We no longer have to wait for the end of the regular season for the men's college basketball coaching carousel to start spinning. Two years ago, Maryland and Louisville opened up long before the stretch run of the campaign. Last season it was Texas and Notre Dame opening early, with Ole Miss joining them toward the end of February.
This season, DePaul and Ohio State have already made in-season moves, after West Virginia entered November with an interim head coach who is unlikely to land the permanent job.
The coaching carousel has regained its usual pace since the COVID-impacted cycle of 2020, when fewer than 30 coaching changes were made. There were 57 job changes in 2021, 60 in 2022 and 61 last year. We're currently at six openings, with another two or three that have interim coaches at the helm.
To get you prepared for the next two months of coaching machinations and the accompanying rumors -- of which there will be many -- let's take a look at the biggest jobs, names and storylines to watch on the 2024 men's college basketball carousel.
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Big-picture storylines | Jobs already open | Jobs trending to open | Jobs to watch | Jobs likely not opening | Seats that have cooled | Non-power programs to watch | High-profile names to watch | Mid-major names to monitor | Could they coach again?
Big-picture storylines to watch
1. Are we expecting a busy carousel?
Although there are just 2½ weeks left in the regular season, it's still unclear how much the carousel is going to spin this spring. There are already three Power 6 jobs available, and another three are almost guaranteed to open. After that, a handful could go either way -- and that doesn't even include the likes of Michigan, Indiana and Villanova, which could send the cycle into overdrive and kickstart a major chain reaction.
2. Is a school's NIL budget the biggest decision-making factor for coaches?
When it comes time for a coach to decide to leave his current school for a new one, dozens of factors will be considered: Salary, location, conference affiliation, school traditions, family comfort, etc. But among the biggest these days is a program's NIL budget. West Virginia's large NIL pool is attractive. DePaul working to raise its NIL budget has been a selling point. Some coaches have expressed that their NIL budget would take a hit if they moved to Ohio State. NIL is also a talking point for schools looking to move on from coaches earlier than usual. In an era where turning things around via the transfer portal within a year or two is imperative, having the money to attract top talent is a top priority.
3. Retirement watch
Is there a surprise in store this spring? Jim Boeheim stepped down following Syracuse's ACC tournament loss last season, Jay Wright retired in April of the previous offseason and Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski announced their retirements in 2021. Miami's Jim Larrañaga (74 years old) and Florida State's Leonard Hamilton (75) have been asked about retirement for several years, and both have maintained they have no interest in retiring. Will their teams' struggles this season change that decision? Meanwhile, the buzz surrounding a potential retirement from Oregon's Dana Altman (65) is getting louder. The Ducks are third in the Pac-12 but haven't gone dancing since 2021.
Others to watch include Duquesne's Keith Dambrot (65) and La Salle's Fran Dunphy (75), while Old Dominion's Jeff Jones and Tarleton State's Billy Gillispie have been sidelined for much of the season with health issues.
4. Guys who could look around
Never before has there been so much talk of high-major coaches looking to move -- or at least being willing to listen to other opportunities. Some of this has to do with the aforementioned NIL, some has to do with wanting to start fresh. Creighton's Greg McDermott and Washington State's Kyle Smith are likely candidates for multiple openings, while Oklahoma's Porter Moser, Arkansas' Eric Musselman, BYU's Mark Pope and Arizona State's Bobby Hurley could all listen to other schools. Others who could look around: Iowa's Fran McCaffery, USC's Andy Enfield, Texas A&M's Buzz Williams, Mississippi State's Chris Jans and Virginia Tech's Mike Young.
5. Will sizable buyouts prevent some moves?
We've already discussed five of the biggest jobs in the country. Ohio State paid nearly $13 million to fire Chris Holtmann, but are the Buckeyes willing to pay that type of money to lure a coach from another school? Does anyone? Not wanting to do so could leave the likes of UCLA's Mick Cronin ($20 million buyout, drops to $16 million in April), Alabama's Nate Oats ($12 million buyout, drops to $10 million in mid-March), Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger ($17.6 million left on his deal) and Moser ($7 million-plus buyout) on the sidelines for this carousel.
NC State coach Kevin Keatts is not happy about a no-call and argues with the refs, quickly picking up two technical fouls and an early exit.
