. Aaron McKie, Temple
Score: 26
Raw Rank: T-213th
Relative Rank: T-313th
One-year sample sizes were boom or bust for these coach rankings, but McKie had another factor going against him. The former Philadelphia 76er replaced long-time Temple head coach Fran Dunphy, who along with John Chaney boosted the program’s average Adj. EM to the 68th best mark in college basketball from 2002 - 2019. McKie only underachieved slightly from a preseason expectation standpoint, but his poor performance compared to program history hurt him in these rankings.
321. Dennis Gates, Cleveland State
320. Jerry Stackhouse, Vanderbilt
319. Lennie Acuff, Lipscomb
318. Billy Lange, Saint Joseph’s
317. Dan Earl, VMI
316. Byron Rimm II, IUPUI
315. Jerrod Calhoun, Youngstown State
314. Joe Jones, Boston University
313. Matt Lottich, Valparaiso
312. Tony Jasick, Jacksonville
311. Brian Earl, Cornell
310. Ashley Howard, La Salle
309. Lindsey Hunter, Mississippi Valley State
308. Anthony Stewart, Tennessee Martin
307. Mark Montgomery, Northern Illinois
306. Michael Huger, Bowling Green
305. Scott Pera, Rice
304. Richard Barron, Maine
303. Mike Balado, Arkansas State
302. Todd Lickliter, Evansville
Score: 31
Raw Rank: T-100th
Relative Rank: T-336th
Lickliter is an interesting case, as he inherited an Evansville squad undergoing significant internal turmoil midway through the season. This was accounted for in his overall score, but the result still hurt his relative performance in both categories (Evansville was supposed to be much better in 2020 and former coach Marty Simmons did a good job building the program). The Evansville season was the only one counting towards Lickliter’s “preseason vs. end season” results. However, aside from a pair of impressive Sweet Sixteen runs at Butler, his pre-2012 stints at Iowa and Butler were nothing special. Lickliter’s Iowa teams ranked 174th, 87th, and 146th overall, and two of his six Butler squads finished outside the top 130.
301. Tavaras Hardy, Loyola MD
300. Donyell Marshall, Central Connecticut
299. Mike Brennan, American
298. Zach Spiker, Drexel
297. Jay Ladner, Southeastern Louisiana
296. Paul Mills, Oral Roberts
295. Jim Whitesell, Buffalo
294. Todd Lee, South Dakota
293. Bashir Mason, Wagner
292. Dave Dickerson, USC Upstate
291. Wayne Brent, Jackson State
290. A.W. Hamilton, Eastern Kentucky
289. Zac Claus, Idaho
288. Dedrique Taylor, Cal State Fullerton
287. Mark Slessinger, New Orleans
286. John Pelphrey, Tennessee Tech
285. Jim Engles, Columbia
284. Billy Donlon, UMKC
283. Juan Dixon, Coppin State
282. Geno Ford, Stony Brook
281. Jeff Capel, Pittsburgh
Score: 36
Raw Rank: T-100th
Relative Rank: T-303rd
Capel was hurt by inheriting a Pitt team fresh off the failed Kevin Stallings tenure. Under Jamie Dixon, Pitt was one of the best programs in the country year in and year out. When compared to Dixon’s Pitt teams, Capel’s don’t come anywhere close. Secondly, despite a relatively strong 2019 season as the leader of Pitt, Capel actually under-performed expectations in 2020. Had the “preseason vs. end of season” criteria stretched past 2012 and into Capel’s VCU and OU years, his ranking would have been slightly higher.
280. Pat Duquette, UMass Lowell
279. Kevin Baggett, Rider
278. John Smith, Cal Poly
277. Greg Paulus, Niagara
276. Martin Inglesby, Delaware
275. Linc Darner, Green Bay
274. Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
273. James Whitford, Ball State
272. Rick Croy, Cal Baptist
271. Travis Steele, Xavier
Score: 38
Raw Rank: T-54th
Relative Rank: T-328th
This one surprised me, but maybe it shouldn’t have. Xavier has finished in the top 100 in each of Steele’s two seasons at the helm, but the Musketeers missed the Dance in 2019 and were a bubble team in 2020. Steele’s squad fell way short preseason expectations in 2020 and underachieved in 2019 as well. His resume pales in comparison to past Xavier coaches Chris Mack, Sean Miller, and Thad Matta.
270. Shaheen Holloway, Saint Peter’s
269. Dylan Howard, Alabama A&M
268. Damon Stoudamire, Pacific
267. Bryan Mullins, Southern Illinois
266. Ron Sanchez, Charlotte
265. John Dunne, Marist
264. Steve Masiello, Manhattan
263. Mike Boynton, Oklahoma State
262. Eran Ganot, Hawaii
261. Mike Martin, Brown
260. Penny Collins, Tennessee State
259. Jack Owens, Miami Ohio
258. Lamont Paris, Chattanooga
257. Rob Jeter, Western Illinois
256. Billy Gillispie, Tarleton State
Score: 39
Raw Rank: T-43rd
Relative Rank: T-328th
Gillispie’s recent hire to DI newbie Tarleton State caused quite a media splash. Given his resume boasting gigs with Kentucky, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, I expected Billy Clyde to land higher on this list. Those more familiar with Gillispie’s performances at those schools are likely less shocked. His 2008 and 2009 Kentucky squads were two of the three worst in the school’s 2002 - 2020 time frame.
