Men's Basketball

The Golden Age of SEC Basketball Coaching

Published

7 years ago

April 14, 2019

Two years ago, the SEC sent a record eight teams to the NCAA tournament and six went on to win at least one game. This past season, the SEC sent seven teams to the NCAA Tournament, tied for second most amongst all conferences, and sent four to the Sweet Sixteen.

While the SEC is not yet as dominant as it was the 90’s, it is as competitive from top to bottom as any conference in the country and is continuing to improve thanks to a run of great coaching hires.

There is a strong argument that the SEC is the best-coached conference in the country, and I strongly believe that. One fact that validates that argument; the SEC has 10 coaches who have made at least one Sweet Sixteen, compared to 8 in each the ACC and Big Ten.

The SEC isn’t just a football conference anymore, let’s take a closer look and rank the best basketball coaches in the SEC.

1.John Calipari (27 seasons, 10 seasons at Kentucky)

Overall Record: 708-208 (77.3%)
Record at Kentucky: 305-71 (81.1%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 18
NCAA Tournament Record: 47-17 (73.4%)
Accolades: Inducted into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (2015), 2012 NCAA National Championship, 4x Final Four (11’, 12’, 14’, 15’), 13x Sweet Sixteen, AP Coach of the Year (2015), 3x Naismith Coach of the Year (96’, 09’, 15’) 3x NABC Coach of the Year (96’, 09’, 15’), 9x Conference Coach of the Year (93’, 94’, 96’, 06’, 08’, 09’, 10’, 12’, 15’)

John Calipari has unquestionably been the most successful coach in the SEC during his tenure at Kentucky, and there is a strong case to be made that he has been the most successful coach in the country. With seven Elite Eight trips and four Final Fours in 10 years (both are double the second most), it’s hard to dispute that.

2. Rick Barnes (32 seasons, 4 seasons at Tennessee)

Overall Record: 692-364 (65.5%)
Record at Tennessee: 88-50 (63.8%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 24
NCAA Tournament Record: 24-24 (50%)
Accolades: 2003 Final Four, 7x Sweet Sixteen, 6x Conference Coach of the Year

For a long time, Rick Barnes has been known as a coach that underperforms in March. While that may be true, he gets his teams to the Tournament. With 24 appearances, Barnes has more than 11 of the 14 teams in the SEC. In just four years, he has coached the Volunteers to one of their best seasons in history. Not many coaches in the country have the resume to matchup with Barnes.

3. Bruce Pearl (28 seasons, 5 seasons at Auburn)

Overall Record: 562-216 (72.2%)
Record at Auburn: 100-71 (58.5%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 10
NCAA Tournament Record: 15-10 (60%)
Accolades: 2019 Final Four, 5x Sweet Sixteen, 7x Conference Coach of the Year (93’, 94’, 02’, 03’, 05’, 06’, 08’), 1995 Div ll Coach of the Year, 1995 Div ll National Championship, 2x Div ll Final Four (94’, 95’)

Pearl’s career has been full of highs and lows, but one thing is for certain, he has coached his way up. With that being said, Pearl is one of the most passionate coaches in the Country and is coming off one of the most impressive runs in NCAA history as Auburn beat the three most-winningest programs in NCAA history en route to a Final Four. Pearl has brought fun and winning basketball to Auburn.

4. Ben Howland (23 seasons, 4 seasons at Mississippi St.)

Overall Record: 479-262 (64.6%)
Record at Mississippi St.: 78-56 (58.2%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 11
NCAA Tournament Record: 19-11 (63.3%)
Accolades: 3x Final Four (06’ ,07’ 08’), 5x Sweet Sixteen, 2002 AP Coach of the Year, 2002 Naismith Coach of the Year, 3x Conference Coach of the Year

Howland is one of just eight active coaches with at least three trips to the Final Four and only one of eight coaches in history to do it three consecutive seasons. However, Howland hasn’t made it out of the first weekend in nine seasons. Howland has taken every team he has ever coached to the NCAA tournament, and that consistency makes him one of the best coaches in the SEC.

5. Buzz Williams (12 seasons, Entering 1^st season at Texas A&M)

Overall Record: 253-155 (62%)
Record at Last Job (Virginia Tech): 100-69 (59.2%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 8
NCAA Tournament Record: 10-8 (55.6%)
Accolades: 4x Sweet Sixteen

Buzz Williams is returning to his alma mater for this upcoming season and will join Bruce Pearl as one of the sweatiest coaches in the SEC. Williams brought success to both of his previous coaching jobs at Marquette and Virginia Tech. In terms of postseason success, Williams has advanced at least one round in five of his eight tournament appearances including three Sweet Sixteen appearances and a 2013 Elite Eight appearance. Texas A&M has a good fan base, recruiting base, and plenty of resources/money. I fully expect Williams to continue his success at A&M.