Jobs already open
Ohio State made the stunning -- in terms of timing -- move last week to fire Chris Holtmann with a month left in his seventh season. Did the Buckeyes do it to get a jump on Louisville or another big program set to begin a coaching search? And who are they going after? There are several layers to this one. Outgoing athletic director Gene Smith made the decision to fire Holtmann, while incoming athletic director Ross Bjork will lead the search for a replacement -- assisted by Collegiate Sports Associates, which helped the school run its AD search. From what we're hearing, they've cast a wide net in the first few days of the search, but should zero in on a handful of names soon. Creighton's Greg McDermott, Xavier's Sean Miller and South Carolina's Lamont Paris are among the candidates expected to be involved. Dayton's Anthony Grant has appeared very comfortable with the Flyers, but could the Buckeyes try to tempt him? A potential long shot name to watch is Washington State's Kyle Smith.
Athletic director Wren Baker has essentially been running a search since the summer, when Bob Huggins stepped down. At the time, he gave the keys to Josh Eilert to keep some level of roster continuity. But the Mountaineers entered the week tied for last place in the Big 12, and the interim coach won't be getting the permanent job. Florida Atlantic's Dusty May has long been perceived as Baker's top target, though he could have better opportunities this spring -- or opt to stay in Boca Raton. Other potential candidates include James Madison's Mark Byington, Appalachian State's Dustin Kerns, Colorado State's Niko Medved and Charleston's Pat Kelsey.
DePaul moved on from Tony Stubblefield in late January, in the middle of his third season in Chicago, when the Blue Demons were winless in the Big East and 3-15 overall. Athletic director DeWayne Peevy hired DHR International to assist with the search, just as he did when he hired Stubblefield in 2021. A number of candidates have been linked to the job over the past few weeks. The Blue Demons have had some level of interest in Arizona State's Bobby Hurley. They've also had early talks with the recently fired Chris Holtmann. Another name making the rounds has been UAB's Andy Kennedy while Indiana State's Josh Schertz has long been mentioned as a candidate. Despite social media buzz, McNeese coach Will Wade is not believed to be involved.
Other jobs currently open, or with an interim head coach: Charleston Southern, Fairfield, Coastal Carolina
Trending toward opening
In December, it looked likely Kenny Payne would be sacked before the new year. But athletic director Josh Heird announced he would keep Payne in place -- at least through the end of the campaign. Things haven't improved much for the Cardinals, however, who entered the week at 8-18 overall and 3-12 in the ACC after going 4-28 overall and 2-18 in ACC play last season. It's hard to see Payne getting another season, especially with Louisville last making an NCAA tournament appearance in 2019. When this one opens, it will be the best job available, with big names ranging from Scott Drew to Nate Oats to Greg McDermott to Dusty May all possibly on Heird's list.
After surviving the hot seat for a few seasons, this might be the end of the road in Seattle for Mike Hopkins. Since leading the Huskies to the NCAA tournament in 2019, he has gone 34-59 in Pac-12 play and hasn't come close to dancing again. This season's transfer-filled roster is just 14-12 overall and 6-9 in conference play. Hopkins' contract made it prohibitive to fire him earlier, but there will be just $3 million left on his deal after this season. Athletic director Troy Dannen, who was hired in October and was thrown right into the fire of a football search, will now have a second big search on his hands. The crop of winning Mountain West coaches -- Colorado State's Niko Medved, Utah State's Danny Sprinkle, Boise State's Leon Rice -- could be candidates, as could someone like BYU's Mark Pope or someone from outside the region like South Florida's Amir Abdur-Rahim.
At the end of the 2021-22 season, athletic director Bernard Muir put out a statement saying Jerod Haase would be back, but he needed to show improvement. The Cardinal then had their worst campaign since Haase's first year in charge. This season, they're once again below .500 in Pac-12 play after losing four of the past five games. Haase has had consistent, quality talent, but that hasn't translated to wins, or NCAA tournament appearances in eight years. Some intriguing replacement possibilities if Haase does leave include Washington State's Kyle Smith and Princeton's Mitch Henderson.
Jobs we're watching
Speculation surrounding Juwan Howard's future has been rampant since an incident with his strength and conditioning coach in December. The Wolverines are also in the midst of a dreadful season, having fallen to 8-18 overall and 3-12 in the Big Ten after a 10-point home loss to Michigan State last weekend. But Howard doesn't appear likely to step down on his own. It's also unclear whether athletic director Warde Manuel wants to take the step of firing a program legend, saying last week he has "not really thought about any changes." Howard would be owed only about $3 million if the school lets him go.