255. Duggar Baucom, The Citadel
254. Jay McAuley, Wofford
253. Kevin McGeehan, Campbell
252. Greg Gary, Mercer
251. Baker Dunleavy, Quinnipiac
250. Heath Schroyer, McNeese State
249. Donnie Jones, Stetson
248. Danny Manning, Wake Forest
Score: 40
Raw Rank: T-100th
Relative Rank: T-303rd
Manning’s raw and relative ranks are the same as Jeff Capel’s (#281 on this list), but Manning’s promotion from Tulsa to Wake Forest in the offseason of 2014 pushed him ahead. At Tulsa, Manning struggled in year one, but had a banner 2014 when he led the Golden Hurricane to a 21-13 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance. At Wake, outside of 2017 (a fantastic season from a program and preseason expectation perspective), Manning has had a rough go. The last three seasons, the Demon Deacons have finished well below their preseason KenPom starts, leading many to call for a change in leadership.
247. Dave Richman, North Dakota State
246. Lewis Jackson, Alabama State
245. Dave McLaughlin, Dartmouth
244. Ron Cottrell, Houston Baptist
243. Anthony Latina, Sacred Heart
242. Earl Grant, Charleston
Score: 43
Raw Rank: T-137th
Relative Rank: T-266th
I expected to see Grant higher on this list given Charleston’s recent success and overall so-so performance since John Kresse left in 2002. Grant’s raw rank score is in line with expectations - the Cougars have finished in the KenPom top 100 once and have made one NCAA Tournament in the coach’s six-year tenure. From a relative score perspective, Grant’s first season in 2015 weighed down his ranking - again, that was expected. What wasn’t expected was Grant’s preseason expectation performances. Only in 2016 did Grant exceed preseason expectations per KenPom - every other season, Charleston has finished slightly below where they “should have”.
241. Kyle Keller, Stephen F. Austin
240. Dave Leitao, DePaul
239. Bill Herrion, New Hampshire
238. Brian Katz, Sacramento State
237. Rob Senderoff, Kent State
236. Todd Simon, Southern Utah
235. Darrin Horn, Northern Kentucky
234. Brian Kennedy, NJIT
233. Glenn Braica, St. Francis NY
Score: 45
Raw Rank: T-213th
Relative Rank: T-230th
232. Rob Krimmel, St. Francis PA
Score: 45
Raw Rank: T-213th
Relative Rank: T-171st
Not much to say here, I just thought it was funny that the two St. Francis coaches ended with same score. Braica’s score was boosted for his longevity at the helm of St. Francis NY (10 seasons). Krimmel was given the nod on the tiebreaker due to his superior relative rank.
231. Ed DeChellis, Navy
230. Dave Paulsen, George Mason
229. Jerod Haase, Stanford
228. Nicholas McDevitt, UNC Asheville
227. Jimmy Allen, Army
226. Barclay Radebaugh, Charleston Southern
225. Derrin Hansen, Omaha
224. Joe Pasternack, UC Santa Barbara
223. Edward Joyner, Jr., Hampton
222. Rod Barnes, Cal State Bakersfield
221. Jim Christian, Boston College
Score: 46
Raw Rank: T-100th
Relative Rank: T-266th
220. LaVall Jordan, Butler
Score: 46
Raw Rank: T-55th
Relative Rank: T-292nd
219. Josh Pastner, Georgia Tech
Score: 46
Raw Rank: T-55th
Relative Rank: T-292nd
Three big school names grace spots 221, 220, and 219. LaVall Jordan might be the most surprising of the bunch given Butler’s success this season. While Jordan exceeded expectations in 2020 and 2018, he underachieved in 2019 and 2017 at Milwaukee. That Milwaukee squad finished dead last in the Horizon after the roster completely flipped over from Rob Jeter’s final year at the helm.
Jim Christian’s score is helped tremendously by his Kent State years from 2003 - 2008. During that time he had five of the best seven Golden Flashes squads in the 2002 - 2020 time frame.
Josh Pastner’s greatest coaching job was his 2012 season at Memphis when he led his Tigers to a 26-9 overall record and a top-10 pre-Tournament KenPom finish. His 2017 ACC Coach of the Year season at Georgia Tech was a close second.
