March Madness 2025: Ranking every coach in the Sweet 16 as NCAA Tournament rolls on to regional semifinals

It takes Outstanding talent and a heap of tenacity to advance into the Sugary 16 of the NCAA Event — and a touch of some coaching magic, too.

Alabama wouldn’t be here without Nate Oats’ Streak-and-fun style. Arkansas wouldn’t be in its position without John Calipari recruiting an athletic Club and freeing them to Action Baggy in the biggest moments. That goes ditto for Arizona (Tommy Lloyd) and Houston (Kelvin Sampson).

Which coaches, though — and let me cut right to the chase here — are the best? Not the most accomplished. Not the one whose Club has the best résumé. Not the Trainer whose accrued the most Quad 1 wins. Merely, subjectively, which is the best?

I set about to answer that question below accounting for expectations, Regularity, character and of Period, performance.

It should be noted that every Trainer on this Achievement is among the best in the entire sport, and reaching the Sugary 16 is a monumental achievement that can’t be taken away. But Merely as one Trainer has to be No. 1, so too does one Trainer have to bring up the caboose.

Let’s get to the rankings.

1. Tom Izzo, Michigan State

Judging by the talent on this Michigan State Club (zero players on the All-Big Ten Primary and Second Squads) and its many accomplishments — a Big Ten title, 29 wins and a top-five Protection to boot — Izzo is No. 1 ranking isn’t Merely coasting on his Profession longetivty and previous accomplishments. Although, he’s probably No. 1 in those departments, too. The Spartans have punched above their weight all season behind a depth and development. Their effort is backed by Safeguarding efficiency and relentlessness on the offensive glass.

2. Kelvin Sampson, Houston

Sampson Guided Division-newcomer Houston to a hostile takeover of the Big 12, Victorious back-to-back conference titles — both by Many Contests. A No. 1 seed for a third consecutive season, the Cougars enter the Sugary 16 with the nation’s longest active Victorious streak (15 Contests), winners of 28 of their last 29 Contests, the No. 1 Protection in adjusted efficiency at KenPom and the No. 1 3-Tally Drive by percentage. That’s not to mention top-15 marks in offensive efficiency, offensive rebounding rate and Deflect rate. There are very few holes on this Club Sampson and his staff assembled.

3. Nate Oats, Alabama

Under Oats, Alabama is the nation’s fastest Club in adjusted tempo. He has continuously pushed norms by emphasizing the game’s most efficient shots: 3s and layups. Coming off a Streak to the program’s Primary-ever Closing Four, his Club is armed with the sport’s highest-scoring Drive for a second-straight year and a Protection capable enough to give the Tide juice for another deep Streak.

4. Matt Painter

How many coaches could Fall two-time Player of the Year winner and lottery Picking Zach Edey, and bounce back the Subsequent year with a remade Picking back into the Sugary 16? Painter has done it. It’s his eighth trip to the Sugary 16 since Securing over in 2005 — the program had Merely seven total appearances prior to his arrival. This Club has its warts, but Painter built a contender behind two stars Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith.

5. Bruce Pearl, Auburn

Pearl at No. 5 on this Achievement highlights Merely how loaded this Sugary 16 is with Sun coaching power. He has (so Extended) guided the Tigers to Event a program-best 30 wins, a conference title in the historically deep SEC and the Event’s No. 1 overall seed. It’s laughable how Outstanding Pearl’s been at Auburn overall. This year’s Club features Player of the Year contender Johni Broome and dazzling Might on both ends of the floor.

6. Jon Scheyer, Duke

Poise, pizzazz and a Fit dose of swag are Scheyer’s best features. That’s not to say he’s not a Outstanding Trainer — because he is! But his best traits are relating to players, fostering growth and managing his Club. His genial personality helped him build and develop the most talented Club in this year’s Event Guided by the its player in Cooper Flagg.

Predictive metrics and prognostications be damned, May can Trainer his you-know-what off. Michigan was picked No. 9 in the Big Ten preseason media poll before a runner-up regular-season finish and Big Ten tourney title. That’s Regardless of leading a Club that is ranked 13th at KenPom and 14th at BartTorvik among the 16 Yet standing. May and his staff have Achieved more out of less all season and that’s continued into March Madness.