This one genuinely feels like it could go either way. The pendulum has swung back and forth in recent weeks, with talk of an NIL infusion entering the offseason and big wins over BYU and Cincinnati in the past few days. But it's also Year 7 for Mike Boynton in Stillwater, with just one NCAA tournament (2021, with Cade Cunningham) to show for it. Boynton is signed through 2027-28, and the school would owe him $9 million if it moved on from him before April 1 ($8 million after that).
It feels like we do this dance every year with Bobby Hurley, who signed a two-year contract extension at the end of last season that runs through 2025-26. The extension came after he made his third NCAA tournament appearance. The athletic director with whom he had a frosty relationship, Ray Anderson, is no longer in Tempe. But the Sun Devils are struggling, sitting below .500 in the Pac-12, and Hurley could opt to look around, too.
Vanderbilt's late-season run a year ago cooled Jerry Stackhouse's seat a bit, as the Commodores won 10 of their final 12 games to play themselves onto the NCAA tournament bubble. But they entered this week 7-18 overall and 2-10 in SEC play, and are headed for their seventh straight season without an NCAA tournament appearance. Stackhouse signed a contract extension before last season, and since Vanderbilt is a private school, the money owed is unknown -- but it's considered prohibitive.
In their first season moving up from the AAC to the Big 12, Johnny Dawkins and the Knights have had some great moments, including wins over Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma. But they were just 4-8 in the league entering the week, and this will be their fifth straight season finishing .500 or below in conference play. Dawkins led UCF to the NCAA tournament in 2019 but has struggled since. The last contract extension he signed has just one year remaining.
Wayne Tinkle is probably fine for another year, but the Beavers are just 11-15 overall and 3-12 in the Pac-12, bringing his record to 25-64 overall and 9-46 in league play since an Elite Eight appearance in 2021. Following that run, Tinkle received a fully guaranteed contract extension through 2026-27 that still has around $9 million left after this season. Another mitigating factor is Oregon State's lack of a long-term conference home -- the Beavers are leaving for the WCC for two years.
Florida Atlantic Owls vs. South Florida Bulls: Game Highlights
Likely not happening this year, but ...
Nova's first two seasons in the post-Jay Wright era have not quite gone according to plan. Kyle Neptune and the Wildcats missed the NCAA tournament last season and, despite heavy NIL and transfer portal infusions last spring, would not make it if the season ended today. It is only year two, though, and there are no obvious replacements from the Villanova family or the Wright coaching tree. There have been whispers of growing unrest on the Main Line, but winning four of the past five games has quieted them for now.
This is one of the jobs that could really get the carousel rolling. The Hoosiers are struggling, they won't make the NCAA tournament and the fanbase appears ready to move on from Mike Woodson. After leading IU to the NCAA tournament in his first two seasons and with $12.6 million remaining on his contract after April, firing him might not be feasible. Could Woodson, 65, step down on his own? Or could Dusty May -- a student manager under Bob Knight -- flirting with other schools spur the Hoosiers into action?
After entering the season as a preseason top 25 team, with a top-notch recruiting class and several returning players, Andy Enfield and the Trojans have been a massive disappointment. They're next-to-last in the Pac-12 and sit at 10-16 overall. Given that he's gone to three straight NCAA tournaments and five overall since arriving at USC in 2013 -- along with a contract that runs through 2027 -- Enfield should be fine. But, it wouldn't be a shock to see him look around or enter next season under pressure.
Fran McCaffery, who set the program record for wins earlier this season, has been to seven NCAA tournaments during his time in Iowa City, annually producing some of the nation's best offenses. While the Hawkeyes would need to go on a run to end the season and go dancing again, a parting of ways also seems farfetched. McCaffery, 64, is signed through the 2027-28 season.
Even with the Wolfpack on the outside looking in regarding the NCAA tournament, it's hard to imagine them moving on from Kevin Keatts, who took them to the dance last season and had them tied for fourth place in the ACC entering this week. He's under contract through 2028 and is owed a significant amount of money should he be fired.
Seats that have cooled
Brad Brownell entering the season on the hot seat, and Brad Brownell coaching himself off the hot seat by the end of the campaign, has become an annual staple of the college basketball calendar. The Tigers started off 9-0 before losing seven of their next 12. But they've righted the ship and are comfortably in the NCAA tournament field. Brownell is under contract for another two years.
After looking like he would be let go a couple of times over the past two seasons, Fred Hoiberg has guided the Cornhuskers to NCAA tournament contention. If Selection Sunday was this weekend, they would likely be included, with wins over Purdue, Michigan State and Wisconsin. It would be Hoiberg's first NCAA tournament appearance in Lincoln. His guaranteed money reportedly drops to $7 million in April.
