Coaching Carousel 2026

[CappyNU]

No games today, so it's time to spin up the coaching carousel. Already 38 schools have been impacted and the season isn't even over yet. Like last year, I've broken down the schools into rough tiers using Kenpom historical program ratings to kind of visualize how the movement occurs.

North Carolina: Hubert Davis (fired) /
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Syracuse: Adrian Autry (fired) / Gerry McNamara (Siena HC)
Cincinnati: Wes Miller (fired) / Jerrod Calhoun (Utah St. HC)
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LSU: Matt McMahon (screwed over) / Will Wade (NC State HC)
Creighton: Greg McDermott (retired) / Alan Huss (Creighton asst., former High Point HC)
NC State: Will Wade (sneakily took LSU job) / Justin Gainey (Tennessee asst.)
Kansas State: Jerome Tang (fired) / Casey Alexander (Belmont HC)
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Arizona State: Bobby Hurley (fired) / Randy Bennett (St. Mary's HC)
Providence: Kim English (fired) / Bryan Hodgson (S. Florida HC)
Butler: Thad Matta (retired) / Ronald Nored (ATL Hawks asst., former Butler player)
Georgia Tech: Damon Stoudamire (fired) / Scott Cross (Troy HC)
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Utah State: Jerrod Calhoun (took Cincinnati job) / Ben Jacobson (Northern Iowa HC)
Saint Mary's: Randy Bennett (took Arizona State job) / Mickey McConnell (St. Mary's asst.)
Boston College: Earl Grant (fired) / Luke Murray (UConn asst., son of Bill Murray, so he's got that going for him...which is nice)
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Northern Iowa: Ben Jacobson (took Utah State job) / Kyle Green (Iowa State asst.)
Oregon State: Wayne Tinkle (fired) / Justin Joyner (Michigan asst.)
St. Bonaventure: Mark Schmidt (retired) / Mike MacDonald (Daemen [D2] HC)
Belmont: Casey Alexander (took Kansas State job) / Evan Bradds (Duke asst.)
Charlotte: Aaron Fearne (fired) / Wes Miller (former Cincinnati HC)
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Akron: John Groce (took Charleston job) / Dustin Ford (Akron asst.)
South Florida: Bryan Hodgson (took Providence job) / Chris Mack (Charleston HC)
San Diego: Steve Lavin (fired) / JR Blount (Iowa St. asst.)
Air Force: Joe Scott (fired) / Joe Crispin (Penn St. asst.)
Pepperdine: Ed Schilling (fired) / Griff Aldrich (Virginia asst., former Longwood HC)
Charleston: Chris Mack (took South Florida job) / John Groce (Akron HC)
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Georgia State: Jonas Hayes (fired) /
UNC Greensboro: Mike Jones (not renewed) / Jerod Haase (former Stanford HC)
Weber State: Eric Duft (moving to front office) /
Ball State: Mike Lewis (fired) / Chris Capko (SMU asst.)
Cal Baptist: Rick Croy (took Arizona state assistant job) /
Western Michigan: Dwayne Stephens (fired) / Kahil Fennel (UT Rio Grande Valley HC)
Troy: Scott Cross (took Georgia Tech job) / Adam Howard (NC State asst.)
Tarleton State: Billy Gillispie (fired) / Eric Haut (Utah St. asst.)
Siena: Gerry McNamara (took Syracuse job) / Nevada Smith (Marquette asst.)
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FIU: Jeremy Ballard (fired) / Joey Cantens (Daytona State [D2] HC)
Eastern Michigan: Stan Heath (fired) / Billy Donlon (Clemson asst.)
Cal State Bakersfield: Rod Barnes (fired) / Todd Lee (USC asst.)
Little Rock: Darrell Walker (fired) / Travis Ford (former St. Louis HC)
Northern Illinois: Rashon Burno (fired) / Matt Majkrzak (Northern Michigan [D2] HC)
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Kansas City: Marvin Menzies (fired) / Mark Turgeon (former Maryland HC))
Louisiana Monroe: Phil Cunningham (fired) / Ryan Cross (UAB asst., former ULM asst.)
Dartmouth: Dave McLaughlin (not renewed) / Brett MacConnell (Stanford asst.)
North Florida: Matthew Driscoll (took asst. job at Kansas St., lol) / Bobby Kennen (interim HC)
Lamar: Alvin Brooks (fired) / Jordan Fee (FAU asst.)
Campbell: John Andrzejek (took Louisville asst. job) /
Tennessee Tech: John Pelphrey (fired) / Tobin Anderson (former Iona/FDU HC)
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Wagner: Donald Copeland (fired) /
UT Rio Grande Valley: Kahil Fennel (took Western Michigan job) /
Jackson State: Mo Williams (took Kentucky asst. job) /
Alabama State: Tony Madlock (resigned) /

