Faculty basketball teaching carousel: Xavier hires Richard Pitino from New Mexico

The college basketball teaching carousel is revving up.

Here is a have a look at who’s in and who’s out.

April 1

Maryland hiring Texas A&M‘s Buzz Williams

Simply days after shedding head coach Kevin Willard to Villanova, Maryland has hired Williams away from Texas A&M, in keeping with FOX Sports activities’ John Fanta. The 2 sides agreed to a six-year deal, according to ESPN. Texas A&M, which was a No. 4 seed within the NCAA Match earlier than shedding to fifth-seeded Michigan within the second spherical, went a mixed 120-73 and made the NCAA Match thrice over six seasons underneath Williams, who was beforehand the top coach at Virginia Tech and Marquette. The Terrapins, who claimed a No. 4 seed within the event, have been eradicated within the Candy 16.

March 30

North Texas hiring Cleveland State’s Daniyal Robinson

Robinson spent the final three seasons at Cleveland State, main the Vikings to 20-plus win seasons all three years. Earlier than that, he had stints as an assistant at Loyola Chicago and Iowa State. 

North Texas is coming off a 27-8 season and a second-place end within the American Athletic Convention. The Mean Green have made the NCAA Match simply as soon as since 2011, however are presently taking part in for a spot within the Nationwide Invitational Match title sport. 

Robinson will substitute Ross Hodge, who stuffed the top teaching emptiness at West Virginia after two seasons at North Texas. 

New Mexico hiring UC San Diego‘s Eric Olen as its subsequent head coach

New Mexico has agreed to a five-year deal to make Olen the college’s subsequent head coach. He led the Tritons to the 2025 NCAA Match in its first yr of eligibility. He gained the Big West this yr at 18-2, going 51-17 the previous two years.

March 29

Arkansas State hires Alabama assistant Ryan Pannone as its subsequent head coach

Pannone, 40, spent the previous two seasons on the Crimson Tide’s bench as an assistant to move coach Nate Oats. Oats introduced Pannone to Alabama from the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, the place he spent one season as an assistant. He helped the Crimson Tide attain the Remaining 4 final season and can end out this yr on their bench as they attempt for a visit again. That is Pannone’s first alternative as a Division I head coach. He has expertise as the top man as he led the Pelicans’ developmental group, the Birmingham Squadron, from 2019-2022. Pannone additionally coached abroad in Israel and Slovakia.  

Pannone will substitute Bryan Hodgson, who was introduced as South Florida’s head coach on March 28. The Red Wolves are coming off a 25-11 season, by which they gained a share of the Solar Belt common season title. They have not appeared within the NCAA Match since 1999. 

South Dakota State promotes assistant Bryan Petersen

Peterson had spent the final six seasons as an assistant on Eric Henderson’s workers and when Henderson took the top teaching job at Drake on Friday, the Jackrabbits turned to Peterson. That is his first place as a Division I head coach, however he was the top man on the junior school degree with Kirkwood Neighborhood Faculty for six seasons. He led the Eagles to NJCAA Division II Championships in 2016 and 2019. The Jackrabbits are coming off a 20-12 season, by which they completed in third place within the Summit League and missed the NCAA Match. 

March 28

Drake hires South Dakota State‘s Eric Henderson as its subsequent head coach

Henderson spent the previous six seasons at SDSU, which was his first Division I head teaching place. He accrued a 129-60 file and took the Jackrabbits to 2 NCAA Tournaments. SDSU gained the Summit League regular-season title in 4 of Henderson’s six seasons, highlighted by the 2021-2022 season once they went undefeated (18-0) in league play. Henderson was an SDSU assistant from 2016-2019 earlier than being promoted to move coach. 

Drake is coming off its finest season at school historical past. The Bulldogs went a program-best 31-4 and gained their first NCAA Match sport since 1971. In his first season, head coach Ben McCollum restructured a roster that had misplaced its core when former head coach Darian DeVries left for West Virginia. McCollum introduced a slew of gamers with him from his earlier publish at Northwest Missouri State, they usually introduced success to Drake. McCollum parlayed that into incomes the top coach place at Iowa, so Drake had to search around for a head coach but once more and landed on Henderson. After McCollum’s departure, 5 of Drake’s gamers entered the switch portal and 4 others are set to graduate.

