The 2026 men’s college basketball coaching carousel hasn’t just shuffled chairs—it’s strategically repositioned programs for the next era. With hires ranging from safe bets to high-risk, high-reward gambles, the ripple effects will define conference races and NCAA tournament bids for years to come.
For 68 programs, March means chasing a national championship on the grandest stage. For dozens more—including some in this year’s tournament—it means dreaming of a brighter future through the annual coaching carousel. This cycle isn’t about hope alone; it’s a calculated series of moves that will either resurrect proud programs or deepen their despair. The grades handed out by USA TODAY Sports reveal a stark truth: some schools made hires that feel like destiny, while others are rolling the dice with their entire athletic identity on the line.
The A- Tier: Programs That Found Their Blueprint
Two hires stand out as near-perfect matches of need and executive experience. They aren’t slam dunks—the Big 12 and ACC are unforgiving—but on paper, they solve chronic problems with surgical precision.
Jerrod Calhoun, Cincinnati: A-
Since Mick Cronin left for UCLA in 2019, Cincinnati has been a ghost of its former self, missing the NCAA tournament every year. Calhoun isn’t just a coach; he’s a回家coming. An Ohio native and Cincinnati graduate, he carries Bob Huggins’ defensive toughness from his time as an assistant under the legend. But the real sell is his relentless winning: 124-38 at Division II Fairmont State with a national runner-up finish, 118-106 at the brutal Horizon League’s Youngstown State, and most recently a 55-15, two-NCAA-tournament run at Utah State< a href=”https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cincinnati-hires-utah-states-jerrod-231246078.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>[Yahoo Sports]. The Big 12 will test him, but Calhoun is the kind of hometown hire that can galvanize a fanbase starving for relevance.
Randy Bennett, Arizona State: A-
Arizona State’s basketball history has been defined by near-misses and early exits since James Harden’s tenure. Bennett arrives with a 22-year masterclass at Saint Mary’s, transforming a program with three all-time NCAA appearances into a consistent 12-time tournament participant with a plodding, defensive-minded, internationally-sourced identity< a href=”https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/arizona-state-basketball-hires-randy-204129136.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>[Yahoo Sports]. The question is transferability: can that West Coast Conference blueprint survive the Big 12 grind? Bennett’s résumé suggests he can adapt, making this the most credible attempt to turn the Sun Devils from an afterthought into a power.
The solid B+ Winners: Proven Coaches at Crossroads
These hires blend track records with question marks, but the foundation is solid. They represent stability for programs that have known chaos.
Bryan Hodgson, Providence: B+
At 38, Hodgson’s head-coaching résumé is short but brilliant: 70-37 at Arkansas State and South Florida, where he implemented Nate Oats’ fast-paced, 3-point system and identified stardust like future AAC Player of the Year Izaiyah Nelson< a href=”https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/bryan-hodgson-leaving-south-florida-130504296.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>[Yahoo Sports]. The risk? Limited experience at the power-conference level. The reward? A potential NIL windfall in Providence and an offensive style that could thrive in the modern Big East.
Alan Huss, Creighton: B+
This was a coronation years in the making. Huss, a former Creighton player and six-year assistant under Greg McDermott, takes over his alma mater after a 56-15, top-10 offense run at High Point< a href=”https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/greg-mcdermott-retiring-creighton-16-153520799.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>[Yahoo Sports]. With McDermott’s retirement, continuity is preserved. Huss knows the culture, the recruits, and the Big East battle. The grade is more about Creighton’s smart succession planning than any leap of faith.
The Calculated Risks: B to B-
These are the fascinating ones—hires with clear upside but significant hurdles, where geography, resources, or historical futility loom large.
Casey Alexander, Kansas State: B
Alexander never took Belmont to the NCAA tournament (the 2020 bid was canceled), but he built a mid-major powerhouse: 166-60, seven straight 20-win seasons, and a modern offense. More importantly, he was a talent evaluator, mining gems like Wil Richard and Ja’Kobi Gillespie who later powered Power Five teams< a href=”https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kansas-state-hires-belmonts-casey-170949461.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>[Yahoo Sports]. Taking over from Jerome Tang in Manhattan is a massive step up, especially for a coach rooted in the Southeast. This is a rational hire, but the margin for error is thin in the Big 12.
Gerry McNamara, Syracuse: B-
The “former player coach” narrative is a minefield—see Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin. But McNamara has head-coaching chops: he inherited a 4-28 Siena team and within two years delivered 23 wins and an NCAA bid< a href=”https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/syracuse-basketball-hiring-former-player-183309238.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>[Yahoo Sports]. His 24-year connection to Syracuse is both an asset (recruiting, NIL) and a pressure cooker. The Orange have been an afterthought for five years, lagging in roster investment. McNamara’s success hinges on translating fanatical loyalty into modern roster-building.
Scott Cross, Georgia Tech: C+
Cross is a coaching gem: 350-260 over 19 Division I seasons, five straight 20-win runs and back-to-back NCAA tournaments at Troy< a href=”https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/georgia-tech-basketball-targeting-troys-131534304.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>[Yahoo Sports]. His 2018 firing at UT Arlington remains one of this century’s most baffling moves. But Georgia Tech is a different beast—one NCAA bid since 2010, inherent obstacles in Atlanta’s crowded sports landscape. Cross can do more with less, but “less” might be all he gets in an ACC that’s improving by the year. This grade reflects the program’s limitations, not the coach’s.
Why This Carousel Matters Beyond the Grades
The 2026 hires aren’t operating in a vacuum. They’re responding to seismic shifts: NIL’s financial arms race, the transfer portal’s churn, and conference realignment that has shredded traditional rivalries. Programs like Cincinnati and Arizona State are betting that proven, adaptable coaches can navigate this new world better than former assistants or unproven wunderkinds.
- NIL as a differentiator: Hodgson’s Providence hire is predicated on a presumed massive NIL war chest—a resource that can instantly elevate a program’s talent floor.
- The mid-major pipeline: Calhoun (Utah State), Alexander (Belmont), and Cross (Troy) prove that success in the mid-majors is now a valid—and perhaps preferable—training ground for the power conferences.
- Homecoming vs. reset: McNamara at Syracuse and Calhoun at Cincinnati are emotional, culture-driven bets. Bennett at ASU and Hodgson at Providence are tactical resets. The outcome will determine which model wins in the 2020s.
Fan theories are already swirling: Will Calhoun’s Huggins-inspired defense clash with the Big 12’s speed? Can Bennett’s slow-down style work against Kansas and Houston? These questions aren’t hypotheticals—they’ll be answered on the court this November, and the answers will define whether these grades look prescient or foolish in 2027.
The coaching carousel always promises hope, but this year’s moves feel more consequential. In an era of parity, these seven hires could tilt the balance of power across multiple conferences. Some will become legendary. Others will serve as cautionary tales. But for the first time in years, several programs have made choices that feel both bold and logical—a rare combination in the high-stakes world of college basketball.
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