Midseason Report: Grading First Year College Basketball Coaches

There are 31 college basketball coaches doing it for the first time in 2023-24. Here’s how they’ve stacked up so far.

Aaron Fearne, Charlotte: A-

I don’t know if any Charlotte 49ers fans are complaining about the job Aaron Fearne has done. They beat FAU, a Final Four team from last year. Since then, they haven’t lost, giving the 49ers a 4-1 record in the American. In the non-conference, they beat George Mason, lost to Davidson by 4, and lost to UCF by 3 in overtime. It isn’t outlandish to say that Charlotte is a few plays away from being 11-6 or 12-5 and being on the bubble talk.

Adam Fisher, Temple: C+

It’s been an average start for Fisher, who only got one of last year’s top-five scorers back on this year’s team. While Temple isn’t in a Power Conference, they have a rich history of basketball, so Fisher will be held to those standards. Because of that, a 1-4 start in the American surely isn’t what Owls fans were hoping for. Still, Georgetown transfer Jordan Rileya has been a promising pickup and freshman guard Zion Stanford looks like he could be a prominent player in the conference next year.

Adrian Autry, Syracuse: B+

How do you even compare to Jim Boeheim when it’s your first head coaching gig? I’d say Autry has done just fine, albeit, over 50% of last year’s rotation and scoring came back to play for him. Still, landing Syracuse native JJ Starling was big and Autry has done a good job on the recruiting trails for future classes. It’ll be a wait-and-see approach, but so far, I don’t hear many complaints from the Orange fanbase.

Alan Huss, High Point: A+

Huss gets an A+ because High Point is 15-4 and 4-0 in the Big South, currently my projected Automatic Bid. High Point has gone through a lot of coaching changes, with GG Smith taking over for his father Tubby two years ago, and then being fired after last season. Less than 30% of last year’s rotation returned to the Panthers and they already have more wins (15) than all of last season (14). The 45-year-old Huss has brought Creighton’s offensive scheme, where he was an assistant for six years, to North Carolina, where the Panthers are averaging the 10th most PPG of anyone in the country.

Alex Pribble, Idaho: A-

Pribble is the fourth head coach of Idaho in the last six seasons and is on pace to do something none of them accomplished in that time period: win 11 games in a season. Last year, Idaho won 10 games, one better than 9 the year before, and 10 times better (literally) than 1 in the 2020-21 season. Needless to say, a 7-10 overall record at this point in the season probably feels like what 14-2 would to most teams. Here’s where it gets crazier. Idaho returned 3.3% of scoring from last year’s roster. Thank you sportsreference for that awesome stat which shows a lot about how well Pribble was able to recruit and currently coach this Vandals squad.

Antoine Pettway, Kennesaw State: B

For Pettway, you can’t ignore the 12-6 (3-1) start to the season. The Owls are in second in the A-Sun and are putting the ball in the hoop. But he is surely benefitting from returning two of the top three scorers from last year’s 26-win team. That’s not meant to discredit Pettway, who is finally getting the chance he deserves after being an assistant at Alabama for one and a half decades. But given Kennesaw State’s success under Amir Abdur-Rahim, what Pettway is able to do in 2024-25 and 2025-26 will say a lot more about his coaching.

Brooks Savage, ETSU: B

ETSU only won 12 games last year, so standing with a 9-9 record at this point in the season is pretty impressive, especially considering the Buccaneers lost a lot of players. Savage led them to a win over Davidson in his fourth career game as a head coach, which is pretty neat,  and eventually got them to a 7-4 start. SoCon play hasn’t been easy, as ETSU is just 1-4, but they nearly won at Wofford on Wednesday, so things are still looking promising for a better finish than last year.

Bryan Hodgson, Arkansas State: B-

Don’t let the 7-11 record fool you. The Red Wolves only won 13 games last year and about 65% of last year’s scoring came back to play for Hodgson. The result? A team that ranked 322nd in points per game is currently 88th in the country, putting up 78.2 PPG. Arkansas State also ranks inside the top 100 in Offensive Efficiency, proving that Hodgson is trying to build a new offensive system at State University.

Chad Boudreau, Western Illinois: A

Boudreau is so close to getting an A+ it isn’t even funny. The Leathernecks are a perfect 5-0 in the OVC and are just four wins away from tying last year’s grand total of 16. Boudreau hit the portal hard and Drew Cisse has been the most impactful get. The Missouri-St. Louis transfer is leading the team with 12.2 RPG. How Boudreau found him, I’m not sure, but that’s an A in my book.

Charlie Henry, Georgia Southern: D

Save your best for when it matters most! Henry’s Eagles went 0-12 in the non-conference, but don’t totally write them off – they’re now 3-3 in the Sun Belt. It’s tough to make sense of it, especially since Southern Miss isn’t half bad. Henry is also still very young, having graduated from college in 2009. His path is getting brighter, even after an awful start to the season.

