As soon as once more CBS Sports activities presents our Candid Coaches collection, which spotlights related subjects and points in males’s faculty basketball. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander polled practically 100 coaches in latest weeks on a wide range of topics. Coaches spoke on background and have been supplied anonymity to supply unfiltered opinions. As we speak, we have a look at the number of new faces in new locations.
Adjustments within the NIL panorama, and the frenetic nature of the switch portal, has accelerated the speed of turnover in faculty teaching.
To wit: 18% of the power-conference head-coaching construction flipped again within the spring. That is 14 out of 79 jobs. That is a great chunk, and in reality faculty hoops had 14 ACC/Large East/Large Ten/Large 12/SEC flips for the second straight yr. So far as I can inform, 28 high-major teaching modifications in a two-year interval is a university basketball file.
In 2025, we had makeovers at Maryland, Miami, Indiana Iowa, Villanova, Virginia, Texas and Texas A&M and nonetheless six extra within the big-boy leagues. A few of these hirings will flame out by 2030. Others will show to be residence runs, with maybe one, two or three of the coaches in new perches this yr fated to thrive for nicely over a decade at their new colleges.
Candid Coaches: Who’s the perfect X’s and O’s coach in faculty basketball proper now?
Gary Parrish
Which college made the perfect determination in shifting ahead with its males’s hoops program over the following five-plus years? This was our query to almost 100 coaches and listed below are the outcomes of our survey.
Who was the perfect rent of the 2025 hiring cycle?
| Ben McCollum, Iowa | 25% |
| Will Wade, NC State | 22% |
| Sean Miller, Texas | 21% |
| Ryan Odom, Virginia | 9% |
| Buzz Williams, Maryland | 7% |
| Niko Medved, Minnesota | 5% |
Others receiving a number of votes: Kevin Willard (Villanova), Ross Hodge (West Virginia), Alex Jensen (Utah)
Quotes that stood out
About McCollum
- “I did not know a lot about him earlier than he went to Drake. Simply heard there was this high-level D-II coach, however I began finding out his stuff this previous yr. They performed a coach I labored with … I watched one sport, locked in, and it is simply unimaginable what he does. I studied him increasingly because the season went alongside. Then they beat Missouri within the NCAA Event. There’s extra than simply success in Yr 1 (at Iowa). Longevity at that place. That appears like a very good match for him and he is bringing a few his good gamers. I would be shocked if he does not have instant success there.”
- “It ought to’ve by no means taken Ben this lengthy to get a power-conference job. Take a look at his profession file and accomplishments. Nice coach. He’ll win persistently so long as his administration helps him.”
- “McCollum I do not know something about, however looks like he is a controlling tempo and defensive man, so that can translate it doesn’t matter what personnel they’ve. Additionally it looks like an ideal persona location match for a brand new head coach. And his observe file is tremendous spectacular.”
- “Ben McCollum due to match. From the area, profitable at an insane clip and has proven now he can recruit and coach within the present panorama of D-I. Iowa followers will love his demeanor and elegance of play.”
About Wade
- “He’ll thrive on this new period of school basketball. Somebody was going to take an opportunity and NC State beat everybody to it.”
- “I believe it is the gangster, Will Wade (laughing). Suits NC State completely. I believe that is a match made in heaven.”
- “All the time has been a very good coach and recruiter. This job suits him and his persona, but in addition what is required there too. Somebody who does not give a shit concerning the blue bloods round him.”
- “Excellent marriage with program. Passionate fanbase with deep pockets. Expertise-rich area. Performs a enjoyable fashion. Excellent likelihood to win early and persistently within the weakest [Power Five] league.”
- “What he was fired for the foundations are totally different — have a look at Houston with Kelvin Sampson. He’s the proper match to attain at a excessive ceiling sort of job. He’s going to recruit, coach, and promote that program.”
About Miller
- “He did not lose his job at an elite program like Arizona for not performing. He has the expertise and the talent to be an ideal match at Texas.”
- “It is not likely shut. He has confirmed he can win at an elite college (Arizona) and he’s at Texas. It is a spot you will win at. And: Sean wins.”
- “Excellent match and has gained massive [at that level] already. Very good rent. Ensures they’ll proceed to be good after the worst four-year interval in historical past. Went from a number of Elite Eights at a hoops-only college to not making tourney for 4 years. Main slide. [Texas] might be again.”
About Odom
- “Some coaches get employed, it is smart and is the proper the place. For me, Odom is a straightforward selection as a result of this system he went to is essentially the most synergistic match of all the fellows. I’ve gotten to know Ryan and know UVa nicely based mostly on having labored in that space. I do know what UVa is about academically and non-athletically. When Ryan Odom was at UMBC, he invited me to his apply and I obtained to know him there. How he’s as a coach, who he’s, what he values and the college, it is an ideal match.”
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“He has a private connection to the college and he is gained in every single place he is been: UMBC, Utah State, VCU.”