March 26

Colorado State promotes assistant Ali Farokhmanesh to move coach 

Fifteen years after getting into the nationwide highlight for his heroics as a participant at Northern Iowa within the 2010 NCAA Match, Farokhmanesh will re-enter the highlight in a special capability. Colorado State has promoted him to be the college’s subsequent head coach. The choice got here two days after former head coach Niko Medved left for a similar job at Minnesota. Farokhmanesh, who turns 37 in April, has labored underneath Medved over the previous eight seasons. He spent a yr at Drake as an assistant earlier than becoming a member of Medved’s workers at Colorado State in 2018, serving to the Rams attain the NCAA Match in three of the previous 4 seasons. The Rams gained the Mountain West title earlier in March.

VCU faucets Phil Martelli Jr. as its subsequent head coach

One week after Ryan Odom departed for Virginia, VCU announced the hiring of Martelli as its subsequent head coach. The son of legendary Saint Joseph’s head coach Phil Martelli Sr., the youthful Martelli spent the previous two seasons on the helm of Bryant. The Bulldogs are recent off profitable the America East regular-season and event championships, in addition to showing of their second NCAA Match since transitioning to Division I. Bryant fell to Michigan State within the Spherical of 64. Martelli performed 4 years at Saint Joseph’s underneath his father earlier than becoming a member of the teaching ranks, with stints at Central Connecticut, Manhattan, Delaware and Niagara. He additionally labored within the NBA G League and spent a yr because the director of program administration at Saint Joseph’s.

West Virginia hiring Ross Hodge

The Mountaineers are hiring Hodge, now the previous head coach of North Texas, on a five-year deal, according to CBS Sports. Hodge was beforehand the affiliate head coach at North Texas from 2017-23 earlier than changing into its head coach for the previous two seasons. Below Hodge, North Texas went a mixed 46-23, together with a 27-8 total file and 14-4 file within the AAC this season, good for second within the convention. West Virginia is coming off a 19-13 season (10-10 in Big 12 play) and just lately misplaced head coach Darian DeVries, who left for Indiana, after one season.

March 25

Xavier hiring Richard Pitino

Xavier is planning to rent New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino as its subsequent head coach, in accordance a report confirmed by FOX Sports activities’ John Fanta. Pitino led Mexico to a 27-7 file within the common season and a first-round win over Marquette within the NCAA Match.

UNLV plans to rent Josh Pastner 

Josh Pastner, who beforehand had stints at Memphis and Georgia Tech, is finalizing a cope with UNLV to grow to be its subsequent head coach, according to ESPN. The Runnin’ Rebels parted methods with Kevin Kruger earlier this month. 

Pastner has guided his groups to the NCAA Match 5 instances in his 14 seasons as a head coach: every year from 2011-14 with Memphis and in 2021 with Georgia Tech. He has been working in TV since George Tech fired him following the 2022-23 season. 

The 47-year-old Pastner has a profession file of 276-187. UNLV has not made the Massive Dance since 2013.

Sacramento State to rent Mike Bibby

Former NBA star Mike Bibby, who performed seven seasons for the Sacramento Kings, signed a deal to grow to be Sacramento State College’s subsequent males’s basketball coach on Monday, per ESPN. After retiring from the NBA in 2012, Bibby turned to a profession of teaching, beginning his personal AAU membership known as “Staff Bibby.”

Bibby, 46, additionally spent six years as an assistant at Shadow Mountain Excessive College in Phoenix, Arizona, the place he performed as a scholar. He hasn’t coached in highschool, although, since 2019 and the Hornets‘ place might be Bibby’s first job ever at a school program. 

The Hornets (7-25 total, 3-15 Massive Sky) completed in final place within the Massive Sky convention this season, and have had only one profitable season since 2015.

