Up-and-Coming College Basketball Coaches to Watch in 2015-16

It's the circle of college basketball life. A coach will leave or get fired, and somewhere along the way some fresh blood is going to get a big break.

Look no further than a guy from Louisiana Tech, 38-year-old Mike White, who's getting a chance to replace a legend in Billy Donovan at Florida.

We're here to examine some names who will put themselves in line during the 2015-16 college basketball season for a big advancement in their careers (and their ATM deposits).

It takes having success to put yourself in this position. Maintaining it over a length of time helps, of course. Making something out of historical nothing helps too.

Being primed for a big season can have major payoffs to make this slideshow. But we'll also take a look at coaches who are also well-connected—and come from apprenticeship backgrounds that will make them even more desirable.

Our only stipulations: We didn't consider anyone who is already in a power conference—including anyone from the strong and fairly well-paying Atlantic 10, such as VCU's Will Wade or Dayton's Archie Miller—even if there's obvious room for advancement for some candidates from that conference.

There's also only one nominee who will be older than 45 when the season starts. More on that tease later.

But check these guys out. Who knows? You may not know much about them now—we'll teach you—but they might be coaching your favorite team pretty soon.

Scott Cherry, High Point

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Anyone who played for the late, great Dean Smith is going to get some consideration in any coaching endeavor.

Scott Cherry barely makes our cut line, as he's 44. But he's got a fantastic pedigree and the head coaching portfolio to back it up.

The High Point Panthers leader was a George Mason assistant from 1999-2002 under Jim Larranaga and again from 2003-07 as part of the amazing Final Four run (2006).

Cherry was a kid from upstate New York who became a senior captain on the 1993 Tar Heels team that won a national championship.

But he's not resting on his past.

High Point (where he's been in charge since the 2009-10 season) has been to the CIT or NIT the past three seasons and is due for a Big South breakout.

It's coming off a 23-10 season and a No. 1 seed in the postseason tournament—with a great chance to get to the NCAA field but fell just short.

Senior forward John Brown is the No. 3 returning scorer in the country.

Along with guard Adam Weary, the Panthers have back their top two production threats.

Throw in another big year, and the coach could be the Cherry on top of a bigger program's sundae next season.

Will Brown, Albany

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Sometimes, like quarterbacks, head coaches get a little too much blame or credit.

But Brown stands to benefit from a wild end to the 2014-15 season.

The Albany Great Danes have been to three straight NCAA tournaments after capturing America East tournament titles. Last year was the wildest yet.

Standout player Peter Hooley missed a significant chunk of the season because of an ailing mother. He missed eight games to be with her, and in January, she died.

Hooley had been Albany’s leading scorer. It still won 19 of its final 20 games, including arguably the shot of the year in the America East championship.

On the Great Danes' home court, trailing by two points, a frantic last possession turned into Hooley getting a rebound at the top of the key. His three-pointer with less than two seconds left (the only one UAlbany made all day) made Albany a national feel-great story.

Brown managed Hooley's situation and the team's subsequent melancholy with aplomb. He's only 43 (44 on Oct. 10) but has been the full-time head coach since 2002 and has made five NCAA appearances.

All that may hold him back is an average record: 215-215 overall and 115-111 in league games.

Zach Spiker, Army

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History says Army's current head coach is going to make a much bigger name for himself.

A couple of his predecessors have. Perhaps you've heard of Bob Knight and Mike Krzyzewski.

In a tough spot to recruit and win, he's been at West Point for six years and produced a respectable .500 record over the last three.

Only 39, he was the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2013. It could be an even bigger year, as he has all five starters returning and, as noted by the school, is coming off three consecutive seasons with at least 15 victories for the first stretch since 1967-70.

Beyond that, Spiker earned his sixth straight 10-win season in 2014-15. Only Knight has matched that. 

Before becoming a head coach, he helped to build Cornell into a solid Ivy League power (three consecutive league titles from 2008-10 under Steve Donahue, who went on to Boston College and now Penn). So he knows how to get more out of less and isn't afraid of playing uptempo or the three-point shot.

And before that, Spiker spent a couple of seasons as an administrative assistant at West Virginia under John Beilein.

There might be an (ahem) army of programs after him soon.

Russell Turner, UC Irvine

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Russell Turner received a contract extension more than a year ago that carries him three more seasons.

But we all know how contracts work. They are written to be erased, for better or worse, and the Anteaters coach could be on his way to bigger things fast.

Turner started with a prime path. He was an assistant coach at Wake Forest when Tim Duncan played there.

But he soon took a wildly different path.

Turner gave it all up at age 30 in 2000 to trek across the country after his wife was accepted into a medical-residency program in San Francisco.

Turner spent three months with the San Francisco Dons women's program before landing as a volunteer assistant at Stanford under Mike Montgomery. That was a big-time connection. The two also paired up with the Golden State Warriors.