218. David Patrick, UC Riverside
217. Tony Pujol, North Alabama
216. Mike Schrage, Elon
215. Reggie Witherspoon, Canisius
214. Brian Gregory, South Florida
213. Dana Ford, Missouri State
212. Ryan Looney, Idaho State
Score: 48
Raw Rank: T-213th
Relative Rank: T-130th
Few folks probably realized the fantastic job Idaho State’s Ryan Looney did during his first year at the helm. Despite an 8-22 overall record and 4-14 Big Sky finish, Looney had the 6th best performance among all first-year coaches (and 15th overall) from a preseason expectation standpoint, boosting ISU’s preseason 337th ranking to 291st by season end.
211. Rodney Terry, UTEP
210. Mike Rhoades, VCU
209. Jay Spoonhour, Eastern Illinois
208. Jeff Boals, Ohio
207. Joe Gallo, Merrimack
Score: 49
Raw Rank: T-213th
Relative Rank: T-122nd
Winning your conference in your first season in Division I wasn’t part of the Coach Rank criteria, but maybe it should’ve been.
206. Paul Weir, New Mexico
205. Chris Collins, Northwestern
204. John Groce, Akron
203. Kevin Broadus, Morgan State
202. Matt McCall, Massachusetts
201. Ray Harper, Jacksonville State
200. Robert McCullum, Florida A&M
199. Randy Rahe, Weber State
198. Steve Donahue, Penn
197. Tubby Smith, High Point
Score: 51
Raw Rank: T-34th
Relative Rank: T-201st
Tubby alone held the honor of “most head coaching jobs since 2002” until Tarleton State hired Billy Gillispie, now the pair sit tied at five. A summary of Tubby’s relative performance at his five stops goes as follows:
Kentucky (‘02 - ’07): Average
Minnesota (‘08 - ’13): Good
Texas Tech (‘14 - ‘16): Good
Memphis (‘17 - ‘18): Bad
High Point (‘19 - ‘20): Very Bad
Yes, that’s right. To date, Tubby’s worst coaching run has been at Big South school High Point University. Perhaps that helps put into perspective the coaching aptitude of some of the highly successful mid-major coaches around the country.
196. Willis Wilson, Texas A&M Corpus Christi
195. Dan D’Antoni, Marshall
194. Pat Kelsey, Winthrop
193. Greg Herenda, Fairleigh Dickinson
192. Penny Hardaway, Memphis
191. Rob Lanier, Georgia State
190. Travis Ford, Saint Louis
189. Lorenzo Romar, Pepperdine
188. Robert Jones, Norfolk State
187. John Gallagher, Hartford
186. Jay Joyner, North Carolina A&T
185. Barrett Peery, Portland State
184. Dan Monson, Long Beach State
183. Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State
182. Greg Gard, Wisconsin
Score: 53
Raw Rank: T-18th
Relative Rank: T-287th
Wisconsin has finished within KenPom’s top 25 three of Greg Gard’s five seasons at the helm and has made two Sweet Sixteens. Why then is Gard so low on this list? Well, as you can clearly see it has nothing to do with his raw ranking. Rather, Gard is weighed down by a low relative score. From a preseason expectation perspective, Gard is a little below average on a national scale, but his Adj. EM performance compared to program history is very low. He has Bo Ryan to blame for that, who had Wisconsin competing at an extremely high level from 2002 - 2015.
181. George Ivory, Arkansas Pine Bluff
180. Montez Robinson, Alcorn State
179. Jim Hayford, Seattle
178. Joe Golding, Abilene Christian
177. Dane Fischer, William & Mary
176. Jason Hooten, Sam Houston State
175. Jamion Christian, George Washington
174. Dan Muller, Illinois State
173. Niko Medved, Colorado State
172. Brett Reed, Lehigh
171. Rob Murphy, Eastern Michigan
170. Mike Jones, Radford
169. Mark Byington, James Madison
168. Johnny Jones, Texas Southern
Score: 55
Raw Rank: T-137th
Relative Rank: T-130th
We’ve criticized Johnny Jones a fair amount on this site and in our podcasts, primarily for his years at the helm of LSU. Jones’s performance from a preseason expectation standpoint wasn’t as dreadful at LSU as I had thought - in fact, LSU performed better than expected in three out of his five seasons in charge. But, Jones’s average Adj. EM during that tenure was below program average, thanks in large part to Will Wade and John Brady. At Texas Southern, Jones has done better, but his North Texas stint from 2002 - 2012 is where he really shined.
