High-majors
ARIZONA STATE | OUT: Bobby Hurley
Hurley leaves with the second-most wins in program history and wants to keep coaching/run a program. If I'm Boston College, I'm doing whatever I can to convince Hurley to come. But Hurley also told me he'd take something at the mid-major level. As for the next guy in Tempe, that's up for debate but there is a name with some buzz that most won't recognize: Derek Glasser. The UC Santa Barbara assistant calls James Harden a close friend and there's speculation that hiring Glasser could be crucial to ASU's NIL capabilities. (To me, that is very up for speculation.)
BOSTON COLLEGE | OUT: Earl Grant
This one was expected for months. There are 79 jobs in the Power Five leagues, and Boston College, unfortunately and unquestionably, ranks in the bottom five. Grant couldn't win there, but this is an institutional problem as much as anything else. Minimal fan support, bottom of the league in NIL capability, and the basketball there ranks below football and hockey in the priority order. Will take a very specific fit to even give the Eagles a shot at fighting into the middle of the ACC. Names to monitor:
Merrimack's Joe Gallo,
UConn assistants Luke Murray and Kimani Young,
Yale coach James Jones and Los Angeles Clippers assistant Jay Larranaga, who has connections in the area and was previously a Boston Celtics assistant.
GEORGIA TECH | OUT: Damon Stoudamire
Yellow Jackets AD Ryan Alpert fired Stoudamire on Sunday, ending a short three-year run in Atlanta. Sources said the buyout for the 52-year-old coach was just $2.6 million, which made the decision that much easier after a 42-55 record in three seasons. This is a bottom-four job in the ACC despite its terrific location due to its lack of success over the past two decades, its relatively tough academic parameters and its limitations in NIL. Sources told me Tech will top out at $3.5 million in revenue sharing and maybe an additional $2 million after that. And yet, the 2026 portal market will likely mandate high-major teams to work with at least $6 million in order to be somewhat competitive. Troy's Scott Cross is considered the overwhelming frontrunner, according to two sources. The Trojans are in the NCAA Tournament, so any acknowledgement of Cross' next move to Atlanta is unlikely to be announced prior to Troy's season ending.
KANSAS STATE | OUT: Jerome Tang Ā»Ā» IN: Casey Alexander
The first power conference job to hit the market in 2026, and it did so in a noisy fashion. Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor
fired Tang for cause on Feb. 15. University lawyers and Tang's legal representation are in an ongoing legal dispute over the validity of a for-cause firing, which, if K-State were successful, would mean $0 owed to Tang. If fully unsuccessful, Tang has more than $18 million coming his way. I'm expecting a settlement with terms undisclosed. Alexander and K-State agreed to terms late Thursday night after it was clear that Jerrod Calhoun wasn't going to leave Utah State for this program.
PROVIDENCE | OUT: Kim English
The 37-year-old English was formally fired on Friday morning. PC finished 15-18 this season and English was unable to get the school to the NCAAs in three seasons on the job. Some initial names that have been thrown around for this job are Jerrod Calhoun (
Utah State), Bryan Hodgson (
South Florida) and
James Jones (
Yale). There's also been some Herb Sendek buzz, though that's an odd one, I think. Some believe Hodgson is the leader here.
SYRACUSE | OUT: Adrian Autry
The Orange's season finished Tuesday evening with an 86-69 loss to
SMU in the ACC Tournament; Syracuse was a 14-seed in the league bracket. Jim Boeheim's successor leaves with a 49-48 record and no NCAA Tournament showings. Autry, 54, was given the job following Boeheim's retirement in 2023. Autry's firing after a failed three-year succession plan puts Syracuse in an interesting and unwanted position. What can this program be moving forward? SU outgoing athletic director John Wildhack has already done some diligence on candidates, per sources, despite the school not yet naming a successor. Some coaches who have already been contacted: Schertz, Hodgson, Murray, Gallo and two Syracuse guys: Mike Hopkins and Gerry McNamara, the latter of whom will be coaching Siena in the NCAAs.
Mid-majors
AIR FORCE | OUT: Joe Scott
Scott had two runs at Air Force, the first from 1999-2004, the second from 2020 until earlier this year, when Scott was put on leave in January amid an investigation into his treatment of players. That ultimately led to a severance between he and the school, though the two sides ended things amicably with kind words when the split was made official on Feb. 26. A military academy program in the Mountain West, Air Force easily ranks among the 10 toughest jobs in all of college hoops. Scott had four single-digit win seasons in his second run here and didn't finish above .500 once.
BALL STATE | OUT: Mike Lewis
The Cardinals had Lewis in charge for four seasons, but the last three were all under .500. With this year's team going 12-19, rumors bubbled up in late January that the job would come up. Lewis, a former
UCLA assistant under Mick Cronin, went 61-64 in the MAC. The team hasn't made the NCAAs since 2000 under Ray McCallum.