That being mentioned, Sacramento State has been aggressive in its push to enhance its athletic division just lately. They’re a candidate to hitch the new-look Pac-12 convention. The college is slated to open a brand new basketball facility on campus subsequent fall. And now they’ve employed Bibby to run their program.

Minnesota to rent Colorado State‘s Niko Medved

Hours after almost teaching Colorado State to the Candy 16, Medved is headed to Minnesota to be the following head coach of the Gophers, FOX Sports’ John Fanta reported Monday.

Medved, 51, has helped make Colorado State one of many prime non-power convention packages within the nation over the previous couple of seasons. The Rams have made the NCAA Match in three of the previous 4 years, profitable the Mountain West Convention Match earlier in March. In addition they gained their first NCAA Match sport in 12 years, upsetting fifth-seeded Memphis within the Spherical of 64. Colorado State was simply seconds away from advancing to the Candy 16 on Sunday, however Maryland drained a shot on the buzzer to beat the Rams.

Now, Medved will head again residence. The Minneapolis native might be tasked with turning round a Minnesota program that hasn’t made the NCAA Match since 2019. Ben Johnson struggled in his four-year stint as Minnesota’s head coach, posting a shedding file in three seasons — together with a 15-17 file this previous season. That is Medved’s fourth head teaching gig. He beforehand coached at Furman and Drake, holding a 222-172 profession file over 12 years.

Iowa to rent Drake‘s Ben McCollum as head coach

Iowa has reportedly agreed to a deal with Ben McCollum, an Iowa Metropolis native, to grow to be its subsequent head coach. McCollum, who simply accomplished his first yr at Drake, has been one of many winningest coaches in school basketball over the previous decade, no matter division. He coached Northwest Missouri State to 4 Division II titles, profitable 4 Division II tournaments in a five-tournament span between 2017-22. He boasted a 395-91 total file throughout his 15-year tenure as its head coach.

Drake tabbed McCollum to interchange Darian DeVries after he left for West Virginia final offseason. McCollum continued the success Drake had underneath DeVries whereas taking this system to new heights in his lone season on the helm. He led the Bulldogs to their first regular-season Missouri Valley Convention title in six seasons earlier than serving to them win their third straight convention event title. He coached Eleventh-seeded Drake to an upset over sixth-seeded Missouri within the NCAA Match, marking this system’s first journey to the Spherical of 32 for the reason that event area was expanded to 64 groups in 1985.

Drake’s event run ended Saturday with a loss to third-seeded Texas Tech. Following the sport, McCollum sidestepped questions on his future. Following a 31-4 season, McCollum grew to become one in every of school basketball’s prime teaching commodities. He was rumored to be a powerful candidate for the Villanova job as effectively. Iowa has missed the event the previous two seasons, going 17-16 this yr. Longtime coach Fran McCaffrey was dismissed because of this.

March 23

Texas to rent Xavier‘s Sean Miller after firing Rodney Terry

It did not take lengthy for Texas to seek out its Rodney Terry alternative. Roughly an hour after it was reported that Terry was accomplished because the Longhorns‘ head coach, they have been in a position to poach Sean Miller away from Xavier, FOX Sports’ John Fanta confirmed. The Austin American-Statesman was the primary to substantiate the information. 

Miller was seen as an early frontrunner for the job, in keeping with Fanta. In his second stint as Xavier’s head coach, Miller helped the Musketeers grow to be aggressive once more within the Massive East. They reached the NCAA Match in two of his three seasons throughout his second stint as head coach, making the Candy 16 within the 2022-23 season and profitable a First 4 sport this yr earlier than shedding within the Spherical of 64.

In his first stint at Xavier, Miller emerged as one of many prime head coaches within the nation. He led Xavier to 4 straight NCAA Tournaments over his five-year stint (2004-09), making it to the Elite Eight in a type of seasons. That helped him get the Arizona job in 2009, the place he made the Elite Eight three extra instances. Arizona was persistently amongst probably the greatest groups within the Pac-12 throughout Miller’s time there, however he was fired following the 2020-21 season as this system had been concerned in a federal investigation wanting into corruption in school basketball. The NCAA finally charged Miller with 5 Degree I violations.

