College basketball coaches have to wear many hats. They recruit, coach, mentor and develop. It’s a hard job that deserves recognition when done well. With that, here are the top 25 college basketball coaches.
Note: First-year coaches will not be included on the list. No matter how promising they look.
Here are
last year’s rankings.
25-21
25. Mark Pope, Kentucky Wildcats
Last Year’s Rank: N/A
Pope had an incredible first season at Kentucky, which saw the Wildcats earn a no. 3 seed and make the Sweet Sixteen. This follows up a great season at BYU where they transitioned well to the Big 12 and made the NCAA Tournament. He is quickly rising up the coaching ranks.
24. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona Wildcats
Last Year’s Rank: N/A
Lloyd has made three Sweet Sixteens and one second round in his four seasons as head coach. He has had some nice regular seasons that are worth noting, but usually has a roster capable of going further in the tournament and will need to do so.
23. Mick Cronin, UCLA Bruins
Last Year’s Rank: 19
Cronin did a great job getting last year’s UCLA team to the second round after the team missed the previous tournament. He has a Final Four appearance and two Sweet Sixteens, but will need to prove he can advance further in the tournament with a new crop of players.
22. Brian Dutcher, San Diego State Aztecs
Last Year’s Rank: 17
Dutcher has made five straight NCAA Tournaments with a National Championship Game appearance and a Sweet Sixteen over that time period. He waited for his turn to get a head coaching job and has a 198-68 record.
21. Chris Beard, Ole Miss Rebels
Last Year’s Rank: 23
Beard executed a great turnaround at Ole Miss, leading the team to its first Sweet 16 since 2001. He had success at Texas and Texas Tech before getting the Ole Miss job. Beard has a 215-97 career record and made the National Championship Game with Texas Tech.
20-16
20. Dusty May, Michigan Wolverines
Last Year’s Rank: 20
May helped FAU make the Final Four a few seasons ago. In his first year at Michigan, he had success and made a Sweet 16. The future looks bright in Ann Arbor because of May.
19. Dana Altman, Oregon Ducks
Last Year’s Rank: 18
The last two seasons, Oregon has had second-round exits in the NCAA Tournament. He has a Final Four at the school and 780 career wins over all his stops.
18. Eric Musselman, USC Trojans
Last Year’s Rank: 12
Musselman moves down the ranks after missing the NCAA Tournament in his first season at USC. He also missed his last tournament at Arkansas, but made a Sweet Sixteen and two Elite Eights before that. Another bad season and Musselman will likely fall out of the top 25.
17. Brad Underwood, Illinois Fighting Illini
Last Year’s Rank: 15
Underwood has made five straight NCAA Tournaments at Illinois, which includes one Elite Eight appearance. Like other coaches in this range, more postseason success will help him rise the ranks.
16. TJ Otzelberger, Iowa State Cyclones
Last Year’s Rank: 16
Otzelberger had another good regular season last year, but lost in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. While he has done well, he will need to advance past the Sweet Sixteen to really improve his ranking.
15-11
15. Greg McDermott, Creighton Blue Jays
Last Year’s Rank: 14
Creighton made the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, which was their fifth straight season getting at least that far. He has a career record of 499-302 and now has a coach-in-waiting, so he’ll be wanting to go out on top.
14. Rick Pitino, St. John’s Red Storm
Last Year’s Rank: 22
Pitino moves up in this year’s list after a fantastic regular season at St. John’s. He has the history of winning a title, but his recent success is also worth noting, as he helped St. John’s win a Big East title and get a no. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. More success in the NCAA Tournament this season could have him rise even higher up the list.
13. Rick Barnes, Tennessee Volunteers
Last Year’s Rank: 13
Barnes continues to impress at Tennessee, as he has made two straight Elite Eights. He has an 836-423 record in his career and the only thing eluding him is a Final Four appearance.
12. Tom Izzo, Michigan State Spartans
Last Year’s Rank: 10
Tom Izzo has had an amazing career at Michigan State and added to it with an appearance in the Elite Eight in 2025. Izzo has a 737-302 career record and should still be feared in March.
11. John Calipari, Arkansas Razorbacks
Last Year’s Rank: 9
Calipari turned what looked like a bad season into a good one last year, as Arkansas started off poorly, but ended up making the Sweet 16. He has a national championship from his time at Kentucky, along with six Final Fours. His tournament success last year helped him, but he’ll now have to show sustained success at Arkansas.
10-6
10. John Scheyer, Duke Blue Devils
Last Year’s Rank: 25
Scheyer has improved every year he has been at the helm of Duke, going from a second-round exit to the Elite Eight and then to the Final Four last season. He is getting top-notch recruits and is ascending quickly in the head coaching world.
