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 1st 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 1st 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 1st 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.
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