| North Carolina | Hubert Davis | Chris Collins | This is unlikely, but it should happen. Collins spent nearly two decades within 10 miles of Chapel Hill at Duke, and he may feel he’s taken Northwestern as far as it can go. I rank him as the 26th-best coach, and UNC probably isn’t going to land anyone better. Just look at Kentucky’s search: NIL has made it less urgent for top coaches to move if they are being supported at the same level, and that won’t change unless Scott Drew feels Baylor can’t keep pace now for the top guys. Pride probably stops this from happening, but that is only one way to look at this. It could also be a stick-it-to-Duke move for UNC if Collins came in and outperformed Scheyer. Collins may still feel slighted that he never got the Duke job and have his own retribution in a way. He’d live in the same city he he did for 18 years even, though Duke friends might disown him. UNC is a great opportunity regardless. | Billy Donovan,
Scott Drew,
Mick Cronin, Jamie Dixon,
Mark Byington,
Bryan Hodgson,
Sean May,
Brad Frederick,
Wes Miller |
| Ohio State | Jake Diebler | Mick Cronin | An Ohio native who seems frustrated with UCLA’s travel and support. If he will leave leave his alma mater Cincinnati, I think he will also leave UCLA. I think it would be for a better job back in Ohio, where he seemed more comfortable. Skinn and Pedon are former assistants, which might give him an outside chance. However this time I think Ohio State will look for a hire that is more representative of the level of elite job this is. | Billy Donovan,
Chris Collins,
Tony Skinn, Chris Mack, Jerrod Calhoun, Bryan Hodgson,
Chris Gerlufsen, Ryan Pedon |
| UCLA | Mick Cronin | Jamie Dixon | Dixon is a TCU alum, but he’s also from LA. It feels like he’s taken TCU as far as it can go, and he may want to make one last push with a real shot at a national title before he retires. Similar type of hire to Alford and has Howland ties. | Chris Collins,
Chris Gerlufsen, Russell Turner,
Jerrod Calhoun, Bryan Hodgson,
Bryce Drew |
| Oklahoma | Porter Moser | Bryan Hodgson | Potentially the best SEC job available, and one I think Hodgson would aim for. He was already in west-central Arkansas at Arkansas State and doesn’t seem opposed to working in the region. | Jerrod Calhoun,
Chris Gerlufsen,
Chris Mack,
Mike Rhoades,
Tony Skinn, |
| Syracuse | Adrian Autry | Tony Skinn | Syracuse will likely move on from the Boheim era for a true clean break, and target Hodgson with his New York ties. I think they will likely be disappointed in that outcome and the ACC just isn’t what it was compared to the SEC. Skinn, however, has been a solid up-and-comer. It would likely take an upper level job like Syracuse to get him to leave his alma mater. | Chris Mack, Bryan Hodgson, Jerrod Calhoun, Chris Caputo,
Porter Moser,
Mike Rhoades |
| LSU | Matt McMahon | Porter Moser | The Mike White–style parachute within the conference. Moser could use a fresh start, and LSU doesn’t want to be embarrassed anymore. I could also see them targeting or hiring Chris Gerlufsen as well since Florida had so much success with his old boss, Golden. | Bryan Hodgson, Jerrod Calhoun,
Chris Gerlufsen,
Mike Rhoades |
| Pittsburgh | Jeff Capel III | Chris Mack | Mack is from nearby Cleveland and he didn’t deserve to be fired at Louisville. He did a very good job overall, and his Xavier record is impeccable. Now he likely makes it back to a good job as long as Charleston has a decent season. Maybe he’s comfortable there in a job that pays well for a mid major, so it will need to be a good job I expect like Pitt to pull him out of a nice city like Charleston. | Bryan Hodgson, Jerrod Calhoun, Russell Turner,
Chris Gerlufsen
Mike Rhoades
Porter Moser,
Tony Skinn |
| Cincinnati | Wes Miller | Jerrod Calhoun | He’s a Cincinnati alum and former student assistant, from Ohio. This one seems obvious. Chris Mack also be very would be fun here as well. | Chris Mack, Bryan Hodgson,