Ben Johnson looked like he might go three and out at Minnesota, but the Gophers have already reached their most overall wins since 2019 and sit at .500 in Big Ten play. They're not going to make the NCAA tournament, but it's a necessary step forward and most of the roster should return next season. Johnson still has three years left on his deal.
Noteworthy non-power programs to keep an eye on
There have been multiple instances in the Billikens' season where a change appeared imminent, but Travis Ford is still leading the program as we enter the final three weeks of 2023-24. He's won 44 games the past two seasons and led the Billikens to the NCAA tournament in 2019. He's being paid handsomely, but hasn't gotten them back to the dance. The termination fee isn't public but rumored to be high.
It's unclear if this one is just smoke or real, but there's been a growing sense of unhappiness with Kevin Kruger coming out of the desert. The Rebels are currently fifth in the Mountain West, with wins in five of their past six games. Much could be determined by how Kruger finishes his third season.
After going 23-9 overall and 13-5 in league play in his first season (2018-19), Justin Hutson has yet to lead the Bulldogs to a .500 or above Mountain West record again. They went 11-20 overall and 6-12 in MWC play last season and entered this week at 11-15 and 4-9. His contract runs out after this season.
Lorenzo Romar has been on the hot seat for a few years as Pepperdine has really struggled since winning the CBI in 2020. The Waves went a combined 3-29 in conference play the past two seasons, finishing at the bottom of the West Coast Conference both years. They're slightly better this season, though, with four league wins entering the week.
It wasn't a great sign for Dana Ford when Missouri State athletic director Kyle Moats released a statement in January saying "we expect more," and "It is Coach Ford's responsibility to get the players to play at a competitive level." The Bears have finished .500 or better in the MVC in each of Ford's five seasons, however, and currently sit at 15-12 overall. If this one opens, expect Division II program Northwest Missouri State coach Ben McCollum to get a long look.
Others to watch: Cal Poly, Campbell, Canisius, Dartmouth, Detroit Mercy, Florida International, Hampton, Houston Christian, IUPUI, UIC, UL Monroe, Loyola Maryland, Mercer, Northeastern, Northern Arizona, Presbyterian, Rice, Robert Morris, Siena, UTSA, William & Mary
High-profile names to watch
Dusty May, Florida Atlantic Owls: After leading FAU to the Final Four last season, May returned to Boca Raton and has the Owls on track for another NCAA tournament appearance. He's going to be linked to every high-major program that opens until he takes a job. May is perceived to be the top target at West Virginia, on the list at Ohio State, could get in the mix at Louisville -- and, as an Indiana alum, would likely be the favorite if Mike Woodson leaves Bloomington.
Greg McDermott, Creighton Bluejays: McDermott has guided the Bluejays to at least one win in three straight NCAA tournaments, including last season's run to the Elite Eight. Creighton is currently inside the top 20 nationally. McDermott has been linked to other jobs in the past, but there have been growing whispers in recent weeks that he's willing to seriously listen. Ohio State is interested and Louisville may well be, too.
Nate Oats, Alabama Crimson Tide: His buyout is sizable -- $12 million right now, drops to $10 million on March 15 -- but expect the top-tier jobs to at least show interest. He has the Crimson Tide playing some of the most exciting basketball in the country and they could win their third SEC title in four years.
Sean Miller, Xavier Musketeers: The Musketeers have taken a step back since last season, but Miller had them as a 3-seed and in the Sweet 16 in his second year one at the helm. He's been to four Elite Eights and eight Sweet 16s in his career. His buyout isn't considered prohibitive, but would he definitely leave Xavier a second time?
Josh Schertz discusses his unconventional journey from the tennis court to coaching basketball.
Lamont Paris, South Carolina Gamecocks: Before two losses last week, Paris was the favorite to win National Coach of the Year. He's done an incredible job guiding the Gamecocks, who were picked to finish last in the SEC, to the NCAA tournament. He's a Midwest guy with Big Ten experience, and his buyout drops from $4 million to $3 million on April 1.
Porter Moser, Oklahoma Sooners: Moser's buyout is just north of $7 million but there has been talk he's willing to look around. He has the Sooners poised to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since arriving in Norman, and of course has a Final Four appearance on his résumé.