 

[Sec_112]

Kind of surprised Mark Turgeon, the former Maryland guy, had to go as low as UMKC to start over. He did a nice jobat UM. Was he a Witchita State guy? Maybe a quality of life/home thing?

 

[macarthur31]

Maybe it's early days, but as I scan the B1G, I don't see any obvious transitions happening. How many offseasons has the B1G stood pat?

 

[techtim72]

Kind of surprised Mark Turgeon, the former Maryland guy, had to go as low as UMKC to start over. He did a nice jobat UM. Was he a Witchita State guy? Maybe a quality of life/home thing?

Turgeon was born in Topeka, KS. Practically a suburb of Kansas City, MO.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Zero changes in the Big Ten would be shocking I feel like, but it's not like any of the 9 teams that made the dance were huge upstarts or anything and are gonna get another job tossed at em.

 

[CappyNU]

Maybe it's early days, but as I scan the B1G, I don't see any obvious transitions happening. How many offseasons has the B1G stood pat?

More than I would've expected, actually. 2019-20, 2017-18 and 2013-14 all had 0 coaching changes in the Big Ten following the end of the season. 2020 is understandable with Covid; in 2018 you had Izzo, Painter, Beilein, Turgeon, McCaffery, and Collins all well entrenched, Chris Holtmann, Archie Miller and Brad Underwood in year 1, Steve Pikiell in year 2, Greg Gard in year 3, Tim Miles and Pat Chambers had excellent seasons that staved off their firing, and Richard Pitino a year off of Minnesota's highest tourney seed since 1997.

This year, the only ones I could see making moves would be PSU or Rutgers as far as firing their coaches, but Rhoades is in year 3 and I doubt Rutgers has the money to pay a buyout. Maybe Altman could retire at Oregon? Maybe Cronin takes a job somewhere else where he might be marginally less miserable? OSU fans seem to be unhappy, but they made the tourney this year. Sprinkle and Musselman are both finishing year 2.

 

[macarthur31]

More than I would've expected, actually. 2019-20, 2017-18 and 2013-14 all had 0 coaching changes in the Big Ten following the end of the season. 2020 is understandable with Covid; in 2018 you had Izzo, Painter, Beilein, Turgeon, McCaffery, and Collins all well entrenched, Chris Holtmann, Archie Miller and Brad Underwood in year 1, Steve Pikiell in year 2, Greg Gard in year 3, Tim Miles and Pat Chambers had excellent seasons that staved off their firing, and Richard Pitino a year off of Minnesota's highest tourney seed since 1997.

This year, the only ones I could see making moves would be PSU or Rutgers as far as firing their coaches, but Rhoades is in year 3 and I doubt Rutgers has the money to pay a buyout. Maybe Altman could retire at Oregon? Maybe Cronin takes a job somewhere else where he might be marginally less miserable? OSU fans seem to be unhappy, but they made the tourney this year. Sprinkle and Musselman are both finishing year 2.