Mike Rhoades,
Porter Moser,
|
| Rutgers | Steve Pikiell | Chris Gerlufsen | ADs will be looking at Golden and seeing what his understudy is doing at San Francisco, sometimes at an even higher level of consistency and connect the dots. He’ll likely be a top candidate for any West Coast job, but he’s actually an East Coast guy like Russell Turner. Don’t be shocked if he ends up back East in the Northeast as a Pennsylvania native. Rutgers has the resources to be a solid job as well. | Chris Mack, Russell Turner,
Porter Moser
Mike Rhoades,
Tony Skinn |
| South Carolina | Lamont Paris | Gregg Marshall | Marshall’s buyout with Wichita State ends this year, and he reportedly looked at Coastal Carolina a couple of years ago. I think he’s going to try to comeback this year. It’s the SEC, where everyone is in an arms race and hires like this are made. I think they want to win, and it’s been enough time for Marshall and punishment. The bigger question is whether he’s been out of the game too long at this point. Sometimes you’ve got to do what it takes to win in a conference like this. | Chris Mack, Bryan Hodgson, Russell Turner,
Porter Moser,
Tony Skinn,
Mike Rhoades
|
| Memphis | Penny Hardaway | Steve Forbes | This feels too much like Tubby Smith and a guy on his way down, but Forbes knows the state and recruited Memphis heavily. I think it would be a good fit and perhaps even a better job and situation than Wake Forest, where he hasn’t done poorly he’s just stalled. Memphis needs someone who has recruited 4- and 5-stars like he did at Tennessee and who can recruit the portal. I could see him parachuting to Memphis if he’s not fired. Bryce Drew might also want to go back to Tennessee after the bad taste in his mouth from Vanderbilt. |
Bryce Drew
Chris Mack
Kimani Young
Luke Murray
Kevin Ollie
Wes Miller
Mike Rhoades,
Porter Moser,
Tony Skinn
|
| Arizona State | Bobby Hurley | Bryce Drew | Grand Canyon has great resources and is moving up to the MWC. That said, the fact that he’s stalled a little there might push him to move up while he can. This seems like the kind of school that would hire a “Moser Doctrine” guy and take a once-fired guy. | Jerrod Calhoun,
Russell Turner,
Chris Gerlufsen,
Lamont Paris
|
| Wake Forest | Steve Forbes | Russell Turner | Turner is the model of consistency and I could see him coaching anywhere in the nation if he ever chose to leave. He’s an East Coast guy from Virginia, however. | Wes Miller, Takayo Siddle, Ritchie McKay,
Gregg Marshall,
Bob Richey |
| Northwestern | Chris Collins | Brian Wardle | Wardle is from Illinois, coaches in Illinois, and this is a gettable job in Illinois. He seems to do more with less which you need to do at Northwestern. They should really try to target James Jones at Yale, but there’s no indication he would leave. | James Jones,
Porter Moser, Ryan Pedon, Dan Earl,
Mitch Henderson |
| TCU | Jamie Dixon | Scott Cross | Texas guy, Texas job. Not much more than that. He probably deserves it after the UTA screw job he got. I think TCU will want higher targets but won’t land them. | Bryce Drew,
Mike Rhoades,
Nevada Smith,
Luke Barnwell
Anthony Grant |
| Georgia Tech | Damon Stoudamire | Chris Caputo | I don’t think Caputo is a great coach, but I expect him to have a good season with what he returns and try to capitalize on a better job. This job in the ACC could open, so it makes some sense with his time at Miami. I could also see Anthony Grant or Wes Miller landing here as parachutes or if they were fired. | Wes Miller, Chris Mack,
Mike Rhoades, Anthony Grant
Kevin Ollie |
| Virginia Tech | Mike Young | Wes Miller | Miller didn’t do a bad job at Cincinnati, but it feels like a break is coming. Blacksburg seems like a natural landing spot—just over an hour north of Greensboro, where he’s from and coached for many years at UNCG. A nice fit, whether by firing or parachute. | Takayo Siddle, Ritchie McKay.