167. Wes Miller, UNC Greensboro
166. Scott Nagy, Wright State
165. Tommy Amaker, Harvard
164. Chris Mooney, Richmond
163. Andrew Toole, Robert Morris
162. Jon Coffman, Purdue Fort Wayne
161. Darian DeVries, Drake
160. Scott Cross, Troy
159. Steve Wojciechowski, Marquette
158. Brian Wardle, Bradley
157. Derek Kellogg, LIU
156. Porter Moser, Loyola Chicago
155. Mark Fox, California
154. Paul Sather, North Dakota
Score: 57
Raw Rank: T-213th
Relative Rank: T-46th
Admittedly, I forgot who Paul Sather was when first putting this list together. I had to look back at my Summit preview from the offseason to refresh my memory. Sather came from Northern State, a DII program who he led to the national title game in 2018. All signs pointed to Sather being ecstatic for the opportunity at UND and boy did he take advantage in his first year at the helm. Sather exceeded preseason expectations but more importantly blew the doors off program average Adj. EM. 2020 was North Dakota’s third best season in its 11-year DI history.
153. Pat Skerry, Towson
152. Steve Henson, UTSA
151. Jared Grasso, Bryant
150. Darrell Walker, Little Rock
149. Jeff Jones, Old Dominion
148. Mark Gottfried, Cal State Northridge
147. Sam Scholl, San Diego
146. Larry Krystkowiak, Utah
145. Ryan Ridder, Bethune Cookman
144. Fran O’Hanlon, Lafayette
143. Shantay Legans, Eastern Washington
142. Lew Hill, UT Rio Grande Valley
141. Richie Riley, South Alabama
140. Danny Sprinkle, Montana State
139. Tom Crean, Georgia
138. Mike Young, Virginia Tech
137. Johnny Dawkins, UCF
136. Sean Woods, Southern
135. Mike Hopkins, Washington
134. Griff Aldrich, Longwood
133. Mark Prosser, Western Carolina
132. Mike White, Florida
131. Joe Scott, Air Force
Score: 60
Raw Rank: T-137th
Relative Rank: T-112th
Joe Scott hasn’t been a head coach since 2016, when he was the head honcho at Denver. In 2021, Scott will begin his second stint at Air Force, hoping to build off his 2004 season in which he led the Falcons to the NCAA Tournament and the second best Adj. EM in the program’s 2002 - 2020 time frame. Scott was largely successful at Denver from 2008 - 2016, but his Princeton tenure from 2005 - 2007 was below program standard.
130. Bill Coen, Northeastern
129. David Cox, Rhode Island
128. Mitch Henderson, Princeton
127. Matt McMahon, Murray State
126. Matthew Driscoll, North Florida
125. Justin Hutson, Fresno State
124. Nathan Davis, Bucknell
123. Herb Sendek, Santa Clara
122. Frank Haith, Tulsa
121. Anthony Grant, Dayton
Score: 61
Raw Rank: T-43rd
Relative Rank: T-158th
2020’s National Coach of the Year by many publications checks in at #121 on this list, perhaps a tad lower than many would expect. Grant’s 2020 performance was the 6th best in the country from a preseason expectation standpoint, and his 2019 performance at Dayton was strong as well. However, Grant’s 2018 season was poor, and his Alabama tenure in which he led the Tide to just one KenPom top 50 finish in six years was mediocre at best.
120. Austin Claunch, Nicholls State
Score: 62
Raw Rank: T-213th
Relative Rank: T-18th
119. Jeremy Ballard, FIU
Score: 62
Raw Rank: T-213th
Relative Rank: T-18th
118. Shane Burcar, Northern Arizona
Score: 62
Raw Rank: T-213th
Relative Rank: T-18th
Three coaches early in their respective careers all in a row. Burcar had the 4th best performance this season by a first-year coach from a preseason expectations standpoint, vaulting his Lumberjacks nearly 100 spots in the KenPom standings from 309th to 215th. His 2020 season was the 6th best in NAU history dating back to 2002 and well above program average.
Ballard’s 2020 season at FIU was THE BEST in program history dating back to 2002 - he took the Panthers from a preseason rating of 204 all the way to 149 and far exceeded program averages. Ballard’s 2019 season was the third best in program history dating back to 2002. FIU may have found their long-term solution in the 38-year old coach from Atlanta.
Austin Claunch is best known for being the youngest (don’t check me on that - if he’s not the youngest, he’s close) head coach in Division I. In fact, he is younger than my colleague Jim Root. Claunch led Nicholls State to a surprise 21-10 (15-5) season, pulling an upset over Pitt (and nearly LSU and Rhode Island) along the way. He rose the Colonels’ KenPom ranking 100 spots since the start of the season and notched the program’s 3rd best Adj. EM since 2002.
Now, are my rankings too lenient on young coaches? My answer is: maybe. It goes both ways. Is Amir Abdur-Rahim the worst coach in the country because he had one bad season? Maybe not. Is Shane Burcar the 118th best coach in the country because he had one good season? Maybe not. I tried to adjust for those type of scenarios along the way.