6. Frank Martin (12 seasons, 7 seasons at South Carolina)

Overall Record: 246-160 (60.6%)
Record at South Carolina: 129-106 (54.9%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 5
NCAA Tournament Record: 10-5 (66.7%)
Accolades: 2017 Final Four, 2x Sweet Sixteen, 2010 Conference Coach of the Year

Before making his way into the college ranks, Martin coaches high school basketball for 15 years and coached several players who went on to have professional careers including future NBA players Udonis Haslem and Steve Blake. In 2017, Martin coached the Gamecocks to one of the most improbable Final Fours in recent memory that featured wins over Duke and Florida. Martin has excelled at every level and he is respected because of that.

7. Mike White (8 seasons, 4 seasons at Florida)

Overall Record: 190-93 (67.1%)
Record at Florida: 89-53 (62.7%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3
NCAA Tournament Record: 5-3
Accolades: 2017 Sweet Sixteen, 3x Conference Coach of the Year (13’, 15’, 17’)

Replacing the shoes of Billy Donavan is not an easy task. However, White has been successful. White has taken the Gators to three NCAA Tournament appearances including a Sweet Sixteen in 2017. White may be a young coach but he has had a successful tenure in Florida thus far.

8. Tom Crean (19 seasons, 1 season at Georgia)

Overall Record: 367-252 (59.3%)
Record at Georgia: 11-21 (34.4%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 9
NCAA Tournament Record: 11-9 (55%)
Accolades: 2003 Final Four, 4x Sweet Sixteen, 3x Conference Coach of the Year (02’, 03’, 16’)

There aren’t too many coaches that are easier to make fun of than Tom Crean. Yes, Crean is known to celebrate Sweet Sixteens but he has had successful seasons at both Marquette and Indiana. At Georgia, not a lot is expected from the basketball team but Crean has already signed one five-star recruit and three four-star recruits as he enters his second year in Athens.

9. Eric Musselman (21 seasons, Entering 1^st season at Arkansas)

Overall Record: College 110-34 (76.4%); NBA: 108–138 (43.9%)
Record at Last Job (Nevada): 110-34 (76.4%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3
NCAA Tournament Record: 2-3 (40%)
Accolades: 2018 Sweet Sixteen, 2012 NBA D-League Coach of the Year, 2018 Conference Coach of the Year

Musselman may have the widest variety of coaching experience of any other coach in the SEC, coaching in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), United States Basketball League (USBL), NBA D-League, NBA, and now NCAA Division 1. Not only did he just coach in those leagues, but he also coached well. At the age of 28, Musselman became the first coach in professional basketball history to win 100 games and in the 2002-2003 season, he finished runner up in the NBA Coach of the year award to the greatest professional coach of all time, San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Poppovich. In four seasons as a college coach Musselman has made the tournament three times, including a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.

10. Will Wade (6 seasons, 2 seasons at LSU)

Overall Record: 134-65 (67.3%)
Record at LSU: 43-20 (68.3%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2
NCAA Tournament Record: 1-2 (33.3%)
Accolades: 2014 Conference Coach of the Year

Wade may not be coaching next season after being suspended at the end of the regular season due to an FBI wiretap that features Wade making a “strong a** offer” to a recruit. However, in all three of Wade’s coaching stops, he has taken them all to the postseason. In two years at LSU, he has bought enough players and had enough luck to win the SEC regular season title.

11. Cuonzo Martin (11 seasons, 2 seasons at Missouri)

Overall Record: 221-151 (59.4%)
Record at Missouri: 35-30 (53.8%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3
NCAA Tournament Record: 3-3 (50%)
Accolades: 2014 Sweet Sixteen, 2011 Conference Coach of the Year

Martin has had two coaching stops in the SEC including Tennessee where he led them to a Sweet Sixteen and now Missouri. In his eight seasons as a coach of a mid to high-level D-1 basketball program, Martin has been to the tournament three times. Which I would consider underachieving when you consider the NBA talent he has had on his teams including Jaylen Brown, Ivan Rabb, Michael Porter Jr., and Jontay Porter.

