College Basketball Coaching Carousel Sees Familiar Faces in New Roles
Coaching changes across men's and women's college basketball include returning figures and former NBA coaches taking on new challenges.
Mike Boynton is set to lead the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team, marking a significant shift in his coaching career. Boynton previously coached Oklahoma State for seven seasons, compiling a 119-109 record and making one NCAA Tournament appearance. However, he was fired after the 2023-24 season concluded with a 12-20 record. His return to Michigan comes after two seasons as an assistant coach on Dusty May's staff. May departed to coach the NBA's Dallas Mavericks following Michