As soon as once more CBS Sports activities presents our Candid Coaches sequence, which spotlights related subjects and points in males’s school basketball. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander polled almost 100 coaches in latest weeks on quite a lot of topics. Coaches spoke on background and had been offered anonymity to supply unfiltered opinions. In the present day, we have a look at the number of new faces in new locations.
Modifications within the NIL panorama, and the frenetic nature of the switch portal, has accelerated the speed of turnover in school 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 superb chunk, and in reality school hoops had 14 ACC/Huge East/Huge Ten/Huge 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 school basketball report.
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 dwelling runs, with maybe one, two or three of the coaches in new perches this yr fated to thrive for effectively over a decade at their new faculties.
Candid Coaches: Who’s the most effective X’s and O’s coach in school basketball proper now?
Gary Parrish
Which college made the most effective determination in shifting ahead with its males’s hoops program over the subsequent five-plus years? This was our query to just about 100 coaches and listed here are the outcomes of our survey.
Who was the most effective 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 more because the season went alongside. Then they beat Missouri within the NCAA Match. There’s extra than simply success in 12 months 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 might 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. Have a look at his profession report and accomplishments. Nice coach. He’ll win persistently so long as his administration helps him.”
- “McCollum I do not know something about, however looks as if he is a controlling tempo and defensive man, so that can translate it doesn’t matter what personnel they’ve. Additionally it looks as if an ideal character location match for a brand new head coach. And his monitor report is tremendous spectacular.”
- “Ben McCollum due to match. From the area, successful 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 magnificence 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 character, 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 type. Excellent probability to win early and persistently within the weakest [Power Five] league.”
- “What he was fired for the foundations are completely different — have a look at Houston with Kelvin Sampson. He’s the right match to attain at a excessive ceiling kind 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 ability 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 received massive [at that level] already. Very sensible rent. Ensures they are going to 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] will probably be again.”
About Odom
- “Some coaches get employed, it is sensible and is the right the place. For me, Odom is a simple 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 effectively primarily based 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 follow 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 received in every single place he is been: UMBC, Utah State, VCU.”
About others
- Medved: “How can anybody low cost what Niko Medved has accomplished at every cease in his profession? He inherited a catastrophe at Furman and in three years he received. Drake, he received. 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 manner about him. Humble, exceptionally sensible, 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 most effective participant?” and “who’s the most effective staff?” survey questions this yr, I have been pulling out knowledge from the archives to point out who received these Qs in years previous. Let’s do the identical for immediately’s research, as it is a query we have requested courting again to 2014.
Current winners of this query — with hyperlinks to return and see how the coaches voted annually — are …
2024: John Calipari to Arkansas. Method too quickly to inform, however he was objectively not the most effective rent in 12 months 1.
2023: Rick Pitino to St. John’s. A simple selection not so way back and it is actually wanting like the suitable decide as of immediately.
2022: Shaheen Holloway to Seton Corridor. A good 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 Sensible completed second, and that tracks. Tommy Lloyd to Arizona wasn’t even top-five!
2019: Fred Hoiberg to Nebraska. He completed effectively forward of fellows who proved to be higher their faculties: Nate Oats, Mick Cronin, TJ Otzelberger and Eric Musselman.
2018: Chris Mack to Louisville. Mack beat out the Right Reply by one share 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 Sensible to Texas. He comfortably received, 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. Similar 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 really like asking this query yearly to get a learn of coaches’ opinions on their contemporaries. That stated keep in mind the winner is way from assured to be the most effective 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 decide possibly two instances.
That does not imply McCollum will not show to be wonderful. After successful 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 as if it might change the dynamic within the Huge 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 offered this query, and in reality he took the 2-slot. His confidence and character profile matched with NC State’s place within the Triangle pecking order has lots 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 observe.
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 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 the most effective coaches with no Remaining 4 to his title. He’d like to shed that label as rapidly as attainable in what must be his ultimate cease in school teaching.
Huge 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 many others. … and I do not suppose there’s been a carousel cycle previously decade the place there have been extra “suits” that align with teaching type, college, background, geographical ties than what we’ve in 2025. It is why, regardless that coaches needed to choose one reply, a lot of 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 obtained a vote. It is a promising, comparatively younger class of coaches getting into new gigs. It isn’t nearly who they had been after they received 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 the right way to map-read, pivot and modify will nonetheless be holding on to those jobs, or higher ones, 5 years from now.
Earlier 2025 Candid Coaches questions