As for Terry, he grew to become Texas’ head coach on an interim foundation throughout the 2022-23 season, changing Chris Beard after he was fired attributable to a home violence arrest. He went 22-8 within the 30 video games he coached for Texas that yr, serving to the Longhorns win the Massive 12 Match earlier than reaching the Elite Eight. 

That run brought about Texas to take away the interim tag from Terry’s title, nevertheless it served because the excessive level throughout his tenure in Austin. Texas went 21-13 within the 2023-24 season, ending tied for seventh within the Massive 12 standings earlier than getting knocked out within the Spherical of 32 within the NCAA Match.

In 2024-25, Texas struggled to get acclimated into the SEC in its first yr within the convention. It went 6-12 in convention play, ending tied for thirteenth within the SEC. At 19-15, Texas was nonetheless in a position to make the NCAA Match, nevertheless it misplaced within the First 4 to Xavier. 

March 21

Virginia hires Ryan Odom as its subsequent coach

VCU‘s Odom has agreed to grow to be the following head coach at Virginia, sources told FOX Sports’ John Fanta. Odom has spent the previous two seasons with the Rams however is maybe finest identified for his five-year stint at UMBC. In 2018, the Retrievers pulled off one of the biggest upsets in sports history once they grew to become the primary No. 16 seed in males’s event historical past to beat a No. 1 seed. That No. 1 seed was, after all, Virginia.

Odom left UMBC for Utah State in 2021 and stayed with the Aggies for 2 seasons earlier than taking the job with VCU. He went a mixed 96-46 over the past 4 years.

Earlier within the month, the Cavaliers determined to maneuver on from Ron Sanchez, who was the interim head coach this previous season after Tony Bennett’s retirement. Virginia missed out on the NCAA Match this yr.

March 20

Campbell hires Florida assistant John Andrzejek as subsequent head coach

Andrzejek is taking on as the top coach at Campbell, the college introduced. He spent the previous two seasons at UF, serving to the Gators earn their first SEC championship since 2014 and a No. 1 seed on this yr’s NCAA event.

March 19

North Carolina State hiring McNeese‘s Will Wade as subsequent head coach

NC State has its subsequent head coach, coming to phrases on an settlement with Wade, OG Media reported. The settlement between the 2 sides fell on the eve of McNeese’s Spherical of 64 matchup within the 2025 NCAA Match, the place the Twelfth-seeded Cowboys will tackle fifth-seeded Clemson. Wade, 42, has gone 49-8 in his two seasons at McNeese, main the Cowboys to the event in 2024. He beforehand coached at Chattanooga, VCU and LSU, reaching the NCAA Match 5 instances in seven seasons with the latter two colleges. His time at LSU got here to an finish in 2022 after the NCAA served a discover of allegations primarily based on its investigation over reported recruiting violations. 

Kevin Keatts was fired as NC State’s coach earlier on March 9, marking an abrupt finish to an eight-year tenure coming lower than a yr after the Wolfpack’s unbelievable run to the ACC championship and the Remaining 4. Keatts’ squad went 12-19 this season. He went 151-113 all-time, together with 69-84 in ACC play and earned three NCAA Match bids.

Navy head coach Ed DeChellis retires

DeChellis introduced that he is retiring from teaching after 14 seasons as head coach of the Midshipmen and 29 years as a head coach in complete. “It has been an awesome honor to serve on the Naval Academy and I really feel very lucky to have had the chance to educate so many distinctive younger males,” DeChellis said in an announcement. Navy went 15-19 total and 10-8 in Patriot League play this season, good for fifth within the convention. The Midshipmen went a mixed 196-230 underneath DeChellis over 14 seasons. He was beforehand the top coach for Penn State and East Tennessee State. 

March 18

Indiana hires Darian DeVries as subsequent head coach

The Hoosiers employed DeVries as their new head coach, faculty officers introduced. DeVries spent this previous season as West Virginia‘s head coach. He spent the earlier six at Drake. DeVries replaces former Indiana star Mike Woodson, who introduced final month he could be stepping down on the finish of his fourth season in command of the Hoosiers.