Chris Mudge, Sam Houston: B

Over 40% of the team’s scoring returned, but that only included one of last year’s top four scorers, in Lamar Wilkerson. He’s been great, but Texas Southern Davon Barnes has been the best transfer portal addition for Mudge. There’s a lot to live up to considering last year’s Bearcats team won 26 games, but at 10-8 (3-0), this year’s edition is still looking fine under their new head coach.

Duane Simpkins, American: A-

Simpkins was gifted four of last year’s top-five starters, something first-year head coaches would dream of. He’s kept the team competitive, at 10-8, after finishing 17-15 last year. Notably, American is off to a 4-1 start in the Patriot League. If the Eagles could ever take down mighty Colgate and punch their ticket to March, Simpkins may be a name to watch in a few years.

George Halcovage, Buffalo: F

Halcovage gets an F and not an F- because at least the Bulls have won two games, one of them surprisingly being a road MAC game. Other than that, there’s not much to make of a 2-15 record and a team that couldn’t shoot a beach ball into the ocean. The Bulls attempt 24.5 threes per game, 84th in the country. They only make 6.3 threes per game, 292nd in the country. 17 games is enough of a sample size to understand that maybe, just maybe, three-point shooting isn’t your team’s game. Hopefully, Halcovage will get enough time to try and build his team, because so far, it’s been about as bad as it can be.

Grant Billmeier, NJIT: C

NJIT is one of the toughest places to coach in the country, and Billmeier might be realizing that right about now. The former Seton Hall and Maryland assistant coach has the Highlanders at 4-12 and 0-4 in conference. Topping last year’s 7-win mark is certainly in the cards, but it’s not a foregone conclusion. One plus is his recruitment of Tariq Francis, a 6-0 guard who is second on the team in scoring and assists. Coaching NJIT is all about development, so we’ll see if he can get Francis to the next level should he return next year.

Jack Castleberry, Fairleigh Dickinson: B-

Castleberry was put into a nearly impossible situation, trying to follow up Tobin Anderson’s round of 64 upset over 1-seed Purdue. Considering the Knights lost their top two scorers, I’d say an 8-11 start is about on par, especially considering FDU lost 16 games all of last season too. Castleberry has them scoring well, but the defense is atrocious, giving up close to 80 points per game. They’re on a two-game winning streak right now, but we also have to remember the FDU basketball tradition is nothing to write home about, so 8-11 shouldn’t create panic in Teaneck, NJ.

Jim Shaw, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: A

Only 8% of last year’s scoring came back, but as of Jan. 19, the Islanders are 10-7 overall and second place in the Southland. After a 3-5 start, they’ve gone on two separate 3-game winning streaks. This team was built from the transfer portal which is a good sign of things to come if Shaw can have this much success in year one.

John Griffin III, Bucknell: B-

Griffin’s Bison have only won 6 games this season, have of the 12 they won last year. Don’t let that fool you. Bucknell is playing competitive basketball in most losses, losing to St. Bonaventure by 6, Radford by 7, American by 8, and Colgate by 11. They also pulled off an upset at Penn State, which is worth a few bonus points. But there are struggles, too. The Bison are 343rd in PPG, 353rd in RPG, and 358th in FGA. I’m not a huge analytics guy, but it’s not hard to understand that scoring and rebounding are points of emphasis for all basketball teams.

Josh Eilert, West Virginia: C

I think a C is the only fitting grade. Bob Huggins left Eilert with an almost impossible task of rebuilding the team and the opinion of the program. The transfer portal became a mess for the Mountaineers and an injury to Jesse Edwards crumbled about their depth underneath. Still, West Virginia found a way to beat Texas, so Eilert’s coaching shouldn’t be questioned. I’m not sure if he’ll be asked to stick around, but I think another team would take a shot.

Kevin Kuwik, Army: D+

It’s not a failing grade yet, considering Army is 5-13 and there are teams with a lot worse records out there. The Black Knights also started 0-7 and are 5-6 since, so maybe Kuwik is starting to get his guys to come around. However, two of those wins were against non-DI opponents, and one was against Le Moyne, in their first year of DI college basketball. Army also only averages 61.0 PPG, 358th among the 362 teams in Division I college basketball. Ouch.

KT Turner, UT Arlington: A-

Considering the Mavericks only won 11 games all last season, I’d say a 9-9 start is pretty darn good. Getting Shemar Wilson back was a big part of that, but a few freshmen have made big impacts and SEMO transfer Phillip Russell was an underrated get as a player who probably could have gone to a Power 6 school. Turner might only be at UTA for a few more years if he keeps this up.

