College Basketball: Coaching Carousel Anticipated, Revenue Sharing Impacts Noted, and Conference Tournament Season Begins

The conclusion of the men's college basketball regular season marks the beginning of an anticipated active coaching change cycle, with numerous high-major positions expected to become available. Concurrently, the initial impact of the House v. NCAA revenue-sharing settlement on conferences like the Big East is being analyzed, showing a disparity from early projections. The conference tournament season has also commenced across various leagues.

College Basketball Coaching Landscape

The men's college basketball regular season's conclusion is anticipated to initiate an active coaching change cycle, with industry sources suggesting that over ten high-major positions may become available. This potential activity is expected to generate a ripple effect throughout the sport.

Currently, six head coaching positions are open:

• Kansas State
• San Diego
• Air Force
• Tarleton State
• Cal State Bakersfield
• North Florida

Coaches Identified for Review:

• Adrian Autry (Syracuse): The team has not reached the NCAA tournament in three seasons.
• Jeff Capel (Pittsburgh): Pittsburgh holds a 10–17 record and has made one NCAA tournament appearance in eight years.
• Kim English (Providence): The team has experienced multiple overtime and home conference losses.
• Earl Grant (Boston College): The team is projected for its highest loss total of his tenure, including an eight-game losing streak.
• Bobby Hurley (Arizona State): Coaching in the final year of his contract, the team is 14–13 and is not contending for the NCAA tournament.
• Matt McMahon (LSU): Holds a 16–52 record in SEC games over four years.
• Wes Miller (Cincinnati): An NCAA tournament appearance may be required to retain his position following a 3–7 start in Big 12 play.
• Porter Moser (Oklahoma): The team has not achieved a .500 or better record in SEC play over five years.
• Damon Stoudamire (Georgia Tech): The team has not recorded a win since January 17th and has incurred multiple losses by significant margins.

Situations Under Monitoring:

• Jake Diebler (Ohio State): The team is on the NCAA tournament bubble, and his future may be reviewed if the team does not qualify.
• Steve Forbes (Wake Forest): The program has improved but is likely to miss the NCAA tournament for a sixth consecutive season.
• Penny Hardaway (Memphis): The team holds a 12–15 record (7–7 in AAC play), which is below expectations given its resources.
• Thad Matta (Butler): The team holds a 15–13 record after a six-game losing streak, removing them from NCAA tournament consideration.

Coaches Expected to Remain in Position for Now:

• Ed Cooley (Georgetown): The team holds a 5–11 league record in his third year, with a seven-year contract in place.
• Hubert Davis (North Carolina): The team's performance has improved this season.
• Lamont Paris (South Carolina): Received an extension after being named SEC Coach of the Year, but the team is trending towards a second consecutive sub-.500 season.
• Steve Pikiell (Rutgers): The team is trending towards a third consecutive sub-.500 season, with a large contract buyout noted.
• Micah Shrewsberry (Notre Dame): Progress has been described as slower than anticipated, attributed to injuries and academic recruiting limitations.

Coaches Whose Potential Retirement Is Being Monitored:

• Dana Altman (Oregon): His streak of 20-win seasons will conclude due to an injury-affected season.
• Rick Barnes (Tennessee): The 72-year-old coach continues to lead the program.
• Tad Boyle (Colorado): The team's transition to the Big 12 has presented challenges, with limited resources.
• Mark Few (Gonzaga): Retirement speculation continues, though he is expected to coach at least one season in the new Pac-12.
• Anthony Grant (Dayton): The season has been below expectations.
• Tom Izzo (Michigan State): At 71, he has shown no indication of reducing his involvement, with the program maintaining strong performance.
• Greg McDermott (Creighton): Has a designated successor, Alan Huss.
• Bill Self (Kansas): He is anticipated to return for at least another season.

