Every season, college basketball programs see their coaches retire, get fired, resign, and more, leading to the never-ending coaching carousel of the college sports world.
Hiring the right coach can significantly impact any sports team, especially a college basketball one. Look at what Dan Hurley has been able to build the Connecticut Huskies into or what Todd Golden has done in just three years at Florida. If you bring in the right coach, the sky’s the limit, and here are the top five teams that made excellent hires.
Top Five Winners of the College Basketball Coaching Carousel
1) Sean Miller, Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns were able to hire Sean Miller away from Xavier, which I believe was the single best hire of the entire coaching carousel. In just three seasons with the Musketeers, Miller made two NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in his first season.
Before Xavier, Miller coached the Arizona Wildcats, where he made seven NCAA tournament appearances, including six straight. I think with Texas’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) fund, Miller will be able to turn Texas into a Southeastern Conference powerhouse and a consistent contender.
2) Will Wade, North Carolina State Wolfpack
I don’t think there is a more underrated coach in the country than Will Wade. Wade has found success everywhere he has coached. North Carolina State hired Wade from McNeese State, where he just led the Cowboys to their fourth NCAA tournament appearance ever.
Before going to McNeese, Wade led the Louisiana State Tigers to two NCAA tournament appearances in four years and the Virginia Commonwealth Rams to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in his two seasons there. There’s no reason why he won’t find success at North Carolina State, and I expect the Wolfpack to be Atlantic Coast Conference contenders as long as they have Wade.
3) Ryan Odom, Virginia Cavaliers
It’s very difficult to replace a coach like Tony Bennett, but Virginia’s hire of Ryan Odom is about as good as it gets. Odom just finished two seasons with Virginia Commonwealth, where he won 20-plus games both years and made the NCAA tournament this year.
Odom is probably best known for his success with the Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers, where, ironically, he knocked off one-seeded Virginia as a 16 seed in 2016. Odom hasn’t coached in a Power Five conference before, but I think he’ll find success in a weak Atlantic Coast Conference and bring Virginia back to national prominence.
4) Ben McCollum, Iowa Hawkeyes
Ben McCollum might be the best up-and-coming coach in the country. He just wrapped up his first season coaching Division I basketball with the Drake Bulldogs, where he led Drake to an 11-seed and beat six-seeded Missouri in the first round.
Before he came to Drake, McCollum became one of the best coaches in Division II history, winning four national titles with the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats. McCollum has found success at every stop he’s made, and there’s no reason he can’t do the same at Iowa.
5) Kevin Willard, Villanova Wildcats
Kevin Willard was hired away by Villanova from the Maryland Terrapins after three seasons with the Terps. In his three seasons with Maryland, Willard led them to two NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2025.
KEEP READING: Coaching Carousel 2025: Full List of New Hires
Before Willard got to Maryland, he went to five NCAA tournaments with the Seton Hall Pirates and was consistently competitive in the Big East Conference. With his previous success in the conference, I think Willard will bring Villanova back to prominence.
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