Come March, as happens every year during that wonderful month, stars will be born across men’s college basketball.
One upset win or buzzer-beater can turn a previously anonymous group of players into national celebrities overnight. And for the coach leading them, one magical March run can be career-changing, too.
Improbable Final Four runs introduced much of the country to coaches such as Brad Stevens, Shaka Smart and Dusty May, who went on to become prominent figures in the sport. But a coach doesn't have to reach college basketball's biggest stage to land on the radar of fans and athletic directors. Sometimes, simply reaching the NCAA Tournament or winning at a place where few have succeeded before can be enough.
College basketball coaches on hot seat for 2026-27
So, who are the next coaching stars roaming college basketball sidelines across the country? Who will lead the next Cinderella run in March and suddenly become a candidate for seemingly every job vacancy?
Before getting to the list, one caveat: It includes only coaches from outside the sport's five major conferences and excludes established stalwarts such as James Jones at Yale, Russell Turner at UC Irvine and, of course, Mark Few at Gonzaga, all of whom have been at their current programs for well over a decade.
Here’s a look at 12 rising stars in college basketball coaching.
The next big names in college basketball coaching
Josh Schertz, Saint Louis
There’s nobody on this list more coveted than Schertz, who has emerged as the spiritual successor of sorts to Stevens, Smart and May as the hot mid-major coach. Schertz has won everywhere he’s been, from Lincoln Memorial, which he took to three Division II Final Fours, to Indiana State, where he led the Sycamores to heights they hadn’t reached since Larry Bird was on campus.
Now he’s doing the same at Saint Louis, where he guided the Billikens to a program-record 29 wins in just his second season. Had things played out differently two years ago, Schertz might have landed at Louisville. Instead, he ended up at SLU and has positioned the program to become an Atlantic 10 powerhouse.
Schertz turned down multiple power-conference opportunities last year, and it’s hard to blame him. Given his current situation and what he’s built in such a short time, he has earned the luxury of being picky.
Eric Olen, New Mexico
Olen landed on the college basketball radar two years ago when he led UC San Diego to a 30-5 record and nearly knocked off Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
In his first season at New Mexico, Olen guided the Lobos to a 26-11 record and a run to the NIT semifinals. Now, with preseason conference player of the year Jake Hall leading the way, New Mexico should be one of the better teams in a watered-down Mountain West.
Another successful season could make Olen one of the most attractive coaching candidates west of the Mississippi.
Phil Martelli Jr., VCU
The VCU head-coaching job has been a launching pad for successful coaches for the past 25 years, with each of the program’s previous six coaches piling up wins before leaving for a power-conference job.
Martelli kept that machine humming in his first season, leading the Rams to 28 wins and an NCAA Tournament Round of 32 appearance. And given VCU’s history of winning and producing coveted coaches, Martelli, the son of longtime Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli, can afford to be patient and wait for the right opportunity.
Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon
If Olen and New Mexico don’t win the Mountain West, Drew and Grand Canyon could be the reason.
The Lopes brought in a loaded transfer class and placed four players on the league’s 11-man preseason all-conference team. Drew has gone 140-52 in six seasons at Grand Canyon, building the program into a consistent winner.
There is one blemish on the résumé: Drew struggled during his three seasons at Vanderbilt from 2016-19. That experience could give some bigger programs pause. But the former Valparaiso March Madness hero has done plenty at Grand Canyon to put himself back on the coaching carousel.
Flynn Clayman, High Point
In a 2026 NCAA Tournament decidedly short on upsets, Clayman’s High Point team was the closest thing to a Cinderella. The Panthers knocked off Wisconsin in a 12-over-5 upset, then Clayman went viral for an interview in which he stood up for mid-majors that struggle to get power-conference programs to play them during the regular season.
The 38-year-old Clayman has just one full season as a Division I coach, but he made the most of it, guiding High Point to a program-record 31 wins. The Panthers could be even better this season in the Southern Conference, where they have a significantly larger NIL budget than anyone else.
Travis Steele, Miami (Ohio)
Steele’s RedHawks were one of college basketball’s biggest stories last season, winning their first 31 games and capturing the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory since the Wally Szczerbiak era.
Despite losing a couple of key players to bigger programs through the transfer portal, Miami enters this season as the MAC favorite. Steele stumbled in his first shot at a power-conference job, getting fired after four seasons at Xavier. But at just 44, he has rejuvenated his career in the mid-major ranks, going 57-11 over the past two seasons with the RedHawks.
Tony Skinn, George Mason
One of the stars of George Mason’s iconic 2006 Final Four team has helped turn his alma mater into one of the Atlantic 10’s best programs since returning as head coach in 2023.
In three seasons under Skinn, the Patriots have gone 70-31 and never won fewer than 20 games. George Mason was picked fourth in the A-10 this season and should provide one of the stiffest challenges to Saint Louis and VCU at the top of the conference.
Bob Richey, Furman
Richey is entering his 10th season at Furman, a surprisingly long stay for a coach who has gone 203-93, reached two NCAA tournaments and only once failed to win at least 22 games in a full season.
His tournament résumé includes a dramatic upset of Virginia three years ago and a competitive showing last season against eventual national runner-up UConn. Furman has certainly benefited from Richey’s longevity. Even after losing Alex Wilkins to Kentucky following a breakout freshman season, the Paladins are once again the preseason favorite in the Southern Conference.
Takayo Siddle, UNC Wilmington
Siddle has quietly become one of the most consistent winners outside the power conferences. Over the past five seasons, he has guided UNC Wilmington to a 126-44 record and three Coastal Athletic Association regular-season championships, all before his 40th birthday.
The Seahawks have reached the NCAA Tournament just once during that stretch while playing in a league that has typically received one bid, but they enter this season as the overwhelming CAA preseason favorite. A North Carolina native, Siddle has spent virtually his entire coaching career in the state.
Matt Braeuer, Stephen F. Austin
Braeuer has been a college head coach for only one season, but he certainly made it count.
Taking over a program that had gone 14-17 the previous year, Braeuer guided Stephen F. Austin to a 28-6 record and a 20-2 mark in conference play before falling to McNeese in the Southland Conference championship game. Before taking over the Lumberjacks, Braeuer spent seven seasons as an assistant under Grant McCasland.
Speedy Claxton, Hofstra
Shortly after finishing a seven-year NBA career, Claxton turned to coaching and has spent the past 13 seasons at Hofstra, where he remains one of the greatest players in program history.
Claxton has spent the past five seasons as head coach, guiding the Pride to a 105-63 record. Last season, he took Hofstra to its first NCAA Tournament since 2001, when Jay Wright was in his final season at the school before leaving for Villanova.
Ryan Miller, Murray State
Looking for a mid-major poised for a breakthrough season and potential Cinderella run in March? Murray State deserves your attention.
Coming off a 20-win debut season under Miller, the Racers enter this season as the Missouri Valley Conference favorite. They also boast one of the top players outside the power conferences in French wing Roman Domon, who stayed with the program after a stellar freshman season.
Miller spent the previous four seasons as an assistant at Creighton and is the older brother of former NBA player Mike Miller. Another big season at Murray State could quickly raise his profile.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball’s next coaching stars: 12 names to know before March
