The carousel is getting more clarity, and more openings, as this final hectic week of the season moves along. Sure, we've got the Final Four right around the corner, but off-the-court news is ruling the day at the moment.
Wednesday brought a trio of big headlines, all of which have links/analysis below.
Mike Rhoades is leaving VCU to be the next coach at Penn State. The deal is seven years and nearly $25 million. A big haul for Rhoades, who will be given more to work with than any coach in PSU history.
Further south, VCU is immediately tapping Utah State coach Ryan Odom to replace Rhoades. That will be official either by end of Wednesday or on Thursday. It's a prudent move by VCU; Odom can continue a proud tradition there.
On the other side of the country, California hired Mark Madsen to replace Mark Fox. Yes, the Mad Dog is going to coach at Cal. Certainly interesting, and a late-stage pivot for Cal after previous candidates were involved.
There is only one high-major still open: Texas Tech. That will almost definitely close later this week, once North Texas' season ends. If and/or when Grant McCasland opts to make the intra-Texas move from Denton to Lubbock, North Texas has the easiest layup of any school this cycle: promoting assistant Ross Hodge has to be the move for new AD Jared Mosley.
Utah State and Utah Valley will now get a move on to get head coaches in place as quickly as possible. Those programs need to add coaches to their respective posts amid a flurry of transfer portal activity.
That's not all from Wednesday: Temple hired Penn State assistant Adam Fisher after a winding and head-scratching search process.
Earlier in the week, another big headline: Rodney Terry's official promotion at Texas. In mid-January, almost nobody believed Terry would ultimately be named the head coach at Texas. For months, there were no signals on the ground there that indicated he had a long-term future to lead the Longhorns' program. But a funny thing happened on the way to the Elite Eight. Terry guided UT to a 22-8 record after Chris Beard was dismissed from the program. In that run: the No. 2 seed in both the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments, and a push to the regional final in the Midwest Region.
Sources told CBS Sports that athletic director Chris Del Conte made overtures to huge names, just in case, but ultimately did not gather momentum. Terry has a five-year deal worth just north of $3 million annually.
The job tally is exactly at 50 heading into Thursday, with more than 35 of those 50 having filled. Here is your latest look at the carousel.
Major-conference changes
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| Out: Chris Beard | In: Rodney Terry Rodney Terry wound up doing what very few thought would be possible as recently as February: winning enough to force athletic director Chris Del Conte to offer him the job. After taking big swings on big names and getting rebuffed, Del Conte might have lucked into a damn good coach after all. Terry's deal is for $15.3 million over five years after he won nearly 75% of his games as interim coach this season, guided UT to a Big 12 postseason crown and made the Elite Eight as a 2-seed before squandering away the game late against Miami. Terry now holds a post at what's considered a top-10 job in college basketball. | |
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| Out: Patrick Ewing | In: Ed Cooley Really a sad thing how Ewing could never get Georgetown going. Six years and an honest go of it, but it wasn't meant to be. So Georgetown went and lured Cooley away from Providence. He's charismatic, a proven winner, has pulled off a rebuild before and will need to do it again. This is a broken program but one that theoretically can turn in a couple years' time if Cooley puts in as much work as he'll need to in order to get GU out of the depths of the Big East. | |
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| Out: Jim Boeheim | In: Adrian Autry Boeheim's career ends with a loss at the hands of Wake Forest in the 8/9 game of the ACC Tournament. The Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer coached the Orange from 1976-2023 and won 1,015 games, second most in history to Mike Krzyzewski of Duke. There was also the apex: 2003's national championship run with Carmelo Anthony. Boeheim has been succeeded by Autry, who played for Boeheim in the 1990s and has been on staff since 2011. Boeheim had a longer association with Syracuse University than any other coach in college sports history: nearly 60 years. | |
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| Out: Ed Cooley | In: Kim English Cooley did what many believed he would never do: leave his so-called dream job. He exits Providence having made it a much better program than it was when he arrived. The Friars have arguably the best facilities in the Big East and lay claim to a top-three fan base as well. English is 34 and has two years under his belt as a head coach while at George Mason. He was PC's top target from the beginning — days before Cooley officially decided to go to Georgetown. | |
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| Out: Mike Brey | In: Micah Shrewsberry Brey stepped down following an underwhelming denouement in South Bend. AD Jack Swarbrick put Shrewsberry at the top of his list earlier in March and patiently waited out the end of Penn State's NCAA Tournament run before engaging in discussions. It's the first men's basketball hire in 23 years, and Shrewsberry is the first Black head coach in ND men's basketball history. This feels like a great fit. | |
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| Out: Mark Adams Adams is done after just two years after controversy and instability behind the scenes lampooned his second season. He resigned March 8. Grant McCasland is expected to be the next coach of Texas Tech after his North Texas team is finished playing in the NIT. | |