About others
- Medved: “How can anybody low cost what Niko Medved has achieved at every cease in his profession? He inherited a catastrophe at Furman and in three years he gained. Drake, he gained. And what he did at CSU is past spectacular.”
- Jensen: “I had an opportunity to spend a yr with Alex once I was [younger]. He has a means about him. Humble, exceptionally good, clearly very educated concerning the sport however does not attempt to outsmart himself. He has a really feel for individuals.”
The takeaway
With our “who’s the perfect participant?” and “who’s the perfect group?” survey questions this yr, I have been pulling out knowledge from the archives to indicate who gained these Qs in years previous. Let’s do the identical for immediately’s examine, as it is a query we have requested relationship again to 2014.
Latest winners of this query — with hyperlinks to return and see how the coaches voted every year — are …
2024: John Calipari to Arkansas. Manner too quickly to inform, however he was objectively not the perfect rent in Yr 1.
2023: Rick Pitino to St. John’s. A simple selection not so way back and it is definitely trying like the proper choose as of immediately.
2022: Shaheen Holloway to Seton Corridor. A decent vote that yr, however a miss, as Holloway was employed in the identical yr as Jon Scheyer, Todd Golden, Dennis Gates and Chris Jans.
2021: Chris Beard to Texas. It ended disastrously. Shaka Good completed second, and that tracks. Tommy Lloyd to Arizona wasn’t even top-five!
2019: Fred Hoiberg to Nebraska. He completed nicely forward of men who proved to be higher their colleges: Nate Oats, Mick Cronin, TJ Otzelberger and Eric Musselman.
2018: Chris Mack to Louisville. Mack beat out the Right Reply by one proportion level that yr: Dan Hurley to UConn.
2017: Archie Miller to Indiana. An apparent miss. Brad Underwood to Illinois is the clear finest rent from 2017; he took second to Miller that yr.
2016: Brad Underwood to Oklahoma State. Sure, Underwood had two power-conference jobs in two years. Beard to Texas Tech or Greg Gard at Wisconsin wound up as essentially the most fruitful hires, although.
2015: Shaka Good to Texas. He comfortably gained, with Ben Howland to Mississippi State being second. The Right Reply got here in third that yr with 12% of the vote: Tennessee hiring Rick Barnes.
2014: Buzz Williams to Virginia Tech. An identical to 2018, the highest vote-getter that yr beat out the main vote-getter by 1%: Bruce Pearl to Auburn got here in second.
I like asking this query yearly to get a learn of coaches’ opinions on their contemporaries. That mentioned keep in mind the winner is much from assured to be the perfect of their hiring class. Within the 10 earlier iterations of this query, it is truthful to say coaches obtained it proper with the No. 1 choose perhaps two occasions.
That does not imply McCollum will not show to be wonderful. After profitable 395 video games (and 4 nationwide titles) in 15 seasons at Division II Northwest Missouri State, the Iowa native walked into D-I at Drake and went 31-4. The match with the Hawkeyes looks like it may change the dynamic within the Large Ten within the subsequent decade if McCollum’s philosophies are adaptable on the high-major degree.
I anticipated Wade to complete top-three after we introduced this query, and in reality he took the 2-slot. His confidence and persona profile matched with NC State’s place within the Triangle pecking order has a number of coaches desperate to see if the Wolfpack is usually a nationwide issue within the subsequent two years. That’s going to be a enjoyable one to look at.
And with Miller, he is been up for voting on this query earlier than, just some years in the past when he went to Xavier. He has extra wins than any coach on this yr’s cycle. He goes to Texas, with the concept that he can do greater than he did at Xavier. With the new income sharing guidelines in place, we’ll see if that winds up being the case. Miller has lengthy been known as among the finest coaches and not using a Ultimate 4 to his title. He’d like to shed that label as shortly as attainable in what needs to be his last cease in faculty teaching.
Large image, I have a look at McCollum to Iowa, Wade to State, Medved to Minnesota, Odom to Virginia, Alex Jensen to Utah, Luke Loucks to Florida State, and so on. … and I do not suppose there’s been a carousel cycle previously decade the place there have been extra “suits” that align with teaching fashion, college, background, geographical ties than what we now have in 2025. It is why, although coaches needed to choose one reply, various guys I spoke with gave their second-choice votes to the likes of Medved and Odom.
Even Jai Lucas and Bucky McMillan — neither of whom has been a high-major coach till this yr — every acquired a vote. This can be a promising, comparatively younger class of coaches getting into new gigs. It is not nearly who they have been after they gained the job, it is about how they will adapt within the subsequent few years. Faculty sports activities is in both Stage 3 or 4 of in all probability a five-stage mega-shift, and solely the coaches who perceive the terrain and how you can map-read, pivot and regulate will nonetheless be holding on to those jobs, or higher ones, 5 years from now.