Key Coaching Candidates for Vacancies

Several head and assistant coaches have been identified as potential candidates for upcoming vacancies:

• Josh Schertz (Saint Louis): Recognized for his tactical abilities and program development at Saint Louis, Indiana State, and Lincoln Memorial. He is considered a candidate for high-level positions, though Saint Louis may seek to retain him with investment.
• Jerrod Calhoun (Utah State): Noted for developing the Youngstown State program and leading Utah State to consistent NCAA tournament contention. He is recognized for his offensive strategies and use of the transfer portal, with potential interest from high-major programs, including Cincinnati, his alma mater.
• Casey Alexander (Belmont): Has achieved over 20 wins in ten consecutive seasons across his tenures at Lipscomb and Belmont, where his team leads the Missouri Valley Conference. He is recognized for talent evaluation and an efficient offensive system, drawing interest from programs such as Kansas State, Oklahoma, and Georgia Tech.
• Bryan Hodgson (South Florida): A former recruiter at Alabama under Nate Oats, Hodgson led significant improvements at Arkansas State and has guided South Florida to the top of the AAC in his first year. He has been linked to the Syracuse position and other high-major opportunities, with ties to upstate New York.
• Joe Gallo (Merrimack): Has overseen Merrimack's transition from Division II, securing both the NEC and MAAC regular-season titles. His defensive strategies are noted as potentially appealing to programs seeking alternative approaches.
• Eric Olen (New Mexico): After a 30-win season at UC San Diego, Olen joined New Mexico and has positioned the Lobos for NCAA tournament consideration in his first year after a team rebuild. The program is described as having resources to compete for at-large bids.
• Travis Steele (Miami, Ohio): Has led Miami (Ohio) to a 29-0 record, a significant turnaround for a program that had not achieved 20 wins since 1999. His current success may enhance his prospects for high-major opportunities, with mentions in connection with Butler.
• Takayo Siddle (UNC Wilmington): Has established UNC Wilmington as a consistent winning program, achieving 27 wins last year and sharing the CAA regular-season title this season with another 25-win campaign. He is a North Carolina native and a prospective candidate for East Coast positions.
• Tony Skinn (George Mason): Initially considered a strong high-major candidate after a 20-2 start at George Mason, his team's recent performance has seen a decline. However, his record of three consecutive 20-win seasons remains notable.
• James Jones (Yale): Has built a successful program at Yale, leading the Bulldogs to consecutive NCAA tournaments and consistent strong rankings, despite Ivy League restrictions on transfers and NIL. He is a candidate for programs such as Boston College or Providence.

• Kenny Blakeney (Howard)
• Matt Braeuer (Stephen F. Austin)
• Speedy Claxton (Hofstra)
• Kahil Fennell (UTRGV)
• Corey Gipson (Austin Peay)
• John Groce (Akron)
• Andy Kennedy (UAB)
• Dustin Kerns (Appalachian State)
• Eric Konkol (Tulsa)
• Brad Korn (Southeast Missouri State)
• Ritchie McKay (Liberty)
• Gerry McNamara (Siena)
• Ryan Miller (Murray State)
• Chris Mudge (Sam Houston State)
• Andy Newman (Cal State Northridge)
• Todd Phillips (Utah Valley)
• Richie Riley (South Alabama)
• Rob Senderoff (Kent State)
• Andy Toole (Robert Morris)
• Russell Turner (UC Irvine)

• Luke Murray (UConn): Identified as an elite X's and O's assistant instrumental in UConn's success, he is considered a candidate for a direct transition to a high-major head coaching role.
• JR Blount (Iowa State): A key contributor to Iowa State's achievements, he is considered a candidate for positions in the Midwest, including the Missouri Valley or MAC conferences.
• Carlin Hartman (Florida): A top assistant at Florida, he has a history of developing frontcourt talent and has been part of a national championship-winning team.
• Mike Boynton (Michigan): Formerly head coach at Oklahoma State, he is now on Dusty May's staff at Michigan. He is expected to be selective regarding his next role and could be considered for another high-major opportunity.
• Emanuel Dildy (Duke): As associate head coach at Duke with extensive Chicago ties, he is prepared for a Division I head coaching position, potentially in the Midwest.
• Jeff Linder (Texas Tech): Previously led Wyoming to the NCAA tournament, he is now a top assistant at Texas Tech, known for his offensive coaching and talent evaluation.
• Justin Gainey (Tennessee): Rick Barnes's top assistant, he is expected to attract interest for various coaching positions throughout the Southeast.