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| Out: Mike Anderson | In: Rick Pitino There is anticipation, hope and legitimate reason for excitement and NCAA Tournament expectations around this program for the first time in a long time. Rick Pitino is coming to town and will be back at Madison Square Garden. The Johnnies may have finally gotten it right. The school fired Anderson after four years. Anderson went public with his dispute over St. John's intention to fire him for cause. That could get messy. | |
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| Out: Josh Pastner | In: Damon Stoudamire The Yellow Jackets lasted seven years with Pastner, but it was time for a change. Stoudamire was not an on-the-radar candidate initially, which means AD J Batt successfully navigated back channels, identified his guy weeks ago, and pulled off as big of a PR win as he could with this hire. | |
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| Out: Kermit Davis | In: Chris Beard The school fired Davis on Feb. 24, about one month shy of allowing Davis to finish out his fifth season. He went 74-79 and made the NCAAs in his first year on the job. Beard is back in college basketball after barely more than two months of unemployment after his firing at Texas in the wake of a domestic abuse scandal that formally ended when a felony charge against him was dropped in February. | |
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| Out: Micah Shrewsberry | In: Mike Rhoades Losing Shrewsberry hurts. But it was two good years, he altered the trajectory of the program and has Penn State in a good place. If any coach can keep it going, Rhoades has as good of a chance as any other candidate. He's 373-189 in his career and took VCU to three of the past four NCAA Tournaments. He also knows how to recruit the region and got a huge investment from Penn State. | |
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| Out: Mark Fox | In: Mark Madsen Fox was fired after four seasons. The job is among the five-or-so worst at the high-major level for a variety of reasons. Randy Bennett turned down Cal's offer for the third time in the past eight years, so Madsen became the top target for the Golden Bears. He's a rising star in the business and just did four good years at Utah Valley. Will be a bit strange to see the Stanford icon coaching at Cal, however. | |
Non-Big Six changes
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| Out: Mike Brennan Brennan lasted a decade at American. He made the NCAAs in his first season there. A hiring decision is expected this week. I'm told the school is down to three candidates. | |
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| Out: Mike Balado | In: Bryan Hodgson The Wolves were coached by Balado for six years and fired him after his buyout dropped in mid-March. The program last made the NCAAs in 1999. As expected, Alabama assistant Bryan Hodgson was the pick. | |
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| Out: Jimmy Allen | In: Kevin Kuwik The Black Knights played seven years under Allen and were, for the most part, a middle-of-the-pack Patriot League team. Kuwik is a decorated, longtime assistant with a background in the military, having spent a decade in the Armed Forces. Really, one of the best hires of this year's cycle. He comes via Butler University. | |
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| Out: Nate James | In: Corey Gipson James is out less than two years after taking the job. The former Duke assistant was 17 games under .500 through two seasons (21-38), but Austin Peay was a job in transition, moving from the OVC to the ASUN this season. Gipson moved quickly to get this job, and I'm told was able to push for an aggressive salary pool in the negotiating process. | |
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| Out: Michael Huger | In: Todd Simon The Falcons hired Southern Utah coach Todd Simon, who was 38-14 the last three years for the Thunderbirds. Bowling Green is one of the toughest jobs in the MAC. | |
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| Out: Nathan Davis | In: John Griffin III Bucknell split from Davis after eight seasons, which included a 129-155 record and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2017 and 2018. It hired Griffin, an '08 alum, and someone who was associate head coach at Saint Joseph's the past four years. "As an alum, the success of Bucknell Athletics resonates with me on a deep level, and I look forward to bringing the Patriot League championship back to Sojka Pavilion," Griffin said. He was a starter for multiple Bucknell NCAAT teams. | |
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| Out: Jim Whitesell The Bulls made four NCAA Tournaments in five years under Bobby Hurley and Nate Oats, but the momentum couldn't continue under Whitesell. I'm told at least five candidates turned this job down in the previous 10 days, including three sitting head coaches. Buffalo started anew with its search on Monday. | |
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| Out: Juan Dixon The Maryland basketball legend was a flop at Coppin State, lasting six seasons and going 9-23 this year. | |
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| Out: Desmond Oliver | In: Brooks Savage Two seasons and done for Oliver, who went 27-37. It wasn't so long ago that ETSU was competing for NCAA Tournaments and winning the SoCon under Steve Forbes. And so Savage, a former ETSU assistant under Forbes, gets the job on a four-year contract. | |
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| Out: Tobin Anderson | In: Jack Castleberry The best story of the NCAA Tournament turned into a job that Anderson only had for 10 months. After the Knights upset 1-seed Purdue and nearly knocked off No. 9 FAU, Anderson's quickly rumored candidacy at Iona became official. Castleberry was promptly promoted one seat over on the bench. | |
