College basketball’s 2023 coaching carousel brought changes at 12 schools in major conferences, beginning with the in-season firing of Chris Beard at Texas and culminating several months later with the ending of Bob Huggins’ West Virginia tenure. In between, brands such as Syracuse, Georgetown and St. John’s also hired new coaches, shaking up the college basketball landscape entering the 2023-24 season.
The Hoyas poached Ed Cooley from Big East rival Providence, while the Red Storm lured 71-year-old Rick Pitino away from Iona and back to the national spotlight for one last high-profile gig to cap a storied career. Syracuse’s hire fell under the radar by comparison, but Adrian “Red” Autry is in a historic position as the program’s first coach not named Jim Boeheim since the mid-1970s.
While the mass-transfer era has made it easier to rapidly rebuild a roster in some respects, it’s also a double-edged sword. Players are more likely to leave amid a coaching change nowadays since they are allowed to transfer once without sitting out a season and can be eligible immediately following a second transfer if they have graduated.
Given the fluid nature of roster management, a delineation has emerged among the first-year coaches in college basketball. Some have quickly restocked the cupboard and look poised to compete this season, while others appear stuck in rebuilding mode for the foreseeable future.
As the 2023-24 college basketball season creeps closer, here’s a look at the five first-year coaches best-positioned for immediate success.
1. Rick Pitino | St. John’s
St. John’s hired Pitino in March, shortly after his Iona team was eliminated by UConn in the NCAA Tournament, and he wasted little time beginning a massive roster overhaul that produced impressive results. All significant contributors from the program’s 2022-23 season are gone except for All-Big East big man Joel Soriano. Incoming are…
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