Eric Musselman, Arkansas Razorbacks: Musselman could be open to leaving Fayetteville for the right opportunity (his name was buzzing earlier this season at Louisville), but it's been a down season for the Razorbacks. Before this season, though, he'd led Arkansas to three straight second-weekend NCAA tournament appearances, including Elite Eights in 2021 and 2022.
Kyle Smith, Washington State Cougars: Smith has Washington State likely dancing for the first time since 2008, and he's already starting to pop up as a potential candidate at openings this spring -- including Stanford. Buyout is only $750,000 and drops to $500,000 in April. This season will be Smith's first NCAA tournament appearance, but he also had success at Columbia and San Francisco.
Will Wade, McNeese Cowboys: Wade's NCAA past is well-documented, but he served his punishment at McNeese and has now led the Cowboys to a 23-3 record and a dominant regular-season championship in the Southland. Wade just signed a contract extension, but his buyout is only $1.25 million. He has had plenty of success at LSU, VCU and Chattanooga, too.
Mark Pope, BYU Cougars: There's been buzz Pope could look at other opportunities this offseason after leading the Cougars into the Big 12 and the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021. He could theoretically be a candidate at Washington or Oregon if either opens, but could also look to come back east.
Chris Beard, Ole Miss Rebels: He's been at Ole Miss for less than a year, following his arrest and midseason firing from Texas after he was charged with a third-degree felony for family violence, but could he be a target for a bigger program? His buyout isn't considered prohibitive, and he's rebuilt the Rebels into a potential NCAA tournament team quickly.
Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's Gaels: Bennett has rarely shown much interest in leaving Moraga, but if Arizona State opens, would he head to Tempe? The Gaels haven't lost a WCC game yet this season and are on their way to a third straight NCAA tournament.
Bobby Hurley, Arizona State Sun Devils: If Arizona State doesn't move on from Hurley, he could move on from the Sun Devils. He's looked around at other jobs in the past but always returned to Arizona State. Could that change this offseason? There's some interest from DePaul, but it's unclear if it will go anywhere.
Mid-major names to monitor
Niko Medved, Colorado State Rams: Last season's downturn in form looks like an anomaly now. The Rams have won 20-plus games for the fourth time in five seasons and will be dancing for the second time in three. Medved led Furman and Drake to varying levels of success before taking over in Fort Collins.
Danny Sprinkle, Utah State Aggies: It's been an incredible first season for Sprinkle, who guided Montana State to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances before moving to Utah State -- where he has the Aggies competing for a Mountain West championship. He could be an option at Washington or Oregon if either opens.
Richard Pitino, New Mexico Lobos: Another Mountain West coach, Pitino will hear his team's name on Selection Sunday for the first time since 2019, when he was at Minnesota. He led the Gophers to two NCAA tournaments. Pitino is a likely candidate at UCF if the Knights move on from Johnny Dawkins.
Amir Abdur-Rahim, South Florida Bulls: USF's blowout of Florida Atlantic over the weekend was the latest step in what has been a tremendous first season for Abdur-Rahim. Before he took over, the Bulls had never finished .500 or better in league play. Abdur-Rahim has them atop the American. He led Kennesaw State to its first NCAA tournament last season.
Leon Rice, Boise State Broncos: A fourth Mountain West coach on this list, Rice is likely taking the Broncos to their third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance -- his fifth overall since joining Boise in 2011. He's yet to win a tournament game, so he'll look to get over the hump. Rice is a possible name for Pacific Northwest jobs.
Josh Schertz, Indiana State Sycamores: One of the feel-good stories of the season, Schertz went to three D-II Final Fours at Lincoln Memorial before making the jump to Division I -- where he's taken arguably the worst job in the Missouri Valley to a regular-season championship race.
Darian DeVries, Drake Bulldogs: Indiana State's losses last week opened the door for Drake to push for an MVC title. DeVries has led Drake to the NCAA tournament in two of the past three seasons, and 78 wins over that span. He could be in the mix at Creighton if McDermott leaves.
Pat Kelsey, Charleston Cougars: One of the best mid-majors in the country last season, Charleston is back atop the CAA standings. Kelsey led Winthrop to two NCAA tournaments before taking over the Cougars in 2021 and now has more than 50 wins in the past two seasons. Kelsey is a Cincinnati native with high-major experience as an assistant.
Mitch Henderson, Princeton Tigers: While FAU received most of the Cinderella talk in last year's NCAA tournament, Princeton made a stunning Sweet 16 run as a 15-seed. Henderson has the Tigers one game out of first place in the league. He is likely to get in the mix at Stanford if it opens.