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| Out: Kim English Two-and-through for English, who got the rare opportunity to make a leap from the A-10 to the Big East after just two seasons as a head coach. Now what for George Mason? The cupboard is bare from a roster standpoint. This is a program with a Final Four banner that's in a very vulnerable position at the moment. | |
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| Out: Brian Burg | In: Charlie Henry The Eagles bring in Henry, an assistant at Alabama, to try and bring some life into an Eagles program that is arguably the worst in the Sun Belt. Henry replaces Burg who was on a weirdly short leash and only given three years by athletic director Jared Benko. The Eagles went 43-45 in three seasons. | |
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| Out: Will Ryan In: Sundance Wicks Wicks, an assistant coach for Wyoming the past three seasons, replaces Ryan, who was fired after he went 2-19 this season. Green Bay is one of the toughest jobs in the Horizon League. | |
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| Out: G.G. Smith | In: Alan Huss Tubby Smith's son was promoted to the full-time job a year ago but was fired following a 14-17 season. Similar to Bucknell in the Patriot League, High Point is a highly coveted job in the Big South because of its campus setting and facilities. Huss comes via Creighton, and was the choice after a few other assistants at high-major jobs turned down High Point's offers. | |
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| Out: Brett Nelson | In: Dave Paulsen Nelson went 27-84 in four seasons. The Crusaders, who reside in the Patriot League, have made one NCAA Tournament since 2007. The school did a great job in getting Paulsen, who has previous head coaching experience at Bucknell and George Mason. | |
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| Out: Zac Claus | In: Alex Pribble Pribble, an assistant at Seattle, was hired to replace Claus, who went 28-88 with the Vandals. Idaho is an appealing mid-major job in that part of the country now due to new facilities, but it's traditionally a sub-par team in the Big Sky. | |
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| Out: Rick Pitino | In: Tobin Anderson Iona resuscitated Pitino's career, and after three years he became irresistible at the power-conference level, so off he goes to St. John's. Two NCAA Tournament appearances and a boost in relevance. The Gaels wasted no time in plucking Anderson away from FDU. It's not just his single year at FDU that gives Anderson credence; he was highly regarded as a Division II coach long before he coached Cinderella's latest story. | |
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| Out: Amir Abdur-Rahim Kennesaw State won one game in Abdur-Rahim's first season. After Year 4, he parlayed an NCAA Tournament appearance into an opportunity at South Florida. Kennesaw State now needs to replace the only coach responsible for an NCAA Tournament bid in school history. | |
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| Out: Steve Masiello | In: John Gallagher The 11-16 Jaspers had a sideways campaign after firing Masiello on the precipice of the regular season. RaShawn Stores did an admirable job in a very tough situation, but the administration opted against keeping Stores in favor of Gallagher, who took Hartford (now in D-III) to its one and only NCAA Tournament showing, in 2021. | |
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| Out: John Aiken | In: Will Wade Aiken was fired after just two seasons and a 22-45 overall record. Former coach Heath Schroyer is now the AD and decided Wade was worth the risk. Wade is awaiting a ruling from the IRP due to his role in LSU's case, wherein he was caught on a wiretap talking about paying players. That verdict will come down in the spring. The day after his introductory presser, the school suspended Wade from summer recruiting and the first five games of next season. | |
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| Out: Bill Herrion The UNH job is open for the first time since the mid-aughts. Herrion's contract was not renewed after he went 227-303 in 18 seasons with the Wildcats. | |
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| Out: Brian Kennedy A seven-year run with one above-.500 season (2018-19) led to Kennedy's resignation on March 6. The Highlanders play in the America East, and the job ranks near the bottom in the conference. | |
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| Out: Greg Heiar | In: Jason Hooten A calamity of tragedy and abuse poisoned this program, so much so that the school's chancellor shut the season down in February. Days later, Heiar was rightfully fired in the midst of his first season. The school's biggest appeal to potential candidates is its NCAA Tournament viability as a mid-major: The Aggies have had a tournament-level team 11 times since 2007. Hooten quietly did well at the Southland level with Sam Houston State. This is a challenging step up. | |
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| Out: Will Jones NC A&T is in the midst of a challenging transition from the MEAC to the Big South to the CAA in a three-year span. Interim coach Phillip Shumpert kept the Aggies competitive in the league after Jones was fired. | |
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| Out: Corey Gipson | In: Rick Cabrera After Gipson left after just one season to take the Austin Peay job, the program hired Tallahassee Community College's Rick Cabrera. That's a whiplash-like turn after having Mike McConathy from 1999-2022. | |