117. Matt Langel, Colgate
116. Matt Figger, Austin Peay
115. Chris Ogden, UT Arlington
114. King Rice, Monmouth
113. Travis DeCuire, Montana
112. Mike Davis, Detroit
111. Pat Chambers, Penn State
110. Ritchie McKay, Liberty
109. Donte Jackson, Grambling State
Score: 63
Raw Rank: T-213th
Relative Rank: T-13th
Seeing Grambling State’s coach nearly crack the top 100 of this list surprised me, but I think that’s why this (mostly) objective exercise was a blast. Jackson has been at the helm of Grambling for three seasons. In that time he has VASTLY outperformed program Adj. EM average dating back to 2002. In fact, only Furman’s Bob Richey and Texas Tech’s Chris Beard have done better at their respective stops. Jackson has won 17 games in each of his three seasons at the helm - only TWO other times has a coach one that many games at Grambling State in the school’s 43-year Division I history. Expect Jackson, another young coach hovering around 40, to field higher level offers in the not-too-distant future.
108. Tim Craft, Gardner Webb
107. Dusty May, Florida Atlantic
106. Carm Maciariello, Siena
105. Keith Richard, Louisiana Monroe
104. Andy Enfield, USC
Score: 63
Raw Rank: T-85th
Relative Rank: T-130th
Our opinion of Enfield’s coaching job at USC is well-documented, so no need to go down that path once again. Let’s instead look at why he lands at 104th on this list. First from a raw rank perspective - Enfield has had just ONE team in seven years at the helm of USC crack the KenPom top 50, and only two seasons has his Trojans made the NCAA Tournament. His Tourney appearance at FGCU and six USC top 100 finishes added to his score and kept his head above water.
From a relative rank perspective, Enfield has performed pretty much how you’d expect. He crushed expectations in 2012 at FGCU (and actually underperformed in 2013) and has under-achieved or finished as expected in six of his seven seasons at USC. He significantly outperformed program norms at FGCU but has been worse than program norms with the Trojans.
103. Richard Pitino, Minnesota
102. Eric Henderson, South Dakota State
101. Mike McConathy, Northwestern State
100. Joe Dooley, East Carolina
99. Tic Price, Lamar
98. Cliff Ellis, Coastal Carolina
97. Eric Konkol, Louisiana Tech
96. Andy Kennedy, UAB
95. Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon
Score: 64
Raw Rank: T-70th
Relative Rank: T-101st
Bryce Drew returns in 2021 as the head coach of Grand Canyon following a fall from grace at Vanderbilt. How bad was Drew’s relative score from his 2019 Vanderbilt season? Really bad. And so was his 2018 Vandy season, for that matter. But, Drew significantly exceeded preseason expectations in 2017 and his entire Valparaiso tenure was a success, save for 2014. Drew’s Valpo performance definitely is the primary reason behind his top-100 ranking, but he did notch a top 50 and top 100 finish at Vandy before being canned.
94. Mick Cronin, UCLA
93. Dustin Kerns, Appalachian State
92. Greg Kampe, Oakland
91. Casey Alexander, Belmont
90. Jim Les, UC Davis
89. Keno Davis, Central Michigan
88. Ed Cooley, Providence
Score: 65
Raw Rank: T-85th
Relative Rank: T-112th
One of the several examples of a coach landing on this list lower than I expected. In my head, Cooley is one of the very best head coaches in the country for a multitude of reasons. But, peeling back the layers of his performance has made me think a little harder on that notion. From 2013 - 2017, Cooley outperformed preseason expectations at Providence, but he’s lagged behind in each of the past three years. Cooley has had five Tournament teams at Providence, but zero Sweet Sixteen appearances. And, only once has Cooley had a team finish inside the KenPom top 40.
Cooley did outperform program norms at Fairfield, where he coached from 2007 - 2011. His promotion from there to Providence factors into his overall score.
87. Greg Lansing, Indiana State
86. Bob Marlin, Louisiana
85. Mark Turgeon, Maryland
84. Jim Larranaga, Miami FL
83. Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa
82. Ryan Odom, UMBC
81. Tod Kowalczyk, Toledo
80. Rick Stansbury, Western Kentucky
79. Cuonzo Martin, Missouri
78. Juwan Howard, Michigan
77. John Becker, Vermont
Score: 67
Raw Rank: T-85th
Relative Rank: T-75th
76. Will Brown, Albany
Score: 69
Raw Rank: T-85th
Relative Rank: T-87th
The two best coaches in the America East (per this list) helm the two most consistent conference programs over the past 19 seasons (also, with Ryan Odom at #82, the AEC has three coaches in the top 100 - good for them).
You’ll notice Becker’s raw and relative ranks are higher than Brown’s, yet Brown’s overall score is higher. The Albany head coach was awarded bonus points for his longevity at the program. Brown is one of just 13 coaches on this list who has been with the same program from 2002 through 2020.