12. Nate Oats (4 seasons, Entering 1^st season at Alabama)

Overall Record: 96-43 (69.1%)
Record at Last Job (Buffalo): 96-43 (69.1%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3
NCAA Tournament Record: 2-3 (40%)
Accolades: 2x Conference Coach of the Year (18’, 19’)

Oats is considered to be one of the best young coaches in the country and has earned that. In just four seasons in his first head coaching job at Buffalo, Oats took the Bison to three tournament appearances and advanced each of the past two seasons. Oats has the potential to continue to rise up the ranks and if he can bring Alabama the success he had at Buffalo, that will come sooner rather than later.

13. Kermit Davis (21 seasons, 1 season at Ole Miss)

Overall Record: 423-251 (62.8%)
Record at Ole Miss: 20-13 (60.6%)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 6
NCAA Tournament Record: 2-6 (25%)
Accolades: 6x Conference Coach of the Year (89’, 03’, 12’, 13’, 17’, 19’)

Kermit Davis exceeded all expectations this past season, taking a team that was predicted to finish last in the SEC to the NCAA tournament. However, Ole Miss layed an egg in their first-round game by losing by 23 to Oklahoma. As a 21-year coaching veteran, Davis has not done a lot as a head coach and has to do more to move up this list.

14. Jerry Stackhouse (No college, Entering 1st season at Vanderbilt)

No College Coaching Experience
NBA D-League Record: 79-33 (70.5%)
Accolades: 2017 NBA D-League Champion, 2017 NBA D-League Coach of the Year

I believe Jerry Stackhouse was a great hire for Vanderbilt, however, he has no college coaching experience and it is very different from the NBA level which is why he is ranked so low. However, Bryce Drew showed the Vandy is capable of getting five-star talent and with Stackhouse’s basketball knowledge and prestige, he can carry the Commodores out of their 0-16 SEC record this past season.

Men's Basketball

No. 18 Kentuckys Suffers Second Straight Loss to Top Ten Opponent

Published

14 seconds ago

February 10, 2026

AJ Nava

Morgan Simmons | UK Athletics

The No. 18 Kentucky Wildcats (18-7, 5-6 SEC) are off to a rough start in the month of February, losing on Monday, Feb. 9 against No. 4 Texas (23-2, 8-2 SEC) by a score of 64-53.

Kentucky has now lost five of its last six games, including three ranked losses against No. 17 Tennessee, No. 7 Vanderbilt and now No. 4 Texas.

Loss in Austin

Yet again, the Wildcats had a night where nobody could successfully play their role.

Tonie Morgan finished with 12 points and four assists, yet tied Teonni Key for a team-high six turnovers.

Morgan would go the entire second half without an assist, a feat she has only done a handful of times throughout her college career. However, the blame in basketball never falls on just one person alone

Jordan Obi had zero points on Monday, and in her 28 minutes of play, her biggest contribution to the team was four rebounds. Obi has been in a slump for a few nights now, only recording seven points in the last three games combined.

When looking at the front court, Key recorded an eight-point and three-rebound game and star Clara Strack only had 14 points and seven rebounds on the night. All of these numbers are well below both their averages.

To round out the subpar team performance, Amelia Hassett got her only three points from a made three in the first quarter, not scoring again in Austin.

The only bright spot for the Wildcats was Asia Boone, who shot 4-6 from three-point territory, finishing with a team-high 16 points. Boone was the Cats’ save and grace as she was the only one in blue and white to record any points in the second quarter.

Moving Forward

Kentucky can likely kiss any chance at a double-bye goodbye after this performance. For both the SEC Tournament and March Madness, the Wildcats have very little room for error if they want favorable seeding.

To get those seeds, they will have to have dominant wins in these last five games of the season, with matchups against No. 14 Ole Miss, No. 5 Vanderbilt and No. 3 South Carolina coming up.

Now, the Big Blue Nation will watch as the countdown to tournament time inches clo

The Wildcats next matchup is against Texas A&M on Thursday Feb. 12th at 6:30 p.m. inside Historic Memorial Coliseum streaming on SEC Network

Men's Basketball

Kentucky Overcomes No. 25 Tennessee in Retro Homecoming

The Kentucky Wildcats, with a set of fan-favorite threads, prevailed where it mattered against Tennessee at home.

Published

3 days ago

February 7, 2026

Lane Mills

Sydney Yonker | UK Athletics

A packed blue and white crowd, throwback denim jerseys, and a tribute to the “Untouchable” 1996 championship team. What more could you ask for in a weekend game at Rupp Arena?