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| Out: Paul Mills | In: Russell Springmann A second NCAA Tournament appearance in a three-year span was enough to get Mills a highly coveted job in not-so-far-away Wichita State. The Golden Eagles made a savvy move and promoted Russell Springmann. Long-overdue chance for Springmann, who rose to prominence in the business as an assistant at Texas for Rick Barnes. | |
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| Out: Todd Simon Simon left after going 65-28 overall and 38-14 the last three years for the Thunderbirds to take over at Bowling Green. That SUU logo's got some hostile energy. | |
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| Out: Brian Gregory | In: Amir Abdur-Rahim The Bulls had one above-.500 season in six years under Gregory, who leaves with a 79-107 mark. USF is a tough job in a league (the American) that is bringing on six more members this summer. Abdur-Rahim is a nice save after a mess of a search. He just took Kennesaw State to the NCAA Tournament and is on a great career trajectory. | |
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| Out: Sean Woods | In: Kevin Johnson The Jaguars made a change after five years with Woods, which was a surprise at that level of hoops. Stadium reported on Monday that Johnson, a Tulane assistant, has been tapped for the gig. | |
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| Out: Aaron McKie | In: Adam Fisher McKie went 52-56 in four seasons and will remain on as a special advisor for the athletics department. Temple's search was the messiest process of any hiring this cycle. Curiously, the school opted against the layup of bringing in Colgate's Matt Langel, who would have been a home run. That's not to bag on Fisher, who knows the recruiting territory here. This might well work. We'll see. But Temple is in a desperate phase right now. Fisher comes over by way of Penn State, where he helped Micah Shrewsberry reboot that program. | |
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| Out: Steve Lutz Two years, two NCAA Tournaments, and now Lutz heads to Western Kentucky. The Islanders' gig is in a great location and is probably the best job in the Southland at this point. | |
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| Out: Greg Young | In: K.T. Turner Young was fired in February following less than two years on the job. Turner, who has great recruiting connections across Texas, arrives after spending the past two seasons as an assistant at Kentucky and Oklahoma. He will be the program's fifth in a seven-year span. It's been bungled since Scott Cross' quizzical firing (after winning 72 games in three seasons) in 2018. | |
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| Out: Ryan Odom Odom is an East Coast lifer, so the move back to VCU is no surprise. If anything, he kept USU relevant in the Mountain West and has the program positioned to remain stable moving forward, provided the next hire is the right fit. This job is a hidden gem in the Mountain West. | |
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| Out: Mark Madsen The Wolverines were a respected program under their past two coaches: Madsen and Mark Pope. It's a quality WAC job in a good spot in Utah, so there is more appeal here than most might realize. If I'm Utah Valley's athletic director, I'm trying to land the best sitting head coach possible who's worked in the Mountain or Pacific time zone. | |
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| Out: Matt Lottich A late firing in the process, but one that came after the buyout dropped, I was told. This is a small-time program with a big-time name at that level. A few early candidates have turned Valpo down, but be on the lookout for this job to close in the coming days. | |
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| Out: Mike Rhoades | In: Ryan Odom An agonizing decision for Rhoades, who felt he had to leave VCU and the A-10. The reason? No, not just the money. More than anything: Playing in the Big Ten, even at Penn State, affords him a more likely chance on a yearly basis to be in the NCAA Tournament than at VCU. The Rams have a better program right now than Penn State — and easily way more fan support — but do they have a better situation, big-picture? You can argue either way. Odom makes sense as an immediate replacement. He knows the area, will recruit well, and is a good fit. The pressure will be on to keep up with VCU's winning ways, though. | |
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| Out: Rick Stansbury | In: Steve Lutz Stansbury's run lasted seven years and included a .610 winning percentage (139-89), but he's the first coach in program history to fail to reach the NCAA Tournament. This is a good mid-major job with proud tradition. Lutz figures to restore some roar to a region with which he's familiar. This is a quality hire, and Lutz has a good recruiter's eye. | |
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| Out: Isaac Brown | In: Paul Mills Brown was interim coach in 2020-21, got Wichita State to the First Four and was given the full-time job. The past two seasons: 32-28. The Shockers finished outside the top 100 at KenPom. Mills is the pick to get the job, meaning he's no longer in play at Texas Tech. Mills went 106-83 in six seasons at Oral Roberts and made two NCAA Tournaments. This is a key hire at a crucial time for the program. | |
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| Out: Jay McAuley | In: Dwight Perry The Terriers had McAuley for less than 2.5 seasons; he was pushed out due to internal strife between him and his players. Dwight Perry coached the team in his stead and wound up earning the job, somewhat surprisingly, after Wofford finished 16-15. "He did a great job during the past season of bringing stability to the program and building a culture of teamwork, grit and competitiveness. We look forward watching the program move forward under his leadership," AD Richard Johnson said. | |