9. Nate Oats, Alabama Crimson Tide
Last Year’s Rank: 7
At both of his stops, Buffalo and Alabama, Oats has done great things. He made the Final Four two seasons ago and made the Elite Eight last season. He has a 241-106 record during his career.
8. Bruce Pearl, Auburn Tigers
Last Year’s Rank: 8
Pearl led Auburn to the Final Four last season, his second at the school. He has a 477-224 record during his time at Milwaukee, Tennessee and Auburn. The Tigers might take a small step back this season without Johni Broome. but Pearl can get the most out of his roster.
7. Matt Painter, Purdue Boilermakers
Last Year’s Rank: 6
Purdue lost Zach Edey after their National Championship Game in 2024, but made the Sweet Sixteen without him. Painter is 471-125 during his time at Purdue and has a chance at another good season this year.
6. Todd Golden, Florida Gators
Last Year’s Rank: N/A
Golden was on the honorable mention part of this list a season ago and now takes a huge jump after winning a national championship. He has a 76-33 record during his six seasons as a head coach.
5-1
5. Scott Drew, Baylor Bears
Last Year’s Rank: 5
Drew won a national championship in 2021, but has had four straight second-round exits since that point. There is no doubt Drew is still one of the best coaches in the sport, especially with the job he has done turning the program around when he took over. He has a 486-270 career record.
4. Mark Few, Gonzaga Bulldogs
Last Year’s Rank: 3
Few has done unbelievable things at Gonzaga and made them an elite program. The last few seasons haven’t been as good as past years, and he moves down a spot, but deserves a lot of credit for what he’s done at the school. He has a 742-142 career record.
3. Kelvin Samspon, Houston Cougars
Last Year’s Rank: 4
Sampson doesn’t have a title, but he has totally revamped a Houston program that wasn’t great immediately before he got there. He has two Final Fours and a 299-84 record at the school. The Cougars are perenially in contention.
2. Bill Self, Kansas Jayhawks
Last Year’s Rank: 2
Self has two titles under his belt and a litany of career accomplishments. With an 831-261 record, he is one of the legendary coaches still active. This year, he’ll try to bring Kansas back to prominence after being a no. 7 seed last season.
1. Dan Hurley, UConn Huskies
Last Year’s Rank: 1
Hurley has two titles under his belt and the back-to-back fashion they came in were incredible. This past season wasn’t as good, but he’ll likely have UConn back on track this season.
Also in Consideration
Randy Bennett, St. Mary’s Gaels
Bennett has made four straight NCAA Tournaments and has had a long career at St. Mary’s. A long run in the NCAA Tournament could bolster his stock.
Brad Brownell, Clemson Tigers
Clemson made the Elite Eight in 2024, but lost in the first round last year. Brownell has made just five tournaments in his 15 years at Clemson, but things have been trending the right way.
Darien DeVries, Indiana Hoosiers
DeVries made two straight tournaments at Drake and probably should’ve made the tournament last year at West Virginia. The Indiana job can give him the chance to prove himself.
Greg Gard, Wisconsin Badgers
Gard made two Sweet 16s in his first two seasons as Wisconsin’s head coach, but has not been able to get that far since.
Dennis Gates, Missouri Tigers
Gates had a solid first season at Missouri, then had a terrible one before rebounding last season. This year, we’ll see if he can string back to back good seasons together.
Grant McCasland, Texas Tech Red Raiders
McCasland made an Elite Eight last season at Texas Tech and has things trending the right way. He would be a good bet to rise up into the rankings next season.
Ben McCollum, Iowa Hawkeyes
McCollum spent one season as a head coach at the Division I level and led Drake to a 31-4 record. The Bulldogs won a tournament game, but now McCollum will have a new task at Iowa.
Sean Miller, Texas Longhorns
Miller made the NCAA Tournament with Xavier and won a First Four game. While the team may have underachieved, he did have some success in both stints at the school and at Arizona. A long tournament run at Texas will put him back in the rankings.
Shaka Smart, Marquette Golden Eagles
Two years ago, Smart made his first Sweet 16 since his VCU days, but last season he lost in the second round. Marquette is trying to retain their players and not use the portal, which could lead to more regression this season.
Will Wade, NC State Wolfpack
Wade won an NCAA Tournament games with McNeese last season and made the tournament in 2024 as well. He has built a good roster at NC State and has the chance to really shine in the ACC.
Kevin Willard, Villanova Wildcats
Willard did a good job at Seton Hall, then had three seasons at Maryland which were capped off by a Sweet 16 appearance. He now takes ove a Villanova job that will need a quick turnaround.
Buzz Williams, Maryland Terrapins
Williams turned around Texas A&M well and made three straight NCAA Tournaments. He now takes the Maryland job looking to advance to his first second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since he coached at Marquette.
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