CBB Coaches at New Schools Most Likely to Make a Recruiting Impact
The college basketball coaching carousel has mostly died down, and that means it's time to examine which new head coaches are in the best position to recruit high-level talent in their new settings.
While this offseason's carousel didn't have as much drama with top-flight jobs changing hands, there were still several intriguing power-conference programs making hires.
Some of these coaches just needed a change of scenery, while others are getting their first crack at coaching at a high-major program. This list was compiled with future fit in mind, as these coaches are ranked by which hire makes the most sense from a recruiting standpoint.
10. Travis Ford, Saint Louis
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Recruiting chops: Travis Ford put together some strong recruiting classes at Oklahoma State, headlined by McDonald's All-Americans such as LeBryan Nash, Marcus Smart and Jawun Evans. By making five NCAA tournaments from the Big 12, Ford has a proven track record.
New advantages: The Saint Louis metro area produces plenty of basketball talent, and having a natural recruiting base is a nice perk instead of being in a football-crazy state such as Oklahoma. Ford should be able to take advantage of a lot of talented players being in close proximity.
Chances for success: Players from Saint Louis have a lot of civic pride, and we've seen local stars play for (Larry Hughes) or strongly consider (Jayson Tatum) the Billikens over the last 20 years. If Ford can keep some local players home, Saint Louis could be a consistently strong Atlantic 10 program.
9. Rick Stansbury, Western Kentucky
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Recruiting chops: Rick Stansbury has recruited at a high level since his Mississippi State days when he helped produce NBA players such as Jarvis Varnado and Arnett Moultrie in his later years. Stansbury moved on to be an associate head coach at Texas A&M, where he helped the Aggies land the No. 5 class in 2014.
New advantages: Stansbury is from Kentucky and has a great-uncle (Edgar B. Stansbury) in the school's Hall of Fame after playing three sports and being assistant football coach and athletic director. The natural connections should give Stansbury a solid start in recruiting.
Chances for success: With plenty of success in the SEC as head coach of Mississippi State and helping Texas A&M reach elite status in the league, Stansbury is ready to be a head coach again. He should be able to bring in talent and has a solid recruiting base.
8. Johnny Dawkins, UCF
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Recruiting chops: A background as an assistant at Duke and head coach at Stanford means that Johnny Dawkins has landed some quality players. With the Cardinal, Dawkins reeled in players such as Dwight Powell, Anthony Brown, Josh Huestis, Chasson Randle and Reid Travis.
New advantages: Stanford's rigorous academic standards make it an attractive option for some players, but many simply can't get into the school. That limits the natural recruiting pool, and now, Dawkins can cast a wider net for players at UCF.
Chances for success: The state of Florida produces tons of great athletes and basketball players, and Dawkins already has some young talent in place on the roster. Predecessor Donnie Jones landed some talented players at UCF, and Dawkins should be able to do more of the same.
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7. Tubby Smith, Memphis
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Recruiting chops: National championship-winning head coaches are not easy to come by, and Memphis landed one in Tubby Smith, who coached guys such as Rajon Rondo, Tayshaun Prince and Jamaal Magloire at Kentucky.
New advantages: In a basketball-crazy city such as Memphis, Smith has the local talent base, vocal fanbase and support to get a lot of talent and win games. Smith has still been able to win at tough places such as Tulsa, Georgia, Minnesota and Texas Tech, so this is a much better starting point.
Chances for success: Being able to land premium talent and future pros is going to be huge if Smith wants to make runs at championships, and he has to be able to recruit within the region. But if he keeps a few players home, Smith is the kind of coach who can make the Final Four.
6. Kevin Stallings, Pittsburgh
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Recruiting chops: Kevin Stallings put together some teams filled with future pros at Vanderbilt, as Wade Baldwin and Damien Jones could both be first-round picks this year. John Jenkins, Festus Ezeli and three SEC Player of the Year winners all played for Stallings.
New advantages: The ACC is a hot recruiting tool right now, and that can help draw top players by virtue of facing so many top teams in conference play. Stallings also doesn't have to deal with Vanderbilt's tough academic standards and has a bigger pool of players to work with.