All that experience led him to UC Irvine in 2010. His team went 21-13 last year and darn near upset Louisville in the opening game of the NCAA tournament.

What's it going to take to lure Turner, who gave turndown service to George Mason last March?

Any future moves would probably have to be a package deal. His wife, Elizabeth, is the director of the intensive care unit at Irvine.

Mark Pope, Utah Valley

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New Utah Valley Wolverines coach Mark Pope doesn't sport nearly as much hair these days, but his coaching style is coming into its own.

He quickly became a top assistant at BYU under Dave Rose, a lead recruiter who had top-shelf recruit Jabari Parker considering the predominantly Mormon school (Parker is himself part of that faith) alongside Duke.

Pope, as you can see in the old picture, has quite the pedigree. He played for Rick Pitino at Kentucky on the 1996 national championship team after transferring from Washington. The former NBA center entered the college game in 2009, starting at Georgia and going to Wake Forest before getting much more responsibility at BYU.

At UVU (which went 11-19 last year) the 43-year-old will have a young roster that will play a fairly tough schedule.

In fact, Pope will take on Pitino when the Wolverines travel to Louisville this year. Current UL scandal aside, that's a pretty big matchup for any young coach.

Pope will have a team—along with recruiting and peripheral infrastructure—to compete favorably in the WAC, fast. That should make him an appealing target pretty quickly.

Kevin Keatts, UNC Wilmington

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Speaking of Pitino proteges, you have to consider Kevin Keatts as top-notch.

He took over UNC Wilmington last year and became the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Coach of the Year, and the Seahawks earned their first postseason appearance in nine years.

The 18-14 record was the 20th-best turnaround in Division I last year.

Keatts, 43, understands all levels.

Before last year, he had been with Pitino since 2001. UL went to a couple of Final Fours and won a title.

But before that, he went 262-17 at high school hoops powerhouse Hargrave Military Academy (Virginia).

He churned out a ton of college talent and even some NBA players. That's how you get promotions, ladies and gentlemen.

Jerod Haase, UAB

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UAB Blazers coach Jerod Haase has enjoyed a pretty blue-blood college basketball life.

He played at Kansas then stayed with Roy Williams for 13 years, counting a lot of bench time at North Carolina.

But he can go where history is pretty nonexistent and make it work too.

Known for his hustle as a player, Haase has made fast work of getting UAB into the national light.

The Blazers busted many brackets last March by beating No. 3 seed Iowa State, 60-59, in the second round. It was UAB's first NCAA tournament appearance since 2011, and it hadn't won a game since 2005.

UAB returns 10 players and all five starters for a team that won Conference USA last season.

It won't be long—if Haase desires—until he'll be back in a top-tier job.

Cameron Dollar, Seattle

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Up until now, we've dealt with some guys who played the game at its highest level—but weren't exactly stars themselves.

We raise the bar a little by mentioning Cameron Dollar, a former UCLA standout who has been shining in Seattle.

Dollar, only 39, advanced to the WAC finals last season. He's elevated the school's profile, and a fun part of the story is that Seattle is where his Bruins won the national title in 1995.

He had modest college numbers (5.0 points, 3.7 assists) but played in place of early-round UCLA hero Tyus Edney in the title game (wrist injury in national semis).

Dollar only had six points against Arkansas, but he did much more—36 minutes, eight assists, four steals and a block.

He later coached under Lorenzo Romar at Saint Louis, so he's got the playing and coaching pedigree that could have him coming off a different bench soon enough. He'll need to build on last year's 18-16 mark—only his second winning season since his first (17-14, in 2009-10).

Still, it may not be long before a larger West Coast program comes offering (sorry, we can't resist) dollar-dollar bills, ya'll.

Andrew Toole, Robert Morris

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Are we looking at the next Brad Stevens when we see Andrew Toole?

The Robert Morris coach is only 35, but he won a First Four game last season (before losing to Duke) and impressively has a 65-23 record in NEC games (110-66 overall).

How do we know he's a hot commodity? Well, by a contract extension, of course.

Robert Morris locked him up through 2019-2—for good reason, though it won't be smooth sailing to keep at recent past's pace.

The 20-15 record last season was propelled by a freshman, Marcquise Reed, who opted to take his game to a more visible level—he's at Clemson.

Reed, as a 6'3'' freshman, was the most significant contributor for the Colonials last year. He did it mainly by dominating possessions, ranking in the top 100 nationally in usage.

Throw in the graduation of Lucky Jones, whose name and game shone in the NCAA tournament, and it'll be interesting to follow what kind of offers Toole has in the near future.

His only perceived setback is the guy who gave him his big breaks is disgraced former Rutgers coach Mike Rice Jr. (who had previously coached at Robert Morris).

Steve Masiello, Manhattan

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Steve Masiello will have an interesting future to follow. It's all because of the 38-year-old's past.   