75. Tim Jankovich, SMU
74. Shaka Smart, Texas
73. Joe Mihalich, Hofstra
72. Mark Schmidt, St. Bonaventure
71. Frank Martin, South Carolina
70. Russell Turner, UC Irvine
69. Danny Kaspar, Texas State
68. Kermit Davis, Mississippi
67. Keith Dambrot, Duquesne
66. Chris Mack, Louisville
Score: 70
Raw Rank: T-18th
Relative Rank: T-171st
One of the most shocking results was seeing Chris Mack, a coach I consider to be “cream of the crop” in college basketball, land outside the top 50. His spot boils down to one thing - Adj. EM performance over program average. Mack has spent the past two seasons at Louisville and has done a good job overall (far exceeded expectations in 2019, underperformed in 2020). However, Rick Pitino’s 2002 - 2017 stint at Louisville, in which he captured a national championship, a few final fours, and several top ten finishes has put the program’s standard to the moon. It’d be difficult for any coach in the country to outperform Pitino’s work at the helm.
65. Byron Smith, Prairie View A&M
Score: 71
Raw Rank: T-165th
Relative Rank: T-13th
The honor of highest SWAC ranked coach goes to 4-year head coach Byron Smith, who has turned PVAMU into somewhat of a mid-major powerhouse. Smith has destroyed preseason expectations in each of the past three years, most recently taking PVAMU’s preseason 300th ranking and finishing 213th. Smith also shines from a program perspective - PVAMU’s best two seasons and three of its top four since 2002 have been under Smith’s tutelage.
64. Brad Brownell, Clemson
Score: 71
Raw Rank: T-55th
Relative Rank: T-87th
Brad Brownell above Chris Mack? Am I insane?! Maybe, but hear me out. If this list was based purely off Brownell’s Clemson years, he likely wouldn’t be in the top 100 - but even so, he’s exceeded expectations more times than not at the helm of the Tigers. It’s Brownell’s Wright State (2007 - 2010) and UNC Wilmington (2003 - 2006) stints that vault him to such a high ranking. At UNCW, Brownell had two squads rank in the KenPom top 50. At Wright State, he had three teams finish in the top 100 (his fourth was 116th). Those two stretches at those two schools are as good as any in those respective programs’ history since 2002.
63. Bobby Hurley, Arizona State
62. Steve Prohm, Iowa State
61. Kevin Willard, Seton Hall
60. Buzz Williams, Texas A&M
59. Steve Pikiell, Rutgers
58. Leonard Hamilton, Florida State
Score: 71
Raw Rank: T-34th
Relative Rank: T-158th
Hamilton’s raw rank is boosted by his seven NCAA Tourney appearances, two Sweet Sixteens, and one Elite Eight at the helm of Florida State. If this ranking was based solely on Hamilton’s last four seasons, his relative rank would be skyrocketed and he’d land much higher on this list. However, it took Hamilton six years at FSU to make a Dance, and he’s had two squads finish outside the top 100, most recently in 2013.
57. Greg McDermott, Creighton
56. Steve Alford, Nevada
55. Dan Hurley, Connecticut
54. John Brannen, Cincinnati
53. Kyle Smith, Washington State
52. LeVelle Moton, North Carolina Central
Score: 73
Raw Rank: T-137th
Relative Rank: T-46th
The top MEAC coach on this list should come as no surprise. Moton has thoroughly owned his conference during his 11 years at the helm, punching four bids to the NCAA Tournament and even once finishing inside the KenPom top 100. Moton has significantly exceeded preseason expectations seven out of nine years since 2012, and he’s outperformed program norms at NCCU during his tenure.
51. Jamie Dixon, TCU
50. Rick Barnes, Tennessee
49. T.J. Otzelberger, UNLV
48. James Jones, Yale
47. Archie Miller, Indiana
Score: 74
Raw Rank: T-26th
Relative Rank: T-112th
Congrats Indiana fans, your coach has landed in the top 50. Unfortunately, I fear this just isn’t good enough for a program of IU’s standards - a sentiment that has been whispered about Archie since he took the job in the 2017 offseason. You won’t be shocked to learn that Archie isn’t here because of his Indiana performance, but rather it’s his six-year tour at Dayton that has juiced his ranking. During that stretch as the Flyers’ pilot, Archie never once finished outside the top 100 in KenPom, and finished inside the top 50 thrice. He made four consecutive NCAA Tournaments and an Elite Eight as well.
Every year at Dayton, Archie exceeded preseason expectations. Every year at Indiana, Archie has fallen short. Could 2021 be his final year in Bloomington?
46. Brian Dutcher, San Diego State
45. Bruce Weber, Kansas State
44. Ron Hunter, Tulane
43. Nate Oats, Alabama
42. Todd Golden, San Francisco
Score: 75
Raw Rank: T-137th
Relative Rank: T-2nd
Ladies and gentlemen, here is your highest ranked first-year coach. I admit it looks odd to have Todd Golden at #42 and his predecessor, Kyle Smith, who took a promotion to coach Washington State, at #53, but let’s break down how good a year it was for Golden. 2020 was San Francisco’s BEST season in the KenPom era (dating back to 2002) from an Adj. EM standpoint. Golden’s squad finished the year ranked 74th after starting the season 136th, and would have climbed higher had they been able to steal one of their two close Gonzaga games.
