Top-10 Coaches in the NCAA Tournament: March Madness 2025
From John Wooden to Bob Knight, Dean Smith to Mike Krzyzewski, coaches have always been the true stars of college basketball. While those names will live forever, today's coaches have a greater challenge than ever before, navigating the transfer portal and NIL on top of their regular roster-building and sideline duties. While those added obligations have brought to light some outstanding new-breed coaches, a few living legends continue to prove their greatness in this new era. What follows are the top coaching performances of the 2024-25 college basketball season.
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Honorable Mention-
The Tiger Triumvirate
13. Anfernee Hardaway- Memphis Tigers 
12. Brad Brownell- Clemson Tigers 
11. Dennis Gates- Missouri Tigers 
Top 10
10. Kevin Young- BYU Cougars 
9. Pat Kelsey- Louisville Cardinals 
8. Kevin Willard- Maryland Terrapins 
7. Jon Scheyer- Duke Blue Devils 
6. Bruce Pearl- Auburn Tigers 
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Top 5- The New Breed
5. Grant McCasland- Texas Tech Red Raiders 
Unranked and picked to finish seventh in the preseason Big 12 poll, Texas Tech exceeded all expectations by finished second in the loaded conference, McCasland's second in Lubbock. McCasland has developed his coaching acumen through the years by starting at the junior college level and working his way up the ranks, winning an NJCAA championship and earning a trip to the Division II Elite Eight prior to finding success in one season at Arkansas State, then leading North Texas to their first ever tournament victory in 2021 and to an NIT championship two years later. During his two seasons with Texas Tech, McCasland has a record of 47-18 through the end of the regular season and led the team to a top-10 finish in the final polls.
4. Todd Golden- Florida Gators 
The third-year coach is leading a Gator squad that has greatly exceeded expectations, placing them in the conversation for a one seed in next week's NCAA tournament. Florida began the season ranked 21st in the AP poll and picked to finish sixth in SEC, below the elite tier headed by Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee. After completing a clean run through the non-conference slate, the Gators have taken down all three of those elites with their wins over Alabama and Auburn coming on the road. Under Golden's tutelage, Florida is the number two rebounding team in the country, top-10 in scoring, 12th in field-goal percentage allowed and top-5 in point differential.
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Top 3- The Living Legends
3. Kelvin Sampson- Houston Cougars 
Career Accolades-
- Two-time National coach of the year
- Has led four different schools to NCAA tournament (Washington State, Oklahoma, Indiana, Houston)
- Has led Oklahoma (2002) and Houston (2021) to the Final Four
Houston has dominated the Big 12 since joining the league prior to last season, winning the regular season by two games in 2023-24 and finishing four games clear of second place Texas Tech this season. Sampson teams are defined by one word -- defense. The Cougars have finished in the top five nationally in points allowed during each of the last five seasons, and have finished first nationally both seasons since joining the Big 12. Houston likely would have made last year's Final Four if not for an unfortunate injury to All-American guard Jamal Shead during its Sweet 16 matchup with Duke. This season, led by sharp-shooting guards L.J. Cryer and Emanuel Sharp, the ball handling and leadership of Milos Uzan (the Oklahoma transfer who was Sampson's hand-picked replacement for Shead), along with their prototypical defensive physicality, the Cougars are in prime position to contend for a Final Four berth for the second time in five seasons.
2. Rick Pitino- St. John's Red Storm 
Career Accolades-
- Will become first coach to lead six different schools to NCAA tournament
- First coach to lead three different schools (Providence, Kentucky, Louisville) to Final Four (seven total appearances)
- First coach to win the National Championship at two different schools (Kentucky- 1996, Louisville- 2013)
- 2013 Inductee into Basketball Hall of Fame
The 72-year-old Pitino began his career as an assistant at Hawaii, then became the first assistant hired by Jim Boeheim when he took over Syracuse in 1976. Pitino, whose first head coaching job came in 1978 at Boston University, has done things differently than Boeheim, who spent his entire coaching career at one school. However, Pitino continues to find success no matter where he winds up, taking a Red Storm club predicted to finish fifth in the conference to its first outright Big East regular season title since 1985 and a No. 6 ranking in the final regular season AP poll.
Coach of the Year
1. Tom Izzo- Michigan State Spartans 
Career Accolades-
- Six conference tournament titles
- Eight Final Four appearances
- National Championship (2000)
- All-time winningest coach in Big Ten history
- 2016 inductee into Basketball Hall of Fame
Izzo is a true throwback. The long-time head man has been at Michigan State since 1983 and has been the program's head coach for the past 30 seasons, surpassing legendary coach Bob Knight earlier this season to become the winningest coach in Big Ten history. The Spartans will be making their 27th-consecutive trip to the Big Dance and still hold an outside shot at earning a one-seed despite being picked to finish 5th in the Big Ten and entering the season unranked. This Spartans team matches the other peak-Izzo teams in that they defend, run, rebound and bring physicality. Other coaches may invite more hoopla, but the 70-year-old Izzo remains the standard bearer, taking what was projected to be a mediocre Michigan State squad and turning them into a legitimate national title contender.
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