BELMONT | OUT: Casey Alexander
Alexander was anxious to leave after more than proving his value over the past seven seasons in Nashville. He tallied a 166-60 record with the Bruins, continuing the impressive legacy built out by his former coach and mentor Rick Byrd. Two former Belmont players are well-positioned to be next here: Alabama-Hunstville coach Mick Hedgepeth and Duke assistant Evan Bradds.
CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD | OUT:
Rod Barnes
There are a few jobs that have been open the entire season, and this one applies. Barnes was fired last September after 14 years at Bakersfield, and the reason is jaw-dropping: One of his
former assistants was federally charged for allegations of pimping, among other heinous illegal activities. There have also been changes in leadership in the athletic department. The team has sputtered under interim coach Mike Scott as well, going 8-22 with a last-place finish in the Big West. The next hire will be a delicate, deliberate process to keep the school out of the limelight.
DARTMOUTH | OUT: Dave McLaughlin
The school did not renew McLaughlin's contract. The Big Green job is almost universally considered the toughest in the eight-school Ivy League, so picking a next coach will be difficult. McLaughlin came on in 2016 and was 87-161 with a 41-85 conference record.
EASTERN MICHIGAN | OUT: Stan Heath
The Eagles are starting over after five years under Heath. EMU was 57-98 the last five seasons and only finished .500 once both overall and in the MAC (in 2024-25). The job came open Sunday ā less than a month from Heath's contract ending. The location is good for a MAC program (less than 15 minutes from
Michigan's campus, in fact) but the resources are bottom half of the league. That will need to change.
FIU | OUT: Jeremy Ballard
Ballard was sacked on Wednesday morning after his eighth season on the job. The CUSA program had winning seasons in Ballard's first two years but averaged 12 wins over the last six. Its location (Miami) will make this a relatively hot commodity for the level of job it is.
GEORGIA STATE | OUT: Jonas Hayes
Hayes lasted four seasons and leaves Atlanta with a 48-79 record at the Sun Belt-based program. The school will still draw in some promising mid-major candidates because of its location and potential in that league.
KANSAS CITY | OUT: Marvin Menzies Ā»Ā» IN: Mark Turgeon
A huge get for the Roos, who have pulled off a rarity: A school with zero NCAA Tournament appearances hired a coach with at least 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, at least 15 years of experience of high-major coaching and at least 450 wins. The only other instance of this that I can recall where that exact scenario applied is when
High Point hired Tubby Smith in 2018, but he was an alum. Turgeon played at
Kansas and therefore has some semi-local ties. He heads to the Summit League with a healthy boost in NIL support, determined not to let his rickety exit from
Maryland in 2021 be the end of his story.
LAMAR | OUT: Alvin Brooks
Brooks went 62-95 across five seasons in the Southland. This season's team went 12-19 overall, but didn't qualify for the conference tournament after finishing outside the top eight by ending the season on a nine-game losing streak. The Cardinals last made the NCAA Tournament in 2012 under Pat Knight.
LITTLE ROCK | OUT: Darrell Walker
This one became official on Friday, and unfortunately, it was no surprise. The Little Rock job was openly discussed behind the scenes as an inevitable opening dating back to late January. Walker's team went 12-20 this season and finished seventh in the OVC. He leaves after eight seasons and with a 113-133 record. This is a good job in that conference. Sources said former Saint Louis/Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford is working to land this gig.
UL MONROE | OUT: Phil Cunningham
A one-and-done in the Sun Belt. Cunningham was the head coach this past season after serving as an assistant the year prior. The team went 4-28 this year, ranking 350th out of 365 teams at KenPom. The bad record combined with the school switching ADs in the past five months led to the change.
NORTH FLORIDA | OUT: Matt Driscoll Ā»Ā» IN: Bobby Kennen
This job had been open dating back to last May, when Driscoll left after 16 seasons to be Jerome Tang's top assistant at Kansas State. Now Driscoll is wrapping up a disappointing season in
Manhattan, Kansas, in the wake of Tang's mid-February firing. At UNF, the Ospreys struggled under Kennen; the team went 7-24 this season. Nevertheless, he's got the full-time gig. UNF's been a D-I program for two decades, with its lone NCAA Tournament trip coming in 2015 under Driscoll.
Northern Illinois | OUT: Rashon Burno
Burno bounced after five seasons, all of them under .500. This year's team finished 9-21 and 319th at KenPom at the time of Burno's (expected) resignation. He went 48-106 in one of the toughest jobs in the MAC. Between firings and potential jump situations, it wouldn't be surprising if at least five of the 13 schools in that conference undergo changes. D-II coach Matt Majkrzak and SEMO coach Brad Korn are both heavily involved going into the weekend, sources said.