Golden is an interesting case to watch going forward. He inherited a good team chock full of Kyle Smith guys, which gave him a great starting point off which to work. Smith could be a reason Golden rose to the level he did in 2020, but lots of coaches inherit good situations and fail to execute. At 34, Golden has many years ahead of him in the head coaching ranks, and his willingness to embrace analytics has him ahead of the curve.
41. Ben Howland, Mississippi State
40. Jeff Linder, Wyoming
39. Tad Boyle, Colorado
38. Bob McKillop, Davidson
37. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
36. Grant McCasland, North Texas
35. Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska
Score: 78
Raw Rank: T-34th
Relative Rank: T-26th
Don’t let Hoiberg’s recent Nebraska squad and failed experiment in the NBA cloud your vision - the Mayor checks in with strong raw and relative performances. Hoiberg led Iowa State to four straight top 30 finishes during his coaching stint from 2011 - 2015; since 2002, only Steve Prohm has had a top 30 Clone squad, and he’s only done it twice. Hoiberg’s ISU squads finished significantly higher than preseason expectations in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Give the Mayor some time at Nebraska - he’ll keep bringing in transfers and have that program humming in no time.
34. Mike Anderson, St. John’s
33. Lon Kruger, Oklahoma
32. Scott Drew, Baylor
31. Will Wade, LSU
30. Chris Holtmann, Ohio State
29. Sean Miller, Arizona
28. Chris Jans, New Mexico State
27. Randy Bennett, Saint Mary’s
26. Craig Smith, Utah State
25. Dana Altman, Oregon
24. Leon Rice, Boise State
Score: 80
Raw Rank: T-55th
Relative Rank: T-36th
Leon Rice landing in the top 25 of Coach Rank was the most surprising result to me. I never really gave much thought to the Boise head coach, who has been with the Broncos since 2011. Consistency has been the name of the game for Rice, who has finished in the KenPom top 100 eight times in 10 seasons and once in the top 50. Rice has exceeded preseason expectations seven of nine seasons since 2012, and has led Boise through its best stretch in program history.
External factors are certainly at play here, as Boise has only been a member of the Mountain West (and had access to a much larger budget thanks in part to its football success) under Rice, but we should give credit to where credit is due. Rice is the coaching equivalent of a baseball player who racks up 3,000+ hits in his career with limited power.
23. Mark Pope, BYU
Score: 80
Raw Rank: T-100th
Relative Rank: T-2nd
22. Bob Richey, Furman
Score: 80
Raw Rank: T-85th
Relative Rank: 1st
Pope and Richey are both early in their respective careers. Pope has been a DI head coach for five seasons, most recently capping off an impressive 2020 at BYU. Richey has been the head guy at Furman since 2018, taking over for Niko Medved. Both coaches scored extremely high on the relative rank scale - top two in the country in fact. Pope’s four Utah Valley seasons were brilliant when compared to both a program and preseason perspective, but his 2020 BYU year was his second-best Adj. EM improvement of his coaching career.
Richey has exceeded expectations in all three seasons at the helm, and his Furman teams have finished in the KenPom top 100 in each of those three years. Pop quiz: how many Furman squads have finished in the KenPom top 100 from 1997 - 2017? Answer: Zero.
21. Fran McCaffery, Iowa
Score: 80
Raw Rank: T-70th
Relative Rank: T-46th
Fran is a polarizing coach, you either love him (if you like Iowa) or hate him (everyone else). Here’s some more wood for the fire of those who dislike the long-time head coach: he gamed the system! That’s right, because Fran was both promoted from Siena to Iowa and has been at Iowa for 10 seasons, he scored the second most (tied) bonus points allotted.
Now, Fran has also done things to earn a spot among the elite coaches in the country. He had three Siena teams finish in the KenPom top 100 (two in the top 75). Those were the three best Siena teams in the KenPom era. And at Iowa, he’s hit some homeruns, like in 2014 and 2016 when he blew away preseason rankings. Some publications have the Hawkeyes in the top ten heading into 2021 - we’ll see if Fran can live up to the hype.
20. Steve Forbes, East Tennessee State
Score: 80
Raw Rank: T-70th
Relative Rank: T-2nd
Similar to Bob Richey, his SoCon counterpart, Steve Forbes has led ETSU to four straight top 100 KenPom finishes, and notched a gaudy 30 wins in 2020. Three of those four performances are the best in ETSU history in the KenPom era, meaning from an exceeding program Adj. EM standpoint, Forbes stands head and shoulders above everyone in the country not named Bob Richey. In five years at the helm, Forbes hasn’t once finished below where his team was ranked in the preseason.