Masiello was all set to become the new coach at South Florida, except apparently he had "Kentucky graduate" on his resume but never actually earned a degree despite being on campus for nearly four years, per ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy.

USF rescinded its offer, and Manhattan took him back—after the interesting twist of requiring him to go back to Lexington to wrap up his schoolwork.

That's presented a certain amount of loyalty in the Big Apple. Manhattan made the NCAA tournament last year, stunning top-seeded Iona in the MAAC tournament championship game.

Masiello was a walk-on for Rick Pitino, so he has the background. That includes coaching under him at Louisville for six years before taking the Manhattan job in 2011. Throw in his background, and he could be headed to big things with his fiery, charismatic style. The South Florida experience could just be a little blip. It probably already is.

“The one thing I told them is to learn from me,” said Masiello to the Wall Street Journal's Dave Caldwell. “I said, ‘Something I did at your age affected me 15, 18, 19 years later.’ I said, ‘So what you do now matters.’” 

What Masiello has done recently has mattered. Manhattan went 19-14 (following a 25-8 year) and could be right in the mix again this season for a tourney bid despite losing the versatile Emmy Andujar to graduation.

Rob Murphy, Eastern Michigan

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A sharp dresser and an even sharper eye for talent and details—that's what separates 43-year-old Rob Murphy and what could put him on a higher-profile bench in the near future.

He's won 20 games in back-to-back seasons and isn't merely piling up MAC wins. He's twice defeated Big Ten teams, including Michigan last season in Ann Arbor.

Murphy's produced a four-year record of 73-65, overcoming a slow start after he left Jim Boeheim's staff at Syracuse following a seven-year apprenticeship.

EMU lost a good chunk of last year's team. But it returns junior Raven Lee, who dominated possessions at a top-20 rating last season. The 6'3'' guard is a solid scorer, especially when he can fight his way to the foul line.

This could be a rebuilding year for the Eagles. But Murphy's shown what he can do with limited expectations, even producing a couple of postseason bids that ended two-decade school droughts.

Jack Murphy, Northern Arizona

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What you think of onetime Memphis prodigy Josh Pastner may shape your views of Jack Murphy.

Murphy (36 years old) also has Arizona Wildcat roots then worked at Memphis for Pastner from 2009-12 before moving back to Flagstaff in the Grand Canyon State.

What Murphy has done in a short time is remarkable, considering his starting point. NAU hired him in April 2012 after a season that featured coach Mike Adras fleeing in the early season and the year ending with a 16-game losing streak.

Now the Lumberjacks are coming off a 23-15 season and a CIT runner-up showing.

Murphy has continued to make himself well-connected. He started the Lumberjack Basketball Coaches Clinic, which has brought in everyone from Arizona's Sean Miller to George Karl, Steve Kerr and Pastner as guest speakers in a basketball fundraising program.

And Murphy hired Kevin Kruger for his staff in 2014. Kevin is the son of Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger.

Flagstaff's a great place. But Murphy could be heading bigger places fast.

Dan Muller, Illinois State

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Dan Muller is a tough name to add to this list—if only because he may not be wanting any more significant changes to his life anytime soon.

Illinois State associate head coach Torrey Wood and a group of others died in a plane crash returning home from last season's Final Four.

"To lose a bunch of friends much too early is devastating," head coach Muller said in a statement in early April, per ESPN.com's Myron Medcalf. "To all of the families and friends, my deepest condolences and my prayers are with you. To Aaron Leetch, a friend, colleague, and mentor, I will miss you so much. And to my dear friend Torrey Ward, I love you so much, I will miss you every day and I can't wait to see you again."

ISU could have a difficult, grieving season. So Muller, 39, may not be in the spotlight for a variety of on-court ways. The Redbirds also saw Reggie Lynch, the country's best shot-blocker, return home to Minnesota to play in the Big Ten.

But Muller—a former ISU player who went to the NCAA tournament that way—knows how to get it done. He is 58-44 record with three wins over Top 25 teams.

Last year Illinois State went 22-13 and even defeated current Missouri Valley flagship Wichita State in the semis of the conference tournament. The Shockers were ranked in the Top 10 at that point.

Bonus Pick: Leon Rice, Boise State

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See, we promised a bonus pick. Here he is.

Boise State's Leon Rice shouldn't be on this list because he's 51. But we give him a loyalty exemption for staying at Gonzaga so long (1998-2010).

Rice seems like he's bound for a much bigger job soon if he wants it.

That's not a knock on Boise itself. But what he's done has been remarkable at a school with limited history outside of football.

Boise State in 2013 earned its first at-large NCAA tournament bid. Last year—again going to the First Four–tough gig, playing Dayton on its home floor—the Broncos surprisingly won a Mountain West regular-season title.

BSU lost do-everything guard Derrick Marks to graduation. But Rice is no stranger to reloading. And he's proving it can be done in a historically tough spot to make a difference.

Advanced stats courtesy of KenPom.com unless otherwise noted.