I align with you that if you look at the "bottom 9" of the conference, I could make a case for retaining their coaches. Oregon seemed like an off-year, and they lost their ace Jackson Shelstrand, so I'd expect Altman to come back to form (though, maybe as a veteran coach, he may be "over" having to deal with the portal). Cronin seems miserable at UCLA, but that may just be his schtick - I thought they overperformed in the tourney after losing Bilodeau. Coach Pike at Rutgers seems "tenured" to me, and given the Athletic Department's money woes - can they afford another buyout and paying for a new coach? I doubt that.

 

[CappyNU]

Updated with Randy Bennett leaving St. Mary's to go to Arizona State, and Cincinnati hiring Utah State's Jerrod Calhoun.

 

[NU Houston]

Hubert Davis out at UNC. That goes to the top of the list.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

More than I would've expected, actually. 2019-20, 2017-18 and 2013-14 all had 0 coaching changes in the Big Ten following the end of the season. 2020 is understandable with Covid; in 2018 you had Izzo, Painter, Beilein, Turgeon, McCaffery, and Collins all well entrenched, Chris Holtmann, Archie Miller and Brad Underwood in year 1, Steve Pikiell in year 2, Greg Gard in year 3, Tim Miles and Pat Chambers had excellent seasons that staved off their firing, and Richard Pitino a year off of Minnesota's highest tourney seed since 1997.

This year, the only ones I could see making moves would be PSU or Rutgers as far as firing their coaches, but Rhoades is in year 3 and I doubt Rutgers has the money to pay a buyout. Maybe Altman could retire at Oregon? Maybe Cronin takes a job somewhere else where he might be marginally less miserable? OSU fans seem to be unhappy, but they made the tourney this year. Sprinkle and Musselman are both finishing year 2.

The conference is also 50% larger than all those years, making lack of change even less likely.

 

[Catmandoo78]

Zero changes in the Big Ten would be shocking I feel like, but it's not like any of the 9 teams that made the dance were huge upstarts or anything and are gonna get another job tossed at em.

Think there’s still going to be a couple big ten jobs that could open up during this next round of the carousel.

 

[macarthur31]

Bill Self now out from Kansas! UNC and KU gotta be the bluest of blueblood programs with vacancies!

 

[GatoLouco]

Has there ever been an off season where 2 of 4 of the bluest blue blood jobs are open?

I consider Duke, UNC, Kansas and KY as the bluest of blues.

 

[mickbula]

Bulls b Donovan coach to nc or Kansas. It will happen good chance I hear. Bulls are mess and going nowhere

 

[mickbula]

I know it’s crazy to think but is ccc going to be considered for any open jobs in ncaa bb this time?? And would he consider leaving nu??

 

[NU Houston]

Bill Self now out from Kansas! UNC and KU gotta be the bluest of blueblood programs with vacancies!

Link?

 

[macarthur31]

Link?

Gah! Good catch - I gotta do a better job following up on links. Here's the latest on Bill Self.

 

[Sec_112]

I know it’s crazy to think but is ccc going to be considered for any open jobs in ncaa bb this time?? And would he consider leaving nu??

One more question I'd like to add to that list. Would a Duke guy ever go to UNC? I understand he'd be banned from "the brotherhood" forever.

Anyhow, even if CC wasn't a Dookie, I think you'd have to go REALLY far down the UNC candidate list before he'd be considered..

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

 

[Eurocat]

Did not know Steve Latvin, Billy Gillespie and John Pelphrey were still coaching (well, had been).

 

[WestCoastWildcat]

I know it’s crazy to think but is ccc going to be considered for any open jobs in ncaa bb this time?? And would he consider leaving nu??

I was wondering the same thing. My initial response is no and don’t see blue blood programs mentioned as being a good fit. The plus side would be the support in money and fan/alumni support top programs have to offer but the pressure for instant and sustained success at a high level (like just not reaching the Big Dance but advancing deeply) would be the down side. I guess it depends if CCC feels he’s topped out at NU. I feel he’s staying with the program until he retires.

