The 2025 men’s basketball coaching carousel is getting ready to spin. Indiana’s Mike Woodson is stepping down at season’s end and Utah parted ways with Craig Smith Monday.
Before the 2025 coaching changes begin, it’s worth a look at the 2024 coaching carousel. Who made the right hire? Who has buyer’s remorse? Here’s a look at some of the biggest hires from the offseason.
Michigan | Hired Dusty May to replace Juwan Howard
May has been a slam dunk for the Wolverines. Not only has he guided Michigan to 20 wins for the first time since 2020-21, but he has his team firmly in the Big Ten title hunt. Michigan is currently tied atop the standings with rival Michigan State.
His success made him a hot topic with the Indiana job opening up, but May recently signed a five-year extension, ending speculation he could be lured to his alma mater.
Kentucky | Hired Mark Pope to replace John Calipari
Few jobs in sports come with the pressure and expectations of Kentucky basketball. Pope has done an admirable job in his first year. The Wildcats are 18-9, 7-7 in a loaded SEC.
Pope’s roster construction is different from John Calipari’s — seasoned veterans from the transfer portal replacing top-ranked freshmen. His team scores at a high level, ranking third in the nation at 85.7 points per game. He’s also beaten Duke, Louisville and Tennessee twice. The only blemish is the loss to Calipari’s Arkansas at home.
Arkansas | Hired John Calipari to replace Eric Musselman
Calipari’s hire was certainly the most hyped of the offseason. With a talented roster and plenty of backing from the program’s biggest supporters, hopes were high in Fayetteville.
After being picked fourth in the preseason poll, the Hogs currently sit in 11th in the SEC and are one of the last four teams in the NCAA Tournament in the latest Bracketology.
The story of the 2025 season is not finished yet, but Arkansas fans have to be feeling exactly how Kentucky fans were feeling at the end of Coach Cal’s tenure. Nervous might be the correct word for the current feeling towards Calipari’s hire.
Louisville | Hired Pat Kelsey to replace Kenny Payne
It was going to be hard to find anyone worse than Payne. He was disastrous in two seasons at the helm, turning a once-proud program into a laughingstock.
Not anymore. Kelsey has rescued the Cardinals and restored the program to its former glory. He’s on the verge of leading Louisville to its first NCAA Tournament since 2019 and his team is one game behind Duke in the ACC standings. The Cardinals nailed this hire.
Ohio State | Hired Jake Diebler to replace Chris Holtmann
Ohio State has lost five of its last seven, but there have been bright spots in Diebler’s first season. The Buckeyes have wins over Texas, Kentucky, Purdue and Maryland, but five of its 13 losses are by three points or less.
At 15-13, 7-10 in the Big Ten, Ohio State is clinging to a tournament spot. The jury is still out on this hire.
Other schools
Speaking of Holtmann, he landed at DePaul and has struggled in year one. The Blue Demons are a major turnaround job and he’ll need time to right the ship. Musselman, now at USC, is going to miss the NCAA Tournament, and the man he replaced, Andy Enfield, is on the outside looking in right now as well with SMU.
In total, 12 of 16 Power 5 programs that hired a new coach currently have a winning record.
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