Takayo Siddle, UNC Wilmington Seahawks: After a down first season at the helm in 2020-21, Siddle led UNCW to 51 wins in two seasons and once again has the Seahawks in the hunt for a CAA regular-season title. He spent three seasons as an assistant under Kevin Keatts at NC State before taking this job.
Mark Byington, James Madison Dukes: There's been a bit of buzz surrounding Byington at West Virginia, which shouldn't come as a surprise after the Dukes started the season with 14 straight wins, including the season-opening road victory at Michigan State. He's won at least 20 games in five of his past seven seasons at Georgia Southern and JMU, but has yet to reach an NCAA tournament.
Bucky McMillan, Samford Bulldogs: "Bucky Ball" has taken the Southern Conference by storm, guiding Samford from six wins in Year 1 to 21 wins in each of the past two, and potential back-to-back regular-season titles. McMillan is a Birmingham guy who has spent his entire life in the area, coaching at both the high school and college levels.
Matt Langel, Colgate Raiders: It's fairly surprising Langel is still at Colgate. The Raiders clinched the Patriot League regular-season title Monday, meaning they'll be the 1-seed in the conference tourney for the fifth time in six years, while also aiming for their fifth NCAA tournament appearance in six years. It's a remarkable run.
Dustin Kerns, Appalachian State Mountaineers: While Byington is getting plenty of credit for the job he's done at James Madison, it's actually Kerns' team atop the Sun Belt standings. App State owns a win over Auburn, too. Kerns has been linked to the West Virginia vacancy, and he's won 20 games at both App State and Presbyterian.
James Jones, Yale Bulldogs: Jones has led Yale to a top-three finish in the Ivy League in 10 straight seasons, including five regular-season titles and three NCAA tournament appearances. The Bulldogs are currently back atop the Ivy standings despite their loss over the weekend.
John Becker, Vermont Catamounts: Could this be the year Becker gets a move? The Catamounts have won at least a share of seven consecutive America East regular-season titles and have a two-game lead in the standings right now. They've also gone to four NCAA tournaments in the past seven seasons.
Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon Lopes: Drew took a year off after his 0-18 Vanderbilt stint in 2019 but has been a factor in the WAC since day one. In his first three seasons with the Lopes, he took them to two NCAA tournaments and has them up three games in the regular-season title race this season. Overall, he has led three different programs to the dance.
Preston Spradlin, Morehead State Eagles: In the past three seasons, Spradlin has led Morehead State to 44 conference wins, one NCAA tournament appearance and one regular-season championship. Despite losing his best player to injury just before this season, he has the Eagles back in first place in the Ohio Valley.
David Riley, Eastern Washington Eagles: Riley took over in 2021 and has continued the momentum Shantay Legans established before leaving for Portland. The Eagles won the Big Sky 2022-23 regular-season title at 16-2, then lost their best player to the portal, but Riley has the Eagles back atop the league standings at 11-2.
Getting back in?
Chris Holtmann: It might not be a long stint on the sideline for Holtmann. He's open to getting back in right away for the right situation, sources told ESPN, and there has already been some communication between Holtmann's side and DePaul. He went to seven straight NCAA tournaments at Butler and Ohio State before last season.
Chris Mack: Mack hasn't coached since Louisville let him go midway through 2021-22 but recently said he was going to "look at the options and see what's out there" for the first time. He led Xavier and Louisville to nine NCAA tournaments, including four Sweet 16s and one Elite Eight appearance. Vanderbilt, UCF, Florida State could be options if any open.
LaVall Jordan: Butler fired Jordan after the 2021-22 season and he's been doing television work during his time off. But during his five seasons with the Bulldogs, he led them to the NCAA tournament in 2018 and had them at 22 wins before the pandemic canceled the 2020 tournament.
Cuonzo Martin: Martin has stayed out of the limelight since leaving Missouri in 2022, so it's unclear whether he's even positioning himself to get back into the mix. He led three different programs to the NCAA tournament during his time as head coach, including a Sweet 16 in 2014.
Tom Crean: While he struggled during his time at Georgia, Crean went to four NCAA tournaments and three Sweet 16s in his final six seasons at Indiana, and five NCAA tournaments and one Final Four at Marquette.
Josh Pastner: Georgia Tech let Pastner go after last season, and he's done some television work for a few networks during his year off. He went to five NCAA tournaments during his time at Tech and Memphis. Rice could be an option if it opens.