 

[Catmandoo78]

I know it’s crazy to think but is ccc going to be considered for any open jobs in ncaa bb this time?? And would he consider leaving nu??

Haha no. He isn’t viewed as a likely candidate for any job that would be more desirable than a big ten job.

With that being said, I think it’s very likely he’s coaching somewhere else in the next five years. NU is way, way behind even the middle of the conference in player compensation and between lack of money and admissions, he just can’t compete. If there isn’t a big change there, I would be shocked if he doesn’t get tired of getting his head kicked in when he could go coach at Wisconsin (for example) and be in the tourney every year.

 

[EagerFan]

I don't see Collins going anywhere in the near future. A lot will depend on how he sees his plans succeed or fail over the next few years with this new class, and some depends on how the AD and the administration react to what happens. It seems harder to succeed here than other B1G programs. At the same time, on the national P4 line we're seeing coaches get fired after two or three years because they're only getting to the first round of the tournament or only finishing in the top of their conference. I think Collins is pretty happy not dealing with that level of insanity and job hopping around the country. I'm pretty sure he'll have a job here for life if he can get NU into the tournament every three years or so. And if he can avoid the busted years that led to solo Nick surrounded by freshmen, he might be able to do it more regularly than that.

 

[NJCat]

One more question I'd like to add to that list. Would a Duke guy ever go to UNC?

Living here in NC, the answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT. And no Carolina guy would move to Duke. Best rivalry in college basketball by far.

 

[Catmandoo78]

I don't see Collins going anywhere in the near future. A lot will depend on how he sees his plans succeed or fail over the next few years with this new class, and some depends on how the AD and the administration react to what happens. It seems harder to succeed here than other B1G programs. At the same time, on the national P4 line we're seeing coaches get fired after two or three years because they're only getting to the first round of the tournament or only finishing in the top of their conference. I think Collins is pretty happy not dealing with that level of insanity and job hopping around the country. I'm pretty sure he'll have a job here for life if he can get NU into the tournament every three years or so. And if he can avoid the busted years that led to solo Nick surrounded by freshmen, he might be able to do it more regularly than that.

Maybe, but coaches are wired to win. Collins has shown he can do it occasionally, under very difficult circumstances. He’s getting older, and if he loses faith that the administration will ever help him out, I wouldn’t blame him for wanting to see if he can go make deep tourney runs somewhere that’s willing to work with him and not against him.

He signed an extension partly because nothing better materialized (in particular, UCLA didn’t open up like expected) but also because he was assured resources. That largely hasn’t materialized relative to the increase that other conference peers are seeing. Despite more player money available, NU seems to have lagged our peers considerably this season. (See: Senior Martinelli being stranded with freshmen and lotto tickets from the bottom of the transfer scrap heap)

 

[WestCoastWildcat]

The firing (and hiring) of Steve Lavin by U of San Diego (Jim Harbaugh had his first HC football job there) made the local news. USD as a private school has funds to pour into the program. San Diego State has a top notch basketball program under Fisher and now under Dutcher but SDSU is struggling to remain competitive under the new environment. Blows my mind the top programs are throwing so much money at coaching/staffing & players. It’s not a sustainable upward arc.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

I don't see Collins going anywhere in the near future. A lot will depend on how he sees his plans succeed or fail over the next few years with this new class, and some depends on how the AD and the administration react to what happens. It seems harder to succeed here than other B1G programs. At the same time, on the national P4 line we're seeing coaches get fired after two or three years because they're only getting to the first round of the tournament or only finishing in the top of their conference. I think Collins is pretty happy not dealing with that level of insanity and job hopping around the country. I'm pretty sure he'll have a job here for life if he can get NU into the tournament every three years or so. And if he can avoid the busted years that led to solo Nick surrounded by freshmen, he might be able to do it more regularly than that.

