Rising Star American College Basketball Coaches to Watch and Bet On
In basketball, there are always new coaches emerging and making a name for themselves. Some of these coaches become superstars, while others fly under the radar. But regardless of their level of fame, all successful coaches have one thing in common: they know how to win. There are a number of up-and-coming American basketball coaches who are worth keeping an eye on.
These young coaches have the potential to become some of the best in the business, and they’re also great betting options for anyone looking to make some money off of college basketball. Suppose you enjoy gambling and often check out sites like CasinoReviewers NZ gambling sites to compare various gambling platforms. In that case, you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on the following up-and-comers. These young coaches have already made a name for themselves in the basketball world, and they’re only going to continue to rise in the ranks. Some of these rising star American college basketball coaches to watch out for include:
Portland’s Shantay Legans
Legans had already shown his coaching prowess at Eastern Washington, but his first season with Portland resulted in a surprising 19-15 record and made him a household name. Before Legans arrived, the Pilots’ record was 6-15. Legans is an experienced program architect and is as bold and assured as they come. If his team places in the upper half of the WCC, things might heat up for him in the near future.
North Texas’ Grant McCasland
Despite losing Javion Hamlet, a program legend, to graduation after North Texas’ breakthrough in the NCAA tournament in 2021, McCasland led the school to 25 victories in 2021-22. He is a member of the illustrious coaching tree that Scott Drew has established, having won at every level of competition from Division II to Division I. Despite rumoured interest from other employers, he has been picky previously, and North Texas will be joining the American Athletic Conference next season. Even though it may be difficult, ADs within the southwest must at least try to convince him to quit Denton.
Furman’s Bob Richey
Furman has grown into one of the most reliable mid-major teams in the nation under Richey‘s leadership, with an annual winning percentage of 21.3% over the previous five years. The Paladins had a tremendous offensive mind last season, averaging 77.1 points per game while shooting 46% on the field and 38.4% from beyond the arc. While last year’s heartbreaking defeat to Chattanooga in the SOCON Conference Tournament championship game will consistently hurt, Richey had his team within one possession of advancing to the NCAA Tournament. We think Furman will find itself in the same position.
Norfolk’s Robert Jones
Jones, now in his tenth year at Norfolk State, has turned the program into a perennial champion in the MEAC and a two-time NCAA Tournament participant. In his nine seasons as a manager, he has a winning percentage in the league of over 72% and has ended below .500 just once. While it is encouraging to see a recent uptick in the number of Black coaches selected for head coaching positions throughout the country, this trend has not yet trickled down to coaches from the MEAC and SWAC gaining opportunities in more prominent leagues. Jones is an excellent example of a person deserving of that chance.
Colorado State’s Niko Medved:
Medved has labored (and triumphed) in three separate time frames, completing spectacular overhauls in Furman and Drake before developing a Mountain West challenger at Colorado State. Although he has only coached at the Division I level for one season (2006–07 at Minnesota), he is still a strong candidate for an opportunity at whatever high-major program in the country. The previous season, he led the Rams towards the NCAA tournament and cultivated future NBA first-round selection David Roddy.
To sum up, American basketball coaches are becoming more and more successful, and it is important to watch and bet on them.