Big East Revenue Sharing Analysis

Discussions in 2024 and 2025 revolved around the potential impact of the House v. NCAA settlement's revenue sharing on the basketball-centric Big East Conference. The initial premise suggested that football-focused schools would primarily allocate their $20.5 million revenue share to football, while Big East schools would invest mainly in men's basketball, theoretically creating a competitive advantage.

Concerns about this potential disparity were expressed by coaches and athletic directors, including Alabama's Nate Oats, Ohio State's Ross Bjork, and Duke's Nina King.

However, in 2026, the initial year of the Revenue Share Era, the Big East Conference is projected to be a three-bid NCAA tournament league, which would rank among its lowest in 46 years.

Connecticut is identified as a national title contender, with St. John's and Villanova also featuring. Factors cited for this outcome include:

• The initial concerns regarding competitive disadvantage were described as overstated.
• Many schools do not possess the substantial revenue required to allocate $20.5 million solely to their top priority without supplementary football income.
• The $20.5 million figure was not a strict cap, allowing some football programs to exceed this amount and still allocate significant funds to men's basketball.
• Major conference programs maintained competitive Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) strategies.
• Some Big East schools have not seen expected returns on their investments, while others have been slow in adapting their revenue-sharing strategies.

For example, St. John’s made a significant investment with booster Mike Repole, which has not yet resulted in on-court success from the current roster. Providence holds a 14–15 record despite aggressive player recruitment, and Creighton is experiencing a challenging season after adding five transfers. Only UConn and Villanova have demonstrated strong performance.

Smaller private schools, which traditionally operate frugally, are adjusting to the new financial landscape. Marquette, with a 10–18 season, has identified a need to update its approach.

While a future advantage for the Big East due to revenue sharing remains a possibility, it has not materialized in 2026.

Conference Tournament Season Commences

The college basketball conference tournament season has begun, with championships scheduled across multiple leagues. Tournaments across the Ohio Valley, Big South, Missouri Valley, Atlantic Sun, Summit League, Southern Conference, Sun Belt, Coastal Athletic Association, Horizon League, Northeast Conference, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, West Coast Conference, Southland Conference, Patriot League, Big Sky, and America East are either underway or set to begin in early March.

Nova Southeastern's Home Winning Streak

In Division II men's college basketball, Nova Southeastern in Fort Lauderdale is scheduled to attempt its 100th consecutive home game victory on Tuesday night.

This streak is reported to be the second-longest home winning streak in men’s college basketball history, following Kentucky’s 129 straight wins from 1943 to 1955.

The Sharks, with a 24–1 record, are defending D-II national champions and have secured two national titles in the last three seasons. The team will compete against Rollins in the Sunshine State Conference tournament quarterfinals. The last home loss in Rick Case Arena occurred on February 15, 2020.

Individual Coaching Developments

• Grant McCasland (Texas Tech): Has led Texas Tech to three consecutive victories despite the absence of JT Toppin, who was the team's leader in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks. The team has achieved a 45% three-point shooting percentage (37-of-82) since Toppin's injury, with guard Donovan Atwell contributing 16 three-pointers and averaging 18.7 points per game during this period.
• Eric Musselman (USC): USC has recorded five consecutive losses, and leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara is departing. Musselman faces the challenge of pursuing an NCAA bid in the remaining regular season and the Big Ten tournament.