There will be supports of Kim that dislike the fact I even assembled a list. Yes, I realize that Vandy and Georgia Tech still have vacancies. But it seemed like a good time to do another survey of the field for coaches to keep an eye on.
This wasn't a deep dive. There may be coaches in non-P5 leagues on the cusp of breaking through. There are likely assistants out there that might be worth keeping an eye on. However, this is cursory. I looked at each league outside the Power 5 to see what guys to keep tabs on. Also, I left off Marshall, Mack and Miller. We all know they'd be on a list anyway.
All total, there are 25 names on this list. The only ones that dropped off were Brad Underwood, Chris Beard and Jerod Haase. If Kim doesn't survive to see Year 4, there are some options out there.
Big East
This wasn't a deep dive. There may be coaches in non-P5 leagues on the cusp of breaking through. There are likely assistants out there that might be worth keeping an eye on. However, this is cursory. I looked at each league outside the Power 5 to see what guys to keep tabs on. Also, I left off Marshall, Mack and Miller. We all know they'd be on a list anyway.
All total, there are 25 names on this list. The only ones that dropped off were Brad Underwood, Chris Beard and Jerod Haase. If Kim doesn't survive to see Year 4, there are some options out there.
Big East
- Chris Holtmann, Butler: He has a nice nucleus aside from Jones and Dunham, both of whom left. And there's a top-25 recruiting class coming in. Butler extended him last season, and there's no doubt his program is the front porch of the school. However, recruiting in Indiana will always be a dogfight. And so will be getting into Cincy or Louisville. The facilities at Butler aren't bad, but Mizzou is still ahead. Like the other two coaches in this section, the chances are remote you could lure him away. But it's worth running the traps.
- Ed Cooley, Providence: Ben Bentil is back, and there were some nice young pieces behind Kris Dunn. However, you have to wonder if there will always be a ceiling at this program. They just extended him yesterday, though. Plus, Providence is hometown. Still worth making a call.
- Steve Wojciechowski, Marquette: I know. Former Duke assistant. Supposedly a good recruiter. Coach K lineage. Still, he's made incremental progress rebooting the Golden Eagles. If Ellenson sticks around, he'll augment a young core with a couple solid recruits next season. Not saying he should be at the top of the list, but just a name to monitor.
- Kelvin Sampson, Houston: We all know this guy. We know the pros. We know the cons. If he can break through with Houston next season, I think you could tilt opinion toward taking a risk. I worry less about the NCAA scrutiny and more about his age and whether he's still got recruiting chops for a high-major. Still, he deserves a look.
- Will Wade, VCU: He's only 33. He inherited Shaka's program. And there's only a one-year sample. Oh, and VCU just extended him for eight seasons, with a base salary of $750,000 and total compensation over $1 million, if you wrap in incentives. So if you want him, you'll be paying up for a guy who only has three seasons at Chattanooga and two at VCU. They only lose two guys out of their regular rotation, though. So I'd expect the Rams to be solid again.
- Mike Lonergan, George Washington: The guy has won everywhere he's been. The thing is, it's almost entirely in the DMV area. He grew up in Maryland, went to Catholic U in DC, and then coached his alma mater. He left and thrived at Vermont before coming back to the Beltway. And his teams at GWU have hit a ceiling in the A10. He's only 50, but he's got a ton of head coaching experience; however, I wonder if making the jump to a Power 5 program and having to recruit outside his familiar region may be too much of an ask.
- Dan Hurley, Rhode Island: His teams are going to defend, rebound and turn a game into a slugfest. When you look at this season, consider he lost two of his best players in the first month of the season to injury, too. They still finished .500 in the league, and he's taken the program from No. 193 in KenPom to No. 56 last season. What he needs to do is get into the tournament, but I like what he's done at modes programs in Wagner and URI.
- Kevin Keatts, UNC-Wilmington: The guy has done great work in two seasons. But...he headed up recruiting at Louisville from 2011 to 2014. We haven't heard a peep about his role in the recruiting sex scandal there. Until there's a resolution, that puts a cloud over him. He brings back eight of 10 guys in the rotation. I think they'll be the league favorite again, too. If it turns out he's cleared when the NCAA investigation winds down, then he'd move up the list.
- Rodney Terry, Fresno State: He was one of Rick Barnes' best recruiters in Austin, but he's been average out West. FSU did well in league play, and they made a run to get into the NCAA tournament; yet, his KenPom profile suggests this may have been an outlier after five seasons. The Bulldogs lose their top two players, but there are four role players that could step into the void. I'm not high on Terry, but it's worth monitoring what he does to see if this past season was an outlier.
