On Friday, February 21, the Naismith Awards announced the 2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year Watch List.
Each year, the award is presented to an outstanding coach who has achieved great on-court success.
Here are the coaches named to this year’s watch list:
FULL NAME
SCHOOL
CONFERENCE
Greg Gard
Wisconsin
Big Ten
Dennis Gates
Missouri
SEC
Todd Golden
Florida
SEC
Penny Hardaway
Memphis
AAC
Tom Izzo
Michigan State
Big Ten
Pat Kelsey
Louisville
ACC
Dusty May
Michigan
Big Ten
Grant McCasland
Texas Tech
Big 12
Ben McCollum
Drake
MVC
Matt Painter
Purdue
Big Ten
Bruce Pearl
Auburn
SEC
Rick Pitino
St. John’s
BIG EAST
Richard Pitino
New Mexico
MWC
Kelvin Sampson
Houston
Big 12
Jon Scheyer
Duke
ACC
