With more and more all-time coaching greats either near retirement or already retired in recent years, it has left an opening for the younger generation to make its mark. We’ve seen several “rising star” coaches achieve breakout national success, including Nate Oats (Alabama), Dusty May (Michigan) and Todd Golden (Florida), with the latter two winning the last two national championships.
But with May now off to the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, who will make up the next wave of coaching stars in college basketball? Here’s a look at the top 10 rising stars.
1. Ben McCollum – Iowa
McCollum won four Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State from 2017-22, before winning 31 games in his lone season at Drake. He did even more in his first year at Iowa, winning 24 games and leading the 9-seeded Hawkeyes to an Elite Eight appearance — a run that included a round of 32 win over the reigning national champion Florida Gators. This will be the first time in four years he won’t have star 6-foot-4 guard Bennett Stirtz (19.8 points per game) to run his offense, but McCollum has shown that regardless of the level, his teams just consistently win.
2. Mark Byington – Vanderbilt
After winning more than 200 games at Georgia Southern and James Madison, Byington moved to Vanderbilt, where he immediately turned the Commodores into an SEC contender. He made the NCAA Tournament in both years, and the 27 wins from last season were the most for the Commodores since 1993. With star 6-foot junior guard Tyler Tanner (19.5 points) returning and top-40 prospects committing to them in recent months, the stock for both Vandy and Byington has never been higher.
3. Jai Lucas – Miami
The former Duke assistant had as good a debut season as anyone last year, winning 26 games with the completely rebuilt Miami Hurricanes and finishing third in the ACC standings. Based on a strong offseason and preseason top-15 expectations, Miami looks to be fully back as a national contender — thanks to the arrival of Lucas.
4. Josh Schertz – Saint Louis
After moving from the Missouri Valley to the Atlantic 10, Schertz and the Billikens have become a top-25-caliber program. His name was among the most prevalent in the offseason coaching carousel, reportedly turning down multiple high-major options. Saint Louis has another roster capable of winning the A-10, so expect Schertz’s name to stay on the national radar.
5. Bucky McMillan – Texas A&M
“Bucky Ball” has proven to be a winning formula in college basketball, with McMillan winning 20-plus games in five straight seasons. That includes 22 wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance in his first year with the Aggies, overachieving preseason expectations. With a roster that looks even better on paper, look for McMillan’s profile to grow even more.
6. Jerrod Calhoun – Cincinnati Bearcats
Calhoun first appeared on the radar after turning Youngstown State, long viewed as one of the toughest places to win, into a Horizon League contender that won 20-plus games in back-to-back years. He did the same thing at Utah State, taking the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament both seasons. Calhoun is a proven winner with a strong roster at Cincy, which has fostered postseason expectations.
7. Phil Martelli Jr. – VCU
The son of former National Coach of the Year and St. Joe’s legend Phil Martelli, junior is already creating his own resume as a head coach. That includes taking Bryant to the NCAA Tournament out of the America East, then winning 28 games at VCU in his first season and leading the Rams to a round of 32 comeback upset win over North Carolina.
8. Bryan Hodgson – Providence
Hodgson is another younger coach with consistent success early in his career. He won 20-plus games in both years at Arkansas State, including a regular-season championship. He followed that up with 25 wins in his lone year at South Florida, winning both the American regular-season and conference tournament titles. Providence has struggled since the Ed Cooley days, but the program has high expectations this season, looking to compete for a top spot in the Big East.
9. Eric Olen – New Mexico
After winning just seven games in his first season at UC Davis in 2021, Olen turned the Aggies into a Big West contender, winning 30 games two years ago. He showed it wasn’t a fluke, winning 26 games in his first year at New Mexico, a program that lost all its talent the year prior. In a new-look Mountain West without several previous perennial contenders, there’s a real chance for Olen and the Lobos to compete for a title.
10. Ross Hodge – West Virginia
Hodge won 46 games in two years at North Texas before going to a West Virginia program that has gone through constant coaching turnover since the end of the Bob Huggins era. He had a strong first campaign, winning 21 games and playing in the postseason Crown Tournament. With a roster that looks much stronger on paper, led by incoming 5-foot-10 five-star guard Miles Sadler, making the Big Dance will be the expectation for the Mountaineers.
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