Chances for success: Stallings is a veteran coach who has been successful, but he's never been over the hump with a deep tournament run. He will have to land top-flight talent to compete in the ACC, and it remains to be seen how that will go at Pittsburgh. But Stallings has shown that he can develop NBA talent.
5. Jerod Haase, Stanford
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Recruiting chops: As a longtime assistant at Kansas and North Carolina, Jerod Haase knows what it takes when it comes to recruiting at the high-major level. And as a head coach at UAB, Haase landed Alabama Mr. Basketball William Lee, who has become a major force in Conference USA.
New advantages: Stanford is a national brand, and the prestige of the school attracts a lot of national attention from elite athletes who are focused on academics. Haase also comes from California and played for a year at Cal, so he has a feel for some of the challenges.
Chances for success: Haase has slowly gone through the coaching ranks and appears to have landed in an ideal spot. If he can navigate the difficult academic standards of the school, he should be able to bring in enough talent to compete in the Pac-12.
4. Josh Pastner, Georgia Tech
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Recruiting chops: There will be a lot of Memphis fans who are critical of Josh Pastner's lack of tournament success, but he did land quality talent. Adonis Thomas, Joe Jackson, Shaq Goodwin and many other top-50 prospects played for Memphis under Pastner.
New advantages: Being able to start with a clean slate will be huge for Pastner. John Calipari and that kind of run was a tough act to follow, and Pastner doesn't have to meet extraordinary expectations at Georgia Tech right away. Atlanta and the state of Georgia are also great for recruiting.
Chances for success: Like Stallings at Pitt, Pastner is entering a much tougher league in the ACC, and he'll have to adjust to the nightly grind of that league's schedule. If Pastner taps into Georgia and lands some talented players, he'll at least be able to compete.
3. Jamie Dixon, TCU
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Recruiting chops: At Pitt, Dixon was able to go to an Elite Eight while also producing NBA players such as Steven Adams, Sam Young, DeJuan Blair and Aaron Gray. The Panthers also produced countless great college players.
New advantages: Heading to his alma mater, Dixon is familiar with the background and history of TCU while also having a great local recruiting base. Texas has produced a ton of high-major prospects, and Dixon will try to keep some home.
Chances for success: TCU has already made a splash by landing 4-star guard Jaylen Fisher in the class of 2016, and it shows that recruits are interested in playing for Dixon in the Big 12. The conference is strong, and the local recruiting is potentially strong.
2. Bryce Drew, Vanderbilt
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Recruiting chops: Coming from the Horizon League means Bryce Drew hasn't coached as many future pros as others on this list, but he's developed some great players such as Alec Peters. Drew also played in the NBA for several seasons and comes from a great family coaching tree.
New advantages: Going from the Horizon to the SEC is a huge jump for Drew, as he has to compete with the big boys in recruiting. But now he can make the NCAA tournament in a multibid league. He has an attractive area in Nashville and great academics.
Chances of success: Homer Drew, Bryce's father, was a successful coach at Valparaiso, and Scott Drew has done a nice job at Baylor. With a strong family and basketball background, Bryce Drew should be the next successful coach in his family with a few quality recruits.
1. Brad Underwood, Oklahoma State
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Recruiting chops: Brad Underwood has recruited in the Big 12 at Kansas State as an assistant and also for a year at South Carolina as an assistant before taking the Stephen F. Austin job. With the Lumberjacks, Underwood's recruiting helped the program maintain a run three straight NCAA tournaments.
New advantages: Oklahoma State has recruited multiple McDonald's All-Americans and plays in a great conference in the Big 12. With great facilities, a better league and a great reputation from the last three years, Underwood has a lot going for him.
Chances for success: With the way he was able to turn Stephen F. Austin into a perennial tournament team, Underwood was an attractive candidate this offseason, and Oklahoma State made a quick move. He's recruited the area and coached in the Big 12, so he has a chance to make the Cowboys relevant.
Recruiting ratings via 247Sports.
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and information were obtained firsthand.
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