March 17

Iona fires head coach Tobin Anderson 

The Gaels fired Anderson simply two years after he changed Rick Pitino as the college’s coach. They made the announcement two days after shedding within the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title sport and lacking out on an NCAA Match bid. That dropped the Gaels to 17-17 this season after going 16-17 in Anderson’s first season.

March 15

UNLV fires head coach Kevin Kruger

The Runnin’ Rebels are transferring on from Kruger after 4 seasons. UNLV went 18-15 total and 11-9 in Mountain West play this season, good for sixth within the convention. It misplaced to Utah State within the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Match. UNLV went a mixed 76-55 underneath Kruger and by no means made the NCAA Match.

Villanova fires head coach Kyle Neptune

The Wildcats, who misplaced to UConn within the quarterfinal spherical of the Big East Match, are transferring on from Neptune after three seasons. Villanova went 19-14 total and 11-19 in Massive East play this season, good for sixth within the convention. The Wildcats went a mixed 54-47 underneath Neptune, who changed former head coach and two-time nationwide champion Jay Wright. Neptune was the top coach at Fordham for the 2021-22 season earlier than changing into Villanova’s head coach and was an assistant coach underneath Wright at Villanova from 2013-21.

March 14

Iowa fires head coach Fran McCaffery

The Hawkeyes are transferring on from McCaffery after 15 seasons. They went 17-16 total and 7-13 in Big Ten play this season, good for a five-way tie for Twelfth within the convention. Iowa misplaced to Illinois within the second spherical of the Massive Ten Match on Thursday. The Hawkeyes went a mixed 297-207 underneath McCaffery, highlighted by one Massive Ten Match title and 7 NCAA Match appearances.

March 13

Minnesota fires head coach Ben Johnson 

Following its loss to Northwestern within the first spherical of the Massive Ten Match, Minnesota determined to half methods with Johnson. The Golden Gophers went 15-17 total and 7-13 in Massive Ten play this season, ending in a five-way tie for Twelfth within the convention. Johnson, who performed his last two seasons of collegiate ball with the Golden Gophers (2002-03, 2003-04), had been Minnesota’s head coach the previous 4 seasons, with this system going a mixed 56-71 and posting one profitable season (2023-24).

March 12

Virginia transferring on from interim coach Ron Sanchez 

Following its loss to Georgia Tech within the second spherical of the ACC Match, Virginia introduced that it would not retain Sanchez. The Cavaliers went 15-17 total and 8-12 in ACC play this season, ending in a tie for ninth place within the convention. Sanchez, who was on Virginia’s teaching workers from 2009-18 and 2023-25, was named interim coach shortly earlier than the 2024-25 season following the abrupt retirement of longtime coach Tony Bennett.

March 11

Arizona State retains head coach Bobby Hurley 

ASU is expected to stick with Hurley for the 2025-26 season, which might be his Eleventh yr within the place. The Sun Devils entered March 11 at 13-18 total this season and 4-16 in Big 12 play, fifteenth place within the convention. Arizona State is a mixed 168-149 underneath Hurley, highlighted by three NCAA Match appearances.

March 6

Utah employed Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Alex Jensen

Jensen, a former Utes participant underneath Rick Majerus, was Utah’s prime goal and replaces Craig Smith, who was fired on February 24 in his fourth season. Jensen has been an NBA assistant coach for 12 seasons. He spent 10 years with the Utah Jazz earlier than becoming a member of Dallas in 2023. 

March 5

Miami (Fla.) hires Jai Lucas as subsequent head coach

Lucas, 36, is in his third season as an assistant at Duke — coming in when Jon Scheyer took over in 2022. He completed out the 2024-25 common season with the Blue Devils however left for Miami earlier than the postseason started. Lucas, who agreed to a five-year deal, is about to grow to be the ACC’s youngest head coach. He inherits a group within the midst of one in every of its worst seasons in program historical past, one that saw legendary longtime coach Jim Larranaga step down midseason.

The Related Press contributed to this report.

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