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The Golden Age of SEC Basketball Coaching

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7 years ago

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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.)

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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

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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.

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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)

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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

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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.

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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)

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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’)

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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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Men's Basketball

Mark Pope “hopeful” for NCAA to allow summer trips in the United States

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2 hours ago

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July 24, 2026

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Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope is hopeful that the NCAA changes the rules and allows teams to take summer trips within the United States, not just internationally.
UK Athletics

This spring, the NCAA passed a rule that allows men’s and women’s college basketball programs to participate in an international summer trip every year, rather than just one every four years.

These trips are important as they most importantly allow teams to have extra practice time, but they also allow teams to face true competition and aid in team bonding. For the fans, the trips allow the unique experience to travel with the team or watch them on TV, building excitement for the upcoming season.

In his first press conference of the summer, Mark Pope talked about his hope for an additional rule change to summer trips, allowing them to be done in the states.

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“There is one of the things that we’re excited about, potentially coming down the pipeline that we’ve been pushing for, is now we’re allowed to take international trips every single year. We’d like to actually make that something that could be done domestically,” Pope said on Friday

Pope argues that this is a way to bring more attention to college basketball in the summer.

“We’re always trying to take up windows of time with college basketball, in terms of the way we are in the public sphere, and I hope that that change goes through,” he said. “The opportunities that we’re exploring right now with that would be game-changing. I’m hopeful.”

There is also a financial aspect to this.

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Foreign trips cost money for the program and the fans. Typically, a program works with the resort or tour operator at a discounted rate, as they aim to make more money from fans’ travel. Yet, there is still a cost, and in a college landscape where money is at a premium and needed to be competitive, every dollar counts. Cost was even something mentioned when Mark Pope was asked about why Kentucky did not take a summer trip this offseason.

Whereas, if a summer trip can be done domestically, that first reduces the cost for the program, and second, eases the barrier of entry for fans.

Let’s say Kentucky is able to organize or join a multi-team event in Indianapolis. This is close enough for many Kentucky fans to travel at a lower cost than, let’s say, the Bahamas, increasing ticket sales. There is also potential for TV deals. In short, increased revenue and reduced costs.

At the end of the day, Pope is just asking for more freedom for summer trips. In turn, that would mean more accessible summer college basketball.

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“If you talk to the guys on our team, they would like more time on the court together and with us. They like more opportunities to play more games,” Pope said. “Our staff feels the same way. I think that’s probably a common theme throughout college basketball. So the more freedom we have to actually get work done, I think the better.”

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

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La Familia Blown Out in Road Matchup Against The Ville

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4 days ago

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July 20, 2026

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Photo via UK Athletics

On Monday, July 20, La Familia traveled to Louisville, KY to take on The Ville in the historic Freedom Hall. With a 1-0 series lead, the Kentucky alumni had a game to give before returning home. Unfortunately for them, they fell by a score of 82-62 in a dominant showing from the Cardinals.

Heading into this matchup, there was yet again some drama with the injury report, as Willie Cauley-Stein was listed as questionable, Marcus Lee was listed as out and Archie Goodwin was marked to make his debut on Monday for the Wildcats.

However, as the day went on, TBT officially announced that Cauley-Stein will play but that Goodwin will not, sending Big Blue Nation into another frenzy of question marks. Nonetheless, no matter if it’s a Marquette alum balling out for you or if it’s the Wildcats’ own, the show must go on.

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The majority of the first quarter showed a competitive ballgame, with La Familia holding an 11-9 lead at the media break. James Mainor-Bell banged in two threes to start the game, with Andrew Harrison joining in on the three party after an ankle breaker. The Ville was doing their best to play bully ball with Montrezl Harrell, but the Wildcats held him to only two points in his first quarter of action.

Harrell scored five straight for the Cardinals to start the second quarter, giving them their first lead of the game at the seven-minute mark. From then on, it would be complete and utter domination from the star forward, dropping 16 points in the quarter alone on perfect shooting.

Harrison, Chris Coffey and others did their best to stop the bleeding, but words cannot describe how quickly The Ville took control and did whatever they wanted on the court. La Familia only shot 8/30 from the field in the first half and nothing could go their way.

At the break, the alumni from the bluegrass trailed 36-22.

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From poster dunks, lobs and threes, there was no idea of a comeback in any Kentucky fans’ heart, with The Ville having fun while they could in front of their fanbase.

Harrison and Coffey would combined for 34 points, but in response, Harrell finished the night with 35 points and eight rebounds to tie up the three-game series.

Up next, La Familia will host The Ville on Wednesday, July 22 for the third and final game of the series. The winner will take home the bragging rights and send their in-state rival on a one-way exit out of the TBT tournament. Tip is set for 6:00 p.m. ET and will air live on FS1.

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Injury Report Update: La Familia Prepares For Game Two

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4 days ago

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July 20, 2026

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*UPDATE (1:10 p.m. ET): Willie Cauley-Stein is ACTIVE but Archie Goodwin has been downgraded to UNACTIVE per TBT Stats & Info. A reason has not been revealed publicly.

There’s nothing like some evening basketball in the middle of the summer, and that’s exactly what we’re getting later tonight with La Familia’s matchup with The Ville. Tipoff for game two is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET inside of Freedom Hall, with the Kentucky alumni looking to take care of business on the road.

Doing so, will be difficult. We all saw what playing in enemy territory can do to a team – Louisville experienced it on Saturday and went down by as much as 15 points in the third quarter. Given the away atmosphere, the desperation from the Cardinals and unfortunately, some injury news, we’re in for an interesting one.

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Game two’s official injury report has Marcus Lee, who missed game one with the team, listed as OUT for tonight’s matchup. He was originally believed to make his debut on Monday, but it seems it may be the next series where Lee will make an appearance. Willie Cauley-Stein, after tweaking his ankle in La Familia’s first game, is listed as questionable, making Kentucky’s size a thing to question.

Don’t worry though Big Blue Nation, because KY Insider brings good news with the bad. Archie Goodwin, who was a major part of the team’s scoring last summer, will be making his debut on July 20. Sources confirmed that he was attending a wedding on Saturday and couldn’t make the season opener.

The Ville will also be without two key players who missed game one, Ray Spalding and Angel Nunez. The full injury report can be seen below.

La Familia

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  • Archie Goodwin – AVAILABLE
  • Willie Cauley-Stein – QUESTIONABLE
  • Marcus Lee – OUT

The Ville

  • Ray Spalding – OUT
  • Angel Nunez – OUT

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