Mike Rhoades,
Chris Caputo,
Bob Richey |
| UCF | Johnny Dawkins | Kevin Ollie | Ollie’s show cause is over, and UCF likely doesn’t care anyway. They need to win, and say what you want, but he has a national title. It didn’t end well, but UCF officals also saw some of the good. He’s been an NBA interim head coach since as well and added to his resume. I think he deserves another chance. Name all the truly bad coaches with an National Title…. | Chris Caputo,
Luke Murray, Gregg Marshall,
Mike Rhoades, Anthony Grant |
| Seton Hall | Shaheen Holloway | Luke Murray | This isn’t a good P5 job, but it’s the kind of job most top assistants, even the cream of the crop, usually have to take if they want a P5 shot from the start. He’s been patient, and obviously picky, and this could be his break. | Kevin Ollie, Takayo Siddle, Mitch Henderson, Kimani Young,
Chris Caputo |
| Boston College | Earl Grant | Kimani Young | You can say the same thing as we did for Murray. He’s been patient. He also has a little more personal history that might need to be overcome in interviews however. | Takayo Siddle,
Chris Caputo, Luke Murray, Mitch Henderson,
Jeff Capel |
| Wichita State | Paul Mills | Ryan Pedon | I went with Pedon because they seem poised to have a very strong season. This will likely be a sought-after high-major job. I would expect Kansas native and D2 coach Brett Ballard to be in play as well as well as some top assistant. | Brian Wardle,
Luke Murray, Kimani Young,
Brett Ballard, |
| Utah State | Jared Calhoun | Mike DeGeorge | The ultimate jumpseat job that sends low-major up-and-comers to the P5. I think DeGeorge could be next in line. It’s a job Bob Richey should try to get however. Coaches with no ties just move there and have a P5 job within a year. | Brian Wardle,
Bob Richey, Luke Barnwell, Nevada Smith |
| Grand Canyon | Bryce Drew | Casey Shaw | I’m going internal promotion here. A lot of athletic directors seem to go with the thought it it’s not broke don’t fix it. However this would be a very sought-after high-mid-major, resource-rich job if it does hit the market. | Wes Miller, Steve Forbes, Nevada Smith,
Luke Barnwell, Luke Murray,
Mike Rhoades,
Jake Diebler,
Shaheen Holloway |
| USF | Bryan Hodgson | Takayo Siddle | This feels like the level of job Siddle will need to take to move up. Look for a low-level P5 (Boston College, Seton Hall) or top AAC/A10 type job like this. He reportedly tried for the USF job last year. He has never left NC. I expect he’ll try for Wake or VT first. This job pays and would also make sense for some one like Ritchie McKay if he ever choose to leave. | Gregg Marshall, Brian Wardle,
Ritchie McKay,
Kevin Keats, |
| George Mason | Tony Skinn | Dave Klatsky | Current Florida assistant who took his D3 team to the national title game last year. I expect a short stay in Gainesville with the pedigree. | Gregg Marshall, Kevin Keats, Kyle Neptune, Mike Young,
Steve Pikiell |
| Davidson | Matt McKillop | Justin Gainey | He might wait on Rick Barnes to retire, but I don’t think he would get that job. Likely needs to land at an A10/AAC job first. | Kevin Keats, Brett Ballard,
Mike Young |
| Charleston | Chris Mack | Bob Richey | He needs a fresh start, having stalled at Furman in the NIL era. This job has resources and pays like a top-100 one. It could be the bridge to a bigger job and help him restart and reach his past success. | Gregg Marshall,
Matt McMahon,
Mike Young,
Earl Grant |
| Tulsa | Erick Konkol | Brett Ballard | Ballard is from Kansas, has coached in Kansas most of his career outside of following Danny Manning to Tulsa and Wake Forest. I’d expect him to try for Wichita State but settle for Tulsa. He’s a Kansas grad, if he wants a shot at the Kansas job after Self, he needs to get to D1 sooner than later. | Matt McMahon,
Jeff Capel,
Jake Diebler,
Johnny Dawkins |
| George Washington | Chris Caputo | Kyle Neptune | It went poorly at Villanova, but he really wasn’t that bad there. I think he’ll find another job in this range back in the A 10, where he started. | Dave Klatsky, Gregg Marshall, Kevin Keats, Kyle Neptune, Steve Pikiell,
Johnny Dawkins |
| UTEP | Joe Golding | Luke Barnwell | The former top prep coach is on staff at nearby at Texas Tech. This seems like a logical move with Tech poised to have another good year and placing assistants in similar level head jobs. | Nevada Smith |
| Charlotte | Aaron Fearne | Bart Lundy | The former Queens coach (twice) has spent most of his career in the Carolinas, and the Queen City of Charlotte. | Gregg Marshall, Kevin Keats, Brett Ballard, Lamont Paris |
| San Francisco | Chris Gerlufsen | Michael Plank | Internal hires have worked out, so I’d expect them to keep going to the well. | Mike DeGeorge, Joe Pasternack |
| East Carolina | Michael Schwartz | Dustin Kerns | ECU pays well and could provide more resources and conference opportunity. | Gregg Marshall, Kevin Keats, Lamont Paris,
Mike Young Bart Lundy |
