Alexander Brown
College basketball’s coaching ranks have undergone a significant shake-up during the 2024 Firing/Hiring Cycle, as 14 major conference jobs changed hands, including some of the sport’s top jobs. New faces are arriving in places like Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio State and USC, just to name a few.
Making any assessment of the new coaches’ performance would have required patience a decade ago. But in the era of the transfer portal, the data starts coming in early and first-year coaches are off to a good start. When a coaching change occurs, it is safe to assume that a mass exodus of players will come with it.
This leaves new teams no choice but to start almost from scratch and put together a roster in a matter of months. This process has been occurring across the sport this spring and will continue for several more weeks. While most of the new coaches don’t yet have their 2024-25 teams finalized, they have all laid a foundation at the very least.
For this edition of Dribble Handoff, our writers are picking the power conference’s new coaches who they believe are doing their best work yet.
Jake Diebler, Ohio State
The only coach in his first year at a new school with a team ranked in the top 15 of the Top 25 E 1 is Diebler. So I suppose Ohio State coach has to be my answer to the question asked.
I quickly became a believer.
First, Diebler managed to stop top scorer Bruce Thornton from entering the transfer portal and leaving, despite rampant tampering in the final weeks of the season. This was a huge win for the Buckeyes. After that, Diebler secured commitments from announced transfers Meechie Johnson (South Carolina), Aaron Bradshaw (Kentucky), Micah Parrish (San Diego State) and Sean Stewart (Duke) to remake Ohio State’s roster in very short order. Assuming Thornton starts next season along with these four transfers, that’s a very good starting five that should have the Buckeyes in the 2025 NCAA Tournament after missing the sport’s signature event in each of the last two years. -Gary Parrish
Dusty May, Michigan
As of Thursday morning, Michigan had the third-best transfer class this cycle, according to EvanMiya.com. May was able to bring in two high-quality bigs (Danny Wolf, Vlad Goldin), which I think will be the difference in getting Michigan into the 2025 NCAA Tournament. He also added a nice piece in the backcourt via (gasp! ) Ohio State in Roddy Gayle, plus fellow guards Rubin Jones (North Texas) and Tre Donaldson (Auburn).
To top it off, they brought in transfer Sam Walters (Alabama), who was rarely used as a freshman but could emerge as one of the strongest 4s in college basketball next season. He also hired perhaps the best assistant of any new coach in a new position this cycle, Mike Boynton. May inherited a program that was in trouble and has Michigan, in my opinion, lined up to be a top 25 team next season. And what’s more, I don’t think he’s finished. One more notable transfer could take place in the next two weeks. -Matt Norlander
John Calipari, Arkansas
We’ve gotten so used to Calipari cleaning up on the recruiting trail and blinded in part by his recent postseason failures that have pushed him so far away from Kentucky that what he’s doing now in his first season at Arkansas is somehow hardly being appreciated. deserve. He brought together three top 30 recruits who were previous UK recruits, added two key UK transfers in Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivišić, and also addressed needs in the backcourt and frontcourt with Johnell Davis and Jonas Aidoo from FAU and Tennessee, respectively.
If any other great coach in his first year in a new role did as well as Calipari has over the last six weeks, we’d be building statues. What Calipari does with the roster and whether he can parlay that success into a deep postseason run is ultimately the biggest question, but he has assembled the talent and experience to make a significant impact in his first year with the Hogs. -Kyle Boone
Eric Musselman, USC
There is no huge name in Transfer from USC. But there are nine solid additions that should give Eric Musselman a chance to compete in Year 1 as the Trojans transition from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten. Eight of them played at least three college seasons, and the one who didn’t is Xavier’s Desmond Claude, who is arguably the most talented of the group. Claude averaged 16.6 points per game during his second season with the Musketeers.
All of the transfers averaged double figures at their previous schools, and there is a lot of size and versatility in the group. USC limped to a disappointing 15-18 (8-12) mark in Andy Enfield’s 11th and final season with a team that featured highly touted freshmen Isaiah Collier and Bronny James. Musselman’s first team likely won’t have those big names, but it will have the veteran DNA and scoring power that the 2023-24 Trojans lacked. -David Cobb
Mark Pope, Kentucky
Just days after Pope officially got the job at his alma mater, the final scholarship player on the 2023-24 roster entered the transfer portal. Rebuilding a roster from scratch is no easy task, but Pope has done a masterful job so far. The biggest weakness of last year’s Kentucky team was the defense. Pope helped strengthen that unit by signing San Diego All-State guard Lamont Butler and Drexel’s Amari Williams — both players who won their conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award. Pope also signed Dayton’s Koby Brea, ranked as one of the best pure shooters in college basketball.
The Wildcats still have some holes to fill on the roster, but it’s hard not to be impressed with what Pope has done in such a short period of time. –Cameron Salerno