Larry Stewart, Coppin State: F+

Why does Stewart get an F+ and Halcovage get an F when both coaches are leading 2-win teams? Well, Stewart only inherited 11.7% of the scoring from last year’s Eagles team, leaving him an almost impossible task for a MEAC team. And, the fact that he just won his first conference game over Maryland-Eastern Shore tells me the direction of the team is moving, slowly, in the right direction. Now, if you thought Army averaging 61 PPG was bad, Coppin State is second-worst at 54.5 PPG and dead last in FG% (36.8%). There are a few more stats I could throw in there, but I’ll save you the headache.

Matt Logie, Montana State: B+

Losing Raequan Battle, Jubrile Belo, and Great Osobor and telling someone to recruit players to Montana State sounds like an impossible job, but somehow, the Bobcats are 8-9 and off to a 3-1 start in the Big Sky. Point Loma Nazarene (yes that’s a school) transfer Brian Goracke is leading the team in scoring, and if that ain’t a find, I don’t know what is. Now, Logie also came from there, so it’s more about Montana State finding him, but it’s still impressive for Logie to bring his star player with him and have it work out pretty well.

Rick Cabrera, Northwestern State: C+

Last year’s top seven scorers all departed from Northwestern State, leaving Cabrera to start from scratch. A 4-13 overall record is nothing to brag about, but a 2-2 start in the conference is notable. Cabrera had to build this year’s team from nothing, so any amount of wins is substantial wondering how the offseason went.

Roger Powell Jr., Valpo: D+

Valpo may not be on the level of a San Diego State or even a Drake in their own conference, but they still have a high standard. At 5-13 (1-6), they’ve missed the mark so far this season. For Powell, there’s not much to live up to. The Beacons only won 11 games last year, so as long as he can get this program back up to .500 by year three, I’m sure there will be favorable reviews. But considering they went on a 9-game losing streak this year, it’s a sour start.

Ross Hodge, North Texas: A-

The Mean Green won over 30 games last year but lost their top three leading scorers, so Hodge has done an unbelievable job to get them to 11-5 and 4-0 in the American. Leading scorer Jason Edwards came to UNT from Dodge City CC, so Hodge seems to know where to find overlooked talent. He’s also developed a good chunk of players that did return. So far, it’s a start that deserves some applause.

Russell Springmann, Oral Roberts: B-

Losing Max Abmas is like the Grizzlies losing Ja Morant. He’s what made Oral Roberts who they were the past few years, so for Springmann, starting his first year without Abmas is next to impossible. But through 18 games, an 8-10 record isn’t half bad, especially with a 2-3 start in the Summit League. With Abmas gone, Isaac McBride has taken over, averaging over 20 PPG. The scoring strategy seems to be the same, so we’ll have to see if Springmann can recruit and build an NCAA Tournament darling like Paul Mills did.

Shane Heirman, Incarnate Word: C

If “mid” were a first-year college basketball coach, Heriman would be the definition. Incarnate Word is 5-11 (0-3) which isn’t very far off pace from last year’s 12-19 finish. And in all honestly, there’s not much else to say. The Cardinals beat three Division I teams in the non-conference and had a few close calls. We might need a few more years to see if Heirman can do what Carson Cunningham couldn’t, and bring a winning record to San Antonio.

Sundance Wicks, Green Bay: A+

At this point, give Wicks a lifetime extension. Green Bay won a total of 3 games last year, but he built a brand new team that’s 12-8 and 7-2 in the Horizon, good for first place as of Jan. 19. Part of that is due to the transfer pickup of Noah Reynolds, who was Wicks’ best offseason get. Reynolds averaged 14.5 PPG at Wyoming the year before and his presence has paid dividends.

Tevon Saddler, Nicholls: A-

Saddler didn’t inherit much of last year’s team, and he’s doing a pretty decent job, with Nicholls at 8-9 and 3-1 in the Southland. Saddler found his top two leading scorers out of nowhere, as neither Jamal West Jr. nor Rob Brown III had played DI basketball before. South Alabama transfer Diante Smith has been crucial as well. Oh, by the way, Saddler is just 28 years old, making him the youngest coach in Division I college basketball. I’ve got a good feeling this guy will be around for quite some time.

Todd Phillips, Utah Valley: B+

Phillips was another coach who was left with practically nothing, as just 3.3% of Utah Valley’s scoring from last year returned to the Wolverines. A record barely under .500 and a 3-4 start in the WAC leads me to believe Phillips was the right choice. When you’re staying competitive after starting out with little to nothing, you’ll be taken seriously by your opponents. That’s what Phillips has done so far.

Tony Skinn, George Mason: A

Not only are Skinn’s Patriots 13-5 overall, but Kim English took a few of last year’s top guys with him to Providence, leaving Skinn with some leftovers and his own recruiting. George Mason got off to a 7-1 start and has stayed competitive with a 2-3 record in the always-difficult Atlantic 10. They’re on a 3-game losing streak to VCU, Richmond, and George Washington, but all three teams are near the top of the conference. It’s tough to find much fault with Skinn’s first year, considering what he was dealt from the start.