The new President will have a major impact on the trajectory of Collins’ career as well as the future of the entire athletic department. If NU messes up this hire the athletic department may never recover. That being said, I’m cautiously optimistic that the BOT will find the right person for the job. They need to!

 

[CappyNU]

Updated with the Hubert Davis news, along with Butler hiring former player and current Atlanta Hawks assistant Ronald Nored, and former Xavier/Louisville coach Chris Mack of Charleston taking the South Florida job.

Aside from the Bill Self rumors, there's also rumors that Will Wade might leave NC State after one year to go back to LSU now that his reputation has been restored. The Lane Kiffin of CBB.

Edit: Yep, Will Wade's off to LSU.

 

[EagerFan]

The new President will have a major impact on the trajectory of Collins’ career as well as the future of the entire athletic department. If NU messes up this hire the athletic department may never recover. That being said, I’m cautiously optimistic that the BOT will find the right person for the job. They need to!

Absolutely, administration influence is beyond Collins' control and bad admin could push him out the door or send him charging out it.

Maybe, but coaches are wired to win. Collins has shown he can do it occasionally, under very difficult circumstances. He’s getting older, and if he loses faith that the administration will ever help him out, I wouldn’t blame him for wanting to see if he can go make deep tourney runs somewhere that’s willing to work with him and not against him.

He signed an extension partly because nothing better materialized (in particular, UCLA didn’t open up like expected) but also because he was assured resources. That largely hasn’t materialized relative to the increase that other conference peers are seeing. Despite more player money available, NU seems to have lagged our peers considerably this season. (See: Senior Martinelli being stranded with freshmen and lotto tickets from the bottom of the transfer scrap heap)

Anything's possible and I'm speculating on very little information. I think the Nick thing was on Collins more than anyone else, and to some degree I'm ok with that. He's said he wants limited use of the portal as his staff brings in freshmen and creates a family culture (my words), so he didn't hire a bunch of starter star veterans to surround Nick this year. The question will be can he make his plan work competitively.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Wasn’t this on the paid board a few days ago? Feels like groundhogs day.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Wasn’t this on the paid board a few days ago? Feels like groundhogs day.

Just helping the Capmeister.

 

[CappyNU]

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

The BC in-game entertainment crew must be watering at the mouth…SO many possibilities for them. LOL.

 

[NU Houston]

The BC in-game entertainment crew must be watering at the mouth…SO many possibilities for them. LOL.

 

[Catmandoo78]

Absolutely, administration influence is beyond Collins' control and bad admin could push him out the door or send him charging out it.



Anything's possible and I'm speculating on very little information. I think the Nick thing was on Collins more than anyone else, and to some degree I'm ok with that. He's said he wants limited use of the portal as his staff brings in freshmen and creates a family culture (my words), so he didn't hire a bunch of starter star veterans to surround Nick this year. The question will be can he make his plan work competitively.

One relevant data point: Marquette tried this. Shaka admitted it didn’t work at all and they’re going to use the portal to supplement their roster going forward.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

One relevant data point: Marquette tried this. Shaka admitted it didn’t work at all and they’re going to use the portal to supplement their roster going forward.

Smart move.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Smart move.

Until we have some kind of system that allows multi-year NIL contracts to actually be enforceable rather that guys jus breaking their deal and leaving whenever they feel like… it is what it is.

 

[CatManTrue]

Iowa’s coach may get hired away. He says he’s staying but how could he turn down a job like UNC?

 

[EagerFan]

One relevant data point: Marquette tried this. Shaka admitted it didn’t work at all and they’re going to use the portal to supplement their roster going forward.

It seems safe to assume that Collins will continue supplementing his roster via the portal. It just seems unlikely at this time that he'll switch to hiring professional EU players to fill up his starting roster. He wants to win, but I think at this juncture he is still committed to winning "his way". If he doesn't see progress over the next few years, if his way doesn't end up developing into victories, I expect he'll adapt.