OREGON STATE | OUT: Wayne Tinkle Ā»Ā» IN: Justin Joyner
For Tinkle, the high point was the unexpected run to the Elite Eight in the 2021 COVID NCAA tourney, when the Beavers won three games as a 12-seed after earning the auto bid by winning the Pac-12 Tournament. Joyner is a fresh new face and represents and optimistic new start for the Beavers as the Pac-12 rebirth will commence later this year. Joyner is on a five-year contract and will try to compete in the league with the likes of Gonzaga, Boise State, San Diego State, Utah State.
PEPPERDINE | OUT: Ed Schilling
Two-and-through for Schilling, who was a surprising hire in 2024. The Waves went 22-45 the past two seasons and won just eight games in the WCC. Pepperdine famously has one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, but it's also a school with strong religious ties and therefore will have specific criteria for its next coach. Cal Baptist coach Rick Croy could be a name to watch here.
SAN DIEGO | OUT:
Steve Lavin Ā»Ā» IN: JR Blount
The 61-year-old Lavin couldn't bring the program to consistency in the Gonzaga-dominated WCC. USD has not made the NCAAs since 2008 under Bill Grier. Athletic director Kimya Massey moved even more quickly than most expected when he brought on Blount, who's seen his reputation rise quickly the past two seasons at Iowa State. This was a competitive job opening. I highlighted Blount just last week in my names-to-know piece
for this year's carousel cycle. He's considered among the sharpest young defensive minds in high-major hoops, but beyond that, he has an outstanding reputation for his dedication to the job.
ST. BONAVENTURE | OUT: Mark Schmidt
Schmidt, 63, leaves the profession with a terrific reputation. Bonaventure is an extremely tough job, yet he won 339 total, most in program history, and captured four combined conference titles. Schmidt took over in Olean in 2007, doing so after academic and eligibility scandals in the early 2000s nearly dissolved the program. With Schmidt leaving, program GM and prominent former
NBA national reporter Adrian Wojnarowski will work with school leadership to try and land a coach on the cheap who is about leaning into the challenges and culture of Bonaventure. I've been told that this job is going to be a significant pay cut from what Schmidt was making after 19 years and all the pay bumps that come with such a long tenure. Bona doesn't have any revenue sharing and needs to fundraise all of its capital in order to try and field a roster that can compete in the A-10; Wojnarowski has a huge task ahead, to be sure. Two early names rumored for the job are both alums: Washington Wizards assistant David Vanterpool and D-II Daemen College coach Mike MacDonald, who's done well at that level.
TARLETON STATE | OUT:
Billy Gillispie Ā»Ā» IN: Eric Haut
Gillispie oversaw Tarleton State's transition into Division I, with the high point being a 25-10 season in 2023-24. The WAC-based school went 92-90 in six years at the D-I level under Gillispie. The university, based in Stephenville,
Texas, is about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Haut will join the program after Utah State finishes playing in the NCAA tourney. He's been a valuable assistant at USU, Northern Kentucky and Kent State. Was due for a shot at running his own show.
TENNESSEE TECH | OUT:
John Pelphrey Ā»Ā» IN: Tobin Anderson
Pelphrey lasted seven years in the Ohio Valley and went 79ā138 at what is obviously a very hard job with limited resources. TTU last won the regular-season title in the OVC in 2005, but it landed the best guy possible. Anderson famously coached FDU to a 16-over-1 upset of Purdue in the 2023 NCAAs. He potentially could've gotten a bigger job this cycle. Big coup for this school.
UNCG | OUT: Mike Jones
Hmmmm. Something of a surprise here, as Jones went 93-69 and didn't get his contract extended by the school. The Spartans went 15-19 this season, the only one of Jones' five that didn't end above .500. The job is considered in the top third in the SoCon. It also might be the only school in the league that makes a change this cycle. Looks like Jerod Haase, Sean May or Joel Justus will wind up winning out here, and likely soon.
WAGNER | OUT:
Donald Copeland
Wagner has been coached by interim Dwan McMillan since the start of the season after Copeland
was put on indefinite leave amid a school investigation into alleged abusive coaching tactics, including withholding water breaks during practice. One former player went on record with the New York Post last fall to confirm the allegations, but the school has yet to fire Copeland,
who is still listed on the team's website. The Seahawks went 14-17 and lost in the NEC semis to
LIU.
WEBER STATE | OUT: Eric Duft
We have a Brad Stevens-eseque transition in the Big Sky. Duft has been with the program for two decades, but he's not being fired. He's going into the athletic department with a title of President of Basketball Operations and Development for the men's basketball program. He'll be working with Damian Lillard, who's labeled as Weber State's GM, to get the Wildcats to a better spot, roster-wise, for the net coach. Duft was the head coach the past four years.
WESTERN MICHIGAN | OUT: Dwayne Stephens
Yet another MAC job is open. The former Michigan State assistant lasted four seasons in Kalamazoo, going 42-84. The Broncos came extremely close to ending
Miami University's undefeated run on Feb. 27 before falling in the final second 69-67. The school last made the NCAAs in 2014.
