1. Tony Bennett, Washington State—I’m sure by now you’ve heard of him. Last years national coach of the year has turned Washington State’s program around leading them to back to back 26 win seasons after taking over for his father. He was Indiana’s first (public) choice but turned them down, which may come back to bite him since he is losing both of his star guards. If he can keep the program where it is near the top of the Pac-10 after losing Weaver and Low, expect him to be one of the top names come next off season, and the temptation just might be too great. Either way, WSU is in the Pac-10, so it’s already a major job.
2. Mick Cronin, Cincinnati—Also didn’t make the list because Cincinnati is a pretty major job, but he'll be a household name in the next couple of years.
3. Keno Davis, Drake—Just like Tony Bennett, if you win national coach of the year in your first season at the helm, you automatically get a spot on this list. Davis led Drake to a 28-5 record this year, and won the Missouri Valley Conference title after being picked to finish last by some publications. He turned Adam Emmenecker, a former walk-on who averaged only 11 minutes a game through his junior season, into a conference player of the year. If he doesn’t allow Drake to slip in the next year or two, he is surely on his way to a bigger and better job.
4. Brad Stevens, Butler – At 31, Stevens is the 3rd youngest coach in history to lead his team to 30 wins in a season, his first at Butler. Led the Bulldogs to a top 10 ranking. Needs a few more years of experience before he moves up to a major program.
5. Jim Larranaga, George Mason—Jim Larranaga might not be able to be considered an “up-and-comer” considering he’s 58 years old and has been a head coach dating back to the 70’s. But after taking George Mason to the Final Four two years, his name has jumped back on the radar for other schools. Most recently, he was offered the position at his alma mater Providence, but turned it down and stayed at Mason. If he wouldn’t take that position, don’t expect him to go anywhere anytime soon.
6. Bob McKillop, Davidson—A really hot name right now after Davidson surprise run to the Elite 8 and just falling short of the Final Four. Like Larranaga, he is no spring chicken at 57. Don’t expect him to leave anytime soon though. While Stephan Curry is still shooting threes on the court, McKillop will be roaming the sideline. Plus, his ties to the school are great. His two eldest children graduated from the school, and his youngest son, Brenden, is a guard on the team currently. Not to mention he has been there since 1989.
7. Tommy Dempsey, Rider—Dempsey is the youngest Division I coach with 100 wins, which is very impressive. Next year will really be the deciding factor in Dempsey’s future, where we will see how Rider fares as he loses Jason Thompson to the NBA.
Six Assistants Who Will Be Head Coaches Soon:
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