19. Kevin Keatts, NC State
Score: 81
Raw Rank: T-43rd
Relative Rank: T-18th
18. Eric Musselman, Arkansas
Score: 81
Raw Rank: T-43rd
Relative Rank: T-18th
17. Brad Underwood, Illinois
Score: 81
Raw Rank: T-43rd
Relative Rank: T-26th
These three coaches are interesting because I think you could find large groups around the country that think they are either 1) overrated or 2) doing a poor job at their current gig. Let’s start with Kevin Keatts, a coach who has come under fire recently for his lackluster three years at the helm of NC State. In those three seasons, Keatts has finished every year in the top 50, but is only one game above .500 in ACC play overall. But, 2020 was actually the only year in which Keatts failed out outperform his preseason ranking. In fact in 2018, he shocked the world by taking the 109th preseason-ranked Wolfpack to 42nd pre-Tournament. It’s also worth remembering Keatts led two of the best UNCW squads in program history in 2016 and 2017.
Musselman’s squads have finished inside the top KenPom top 50 three of his five seasons as a DI coach. At Nevada, he owned the Mountain West to the tune of a 44-10 record from 2017 - 2019. This year’s Arkansas team finished a tad below expectations, but his Nevada years give him enough “Mussel” to rank in the top 20.
Underwood was criticized heavily by Illini fans after the 2018 and 2019 seasons and was likely looking at a firing if not for a strong 2020 season in which his squad would have made its first Big Dance since 2013. Despite a combined 26-39 (11-27) record over those two seasons, Underwood actually improved his team’s preseason ranking in each year. In his seven-year head coaching career, Underwood has never fallen below preseason expectations - his 2017 Oklahoma State job was the best of his career from an Adj. EM standpoint, and his 2014, 2015, and 2016 SFA squads were the three best in that program’s history.
16. Bruce Pearl, Auburn
15. Gregg Marshall, Wichita State
14. John Calipari, Kentucky
Score: 82
Raw Rank: T-1st
Relative Rank: T-182nd
WAIT!!! Don’t close the browser, UK fans! Let me explain! Ok, so everyone in the world knows Cal is a fantastic coach - in fact he ranked T-1st overall in “Raw Performance”. He was also given points for being promoted in 2009 and for being at Kentucky for 10+ years. So why does Cal rank 14th on this list? His relative performance is poor. Calipari ranks 292nd among all coaches in beating preseason expectations since 2012. His three biggest offenses were in 2020, 2018, and 2013. In 2013, for instance, Kentucky was preseason #1 in KenPom - they finished 55th. You may say this is inherently unfair for a school like UK, where a top five finish is always expected. To that I say, Bill Self ranked 81st in this metric, Roy Williams 143rd, and Coach K 153rd. None of those are necessarily great, but none are nearly bottom-50 marks like Calipari’s.
13. Mike Brey, Notre Dame
12. Rick Pitino, Iona
11. Kelvin Sampson, Houston
Score: 87
Raw Rank: T-18th
Relative Rank: T-9th
It’s not talked about enough the job Kelvin Sampson has done at Houston. The Cougars have finished 18th, 12th, and 14th overall the past three seasons, easily the school’s three best finishes in the KenPom era. Sampson has resurrected a once-proud Houston program that had only seen one NCAA Tournament since 1992. Elsewhere, Sampson had a top 30 and a top 15 squad in his two seasons at Indiana and two top ten teams at Oklahoma. Everywhere he’s been, Sampson has succeeded.
10. Bob Huggins, West Virginia
9. Matt Painter, Purdue
Score: 89
Raw Rank: T-10th
Relative Rank: T-75th
Painter is often ignored when we talk about the best coaches in college basketball. All he’s done in his 14-year career at Purdue has made 11 NCAA Tournaments, four Sweet Sixteens, and an Elite Eight. His Boilermaker teams have finished in the KenPom top ten four times and the top 30 ten times. Even in his one season at Southern Illinois, Painter excelled, leading the Salukis to a top 50 KenPom finish and 9-seed in the Big Dance.
8. Roy Williams, North Carolina
7. Jay Wright, Villanova
6. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
5. Bill Self, Kansas
4. Tom Izzo, Michigan State
3. Chris Beard, Texas Tech
2. Mark Few, Gonzaga
1. Tony Bennett, Virginia
Score: 100
Raw Rank: T-6th
Relative Rank: T-9th
I was relieved when I ran through all this data and spit out Tony Bennett as the top coach in the country. That plus the other nine names in the top ten was enough to convince me this process had at least some merit to it. Bennett’s Virginia accolades are well-known - he has the only NCAA title in program history and has led six of the best teams in program history. But, Bennett’s Washington State performance was arguably more impressive. Under Bennett, the Cougars finished 27th, 10th, and 49th in KenPom. No other time in the KenPom era has Wazzu finished in the top 60. He led the Cougars to two of their five NCAA Tournament appearances in school history and their lone Sweet Sixteen appearance. All the hail the king - Tony Bennett sets the curve for Coach Rank 2020.