A win. And the Wildcats delivered just that.

After a rocky start at home, the Kentucky Wildcats ultimately pulled away from the Tennessee Volunteers, 74-71, to sweep the season series.

Recovering From Early Hits

In the first half, the Wildcats shot just 3-9 from the free throw nine and 2-9 from long range. When that’s juxtaposed with Tennessee’s own 53% from both the field and from deep at the midway point, it isn’t hard to see how the Cats got down 47-33.

Coming out of the break, though, Kentucky turned the matchup on its head. The Cats ended up pulling their percentage from the strike up to 59% and, despite struggles from three, Collin Chandler hit another one when it mattered most.

A Guy for Everything

Much of Kentucky’s season thus far has been predicated on the lack of “a guy;” someone that can do it all when his number is called.

Yet, as the team turns their final stretch, it seems their success is based on strength in numbers. The aforementioned Chandler has been a “big shot” maker, while Oweh (who had a team-leading 21 tonight) almost always comes out on top in the overall scoring margin.

Denzel Aberdeen is ever-reliable at the line, and Malachi Moreno and Brandon Garrison have formed a formidable, reliable rotation in the paint. It’s pure “team ball,” and it’s working for Coach Pope and his staff.

Now at 17-7 (8-3) the Wildcats have risen further into immediate contention for the SEC regular season title. In spite of a schedule only getting more difficult, Kentucky continues to prove themselves against that steep competition.

Riding the Wave

With the Georgia Bulldogs (17-6) set to travel to Rupp early next week, the Wildcats won’t have much time to celebrate this win over the Vols.

Still, they should try and find it. No matter where things go from here, this blue and white bunch – with eight wins in their last nine games – have done the dirty work in trying to turn things around, in spite of injuries.

It’s a hard road from here, but it’s been a hard road up to now, too. Pope and his team have, at least, earned a portion of trust in their ongoing process.

Men's Basketball

Brandon Garrison Leads Kentucky to Home Win Against Oklahoma

Published

5 days ago

February 5, 2026

Kai McClelland

Elliott Hess | UK Athletics

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, Kentucky (16-7, 7-3 SEC) defended home court against the Oklahoma Sooners (11-12, 1-9 SEC), winning by a score of 94-78.

Was it Otega Oweh and Collin Chandler who once again led the Wildcats to a win?

Well, sure, they had great performances, with Oweh dropping his eighth 20-point game of conference play and Chandler sparking threes like prime Klay Thompson, but the unsung hero was a player you’d least expect to dominate another team.

If you somehow got your hands on a time machine, went back to the morning of the game, and told ANYONE that Brandon Garrison (BG) would have his first double-double of his Kentucky career, you’d probably get laughed at in a disgusting manner.

That’s not a discredit, we all love Garrison, but his production has been unpredictable as of late and his season has had its fair shares of ups and downs.

Finally, the Oklahoma City native who transferred to the Wildcats after the 2023-24 season, easily had the best game of his tenure.

Playing the most minutes of his career with 29, Garrison totaled 20 points, 11 rebounds and three assists, only missing one shot on the night between his attempts from the field and the foul line.

Picking up a technical with seconds left in the game and flexing after every dunk and bullying rebound, Garrison showed a side of himself that many fans hope can be unlocked for the remainder of the season. We’ve always seen the technicals, to be fair, with some added expletives.

Garrison took his mouth guard out and said "Wassup bitch?!"

I LOVE HIM. pic.twitter.com/VYDSPp2Nx6— Rare Rookies #BBN (@rarerookies) February 5, 2026

After the game, assistant coach Jason Hart commented on BG’s huge game as Mark Pope rushed to the airport. Pope had to pick up his daughter Avery after an 18-month mission trip to El Salvador.

Mark Pope turned the press conference over to assistant Jason Hart as he went to go pick up his daughter Avery from the airport close to midnight.

She has been serving an 18-month mission trip in El Salvador.

You can tell how excited he is. 💙

🎥: UK Athletics | #BBN pic.twitter.com/vaqbTWS1o8— KY Insider (@KyInsider) February 5, 2026

“He’s a young professional in terms of coming to work every day and doing his job,” said Hart. “When you do that, the basketball gods will bless you.”

The Big Blue Nation will call for another career performance from Garrison as the Wildcats host the Tennessee Volunteers (16-6, 6-3 SEC) on Saturday, Feb. 7.

Maybe the denim jerseys will have some sort of attribute boost…