| Fresno State | Vance Walberg | JayDee Luster | San Diego State and Arizona assistant. Fresno can be a good job moving to the reformed Pac-12. They make weird hires, but this one makes sense. | Joe Pasternack, Mike DeGeorge |
| Bradley | Brian Wardle | Jake Diebler | Diebler hasn’t been bad at Ohio State, and I think he quickly gets another opportunity. I could see him catching on at a higher level job as well, but this is one of the best jobs in the conference he played and started his coaching career. Likely would have been a more appropriate starter job. | Brett Ballard, Terry Johnson,
Rod Clark,
Dean Oliver
|
| Illinois State | Ryan Pedon | Nevada Smith | The former G-League and D3 head coach is currently an assistant at Marquette so this seems like a good opportunity at a place that is winning. An internal hire could happen as well however. | Brett Ballard, Rod Clark,
Jake Diebler,
Dean Oliver |
| UNCW | Takayo Siddle | Kevin Keatts | This one seems easy; it opens. Keatts still owns restaurants in Wilmington years later so the ties are there. Pasternack did interview for this job once before. | Matt McMahon,
Joe Pasternack,
Mike Young,
Earl Grant |
| San Diego | Steve Lavin | Joe Pasternack | San Diego is a better job than it seems currently, in a nice place to live. I could see Pasternack moving on having stalled a little lately. His name came up for Louisiana last season too. | Johnny Dawkins |
| UC Irvine | Russell Turner | Ali Ton | You can win in Irvine. I think that makes for an attractive situation. I would expect an internal promotion with as much success as Irvine has had. | Johnny Dawkins |
| Chattanooga | Dan Earl | Lamont Paris | Even if Paris loses the SC job, he will still have value and would be welcomed back at Chattanooga I suspect. The SEC is just a buzzsaw; it wasn’t that SC was even that bad recently. | Matt McMahon,
Mike Young |
| App State | Dustin Kerns | Jeremiah Samarrippas | Wofford assistant who had great success in the area at Lincoln Memorial as head coach. | Matt McMahon,
Mike Young |
| Buffalo | George Halcovage | John Becker | Buffalo is such an embarrassment right now that I think they just want to win. Becker has a history of that. He seemed to run into some problems last year with no NIL. I’d look for him to try to move after he wins a little more this year and gets back on the radar. Buffalo seems like an obvious fit. It’s a school that can pay well, as it did when Oats was there. I don’t worry about the off-the-court issue this many years later. | Bobby Hurley,
Dave Klatsky,
Steve Pikiell, |
| Harvard | Tommy Amaker | Mike Nardi | Interim coach for a few games at Villanova (2–1), now in his first year at UConn. Dave Klasky is an Ivy League alum from Penn, so Harvard would make sense as well. | Dave Klatsky
Jeff Capel,
Johnny Dawkins |
| Air Force | Joe Scott | Dan Earl | This might be career suicide, but he might also get a decade plus at higher pay with little expectations even if he doesn’t win much. He coached at Navy and VMI, so it makes some sense for both. | |
| FIU | Jeremy Ballard | Chris Capko | Top SMU assistant, has been at FAU and USC prior. | Dave Klatsky,
Johnny Dawkins |
| Vermont | John Becker | Ryan Schneider | Internal promotion. Loyal assistant that has been there for 14 years. | Steve Pikiell |
| Southern Miss | Jay Ladner | Stan Jones | Former Florida State and Mississippi State assistant and Memphis grad. | Matt McMahon,
Joe Golding,
Paul Mills,
Erick Konkol |
| Evansville | Dave Ragland | Terry Johnson | Purdue assistant on the likely No. 1 team. He should be in line for a head job if he chooses to leave. | Jake Diebler
Dean Oliver,
Paul Mills,
Joe Golding |
| Troy | Scott Cross | Rod Clark | Indiana and Tennessee assistant, viewed as a rising star. | Matt McMahon,
Paul Mills,
Joe Golding,
Erick Konkol |
| Furman | Bob Richey | Pat Estepp | Internal promotion, seems to be how they do it here. | Matt McMahon,
Mike Young,
Erick Konkol |
| Portland | Shantay Legans | Matt Logie | Montana State coach who had D2 and D3 success prior, from the Pacific Northwest. | |
| UCSB | Joe Pasternack | Rod Palmer | UCLA and Long Beach State assistant; seems like a fit, especially if Cronin goes east. | Johnny Dawkins |
| Milwaukee | Bart Lundy | Sharif Chambliss | Wisconsin and former Milwaukee assistant. | Paul Mills,
Joe Golding |
| Albany | Dwayne Killings | Jared Grasso | Grasso has probably served his time in the wilderness. He was recruiting very well at Bryant, although not maximizing the talent. Buffalo could do worse. | Steve Pikiell,
Shaheen Holloway,
Earl Grant |
| Northern Arizona | Shane Burcar | Jermaine Kimbrough | Arizona State and Loyola Chicago assistant. | |
| N. Illinois | Rashon Burno | Mike Rohn | Kansas and Colorado assistant. | Paul Mills,
Joe Golding |
| Montana State | Matt Logie | Zach Payne | Internal promotion. | |
| Cal Poly | Mike DeGeorge | Kyle Bossier | Internal promotion. | Johnny Dawkins |
| Cal St. Bakersfield | Interim | Mike Scott | Interim coach; I expect him to keep the job. Barnes lost for 15 years, and they didn’t seem to care. | Johnny Dawkins,
Damon Stoudamire |