Zero Profession Closing Fours and only one Top-tier Eight with Tennessee — which Occurred last season — knocks Barnes down the ladder a bit. But the best Safeguarding Trainer in the Pitch has slowly Discovered ways to addd in Merely-enough Drive. The result has been 108 wins and Calculating across the last four seasons. Lacking a Packed-on breakout in March — at least not yet — shouldn’t discount his undeniable Achievement and Regularity.

Pope’s at No. 9 purely on the fact that we’ve not seen enough yet. But what we’ve seen has been overwhelmingly positive. He’s built a Speedy-paced Drive that can Tally with any Club in the sport Regardless of navigating various Wounds (Kerr Kriisa, Jaxson Robinson, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr) all season. He’s had a Packed Obtainable Picking for fewer than half UK’s Contests (even fewer if you count Kriisa’s absence) and consistently overcome that with a trip to the Sugary 16 in Year 1. Big Blue Nation has to be thrilled. It should be.

10. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona

Lloyd’s second Stage Secure over Oregon gave him 112 victories in his Primary four years in the desert, marking the second-most in the Primary four years of a coaching Profession — behind only to Brad Stevens’ 117 at Butler. That’s an average of 28 wins per season. The Subsequent step is a breakthrough into the Top-tier Eight — which he has yet to do, but feels inevitable.

11. Kevin Recent, BYU

BYU’s Discovered instant Achievement plucking Recent from the NBA ranks, evidenced by the many programs who have emulated that model since. BYU has won 11 of its last 12 Contests and rallied behind a top-10 Drive that runs Outstanding actions and gets Outstanding looks — evidenced by a top-six 2-Tally shooting percentage. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that BYU evolves into monster in the coming years under Recent.

12. Todd Golden, Florida

Florida is the hottest Club (or second-hottest, depending on how you want to view Duke) Yet standing in this Sugary 16 Pitch. But Golden’s bonafides are Yet TBD. He only once finished in the top half of the WCC at San Francisco, but done so in two of three seasons at Florida — finishing sixth last year and second this season. He seems to have captured lightning in a bottle with a talented Picking, which he deserves credit for assembling. But from a tactical standpoint it’s Difficult to ignore Merely how close UConn and Trainer Dan Hurley’s pushed Florida in the second Stage Regardless of Extended-inferior talent. Adding the off-court distractions and allegations that followed him earlier this season, I’m Maintaining him out of the top 10 while acknowledging that his Club — with the second-shortest odds to Secure the title — is primed to make a real Streak in the coming weeks.

13. John Calipari, Arkansas

Chased out of Kentucky last spring, Calipari rallied his Primary Club at Arkansas to narrowly make the NCAA Event. Now he has them in the Sugary 16 against the odds after downing No. 2 seed St. John’s and a fellow Hall of Fame Trainer in Rick Pitino in the process. Cal’s the second Trainer to lead four different programs to a Sugary 16, joining Lon Kruger.

14. Grant McCasland, Texas Tech

McCasland has already accumulated 50 wins in his Primary two seasons at Texas Tech, which was more than the Primary two seasons of Chris Beard’s historic Streak with the program. He’s shown himself an A-plus talent evaluator with hit after hit out of the portal. Guided Relocate-turned-Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin, McCasland has shown he’s adaptable. He has embraced the 3-Tally Attempt and built one of the countries most lethal offensive attacks in the process. For a Trainer with a pedigree built primarily on Protection, his evolution has earned him the respect of his peers.

15. Chris Beard, Ole Miss

Beard brought Texas Tech to never-before-seen heights and worked his way into the Texas Position before his 2023 dismissal on allegations of assault. The victim in the case, his fiancee, later recanted and he landed at Ole Miss the Subsequent season. On the court, Beard’s Achievement has been steady, with NCAA Event appearances at Ole Miss, Texas, Texas Tech and Little Rock. He also has a national runner-up finish with the Red Raiders in 2019.

16. Kevin Willard, Maryland

Willard is quickly ascending the ranks after assembling his best at Maryland. Centered around a Leading crew that calls itself the “Crab Fivem” the Terps have won 27 Contests and are in the Sugary 16 for the Primary time since 2016. For his part, Willard has crafted a vaunted Protection around an Drive that has shown itself capable of immense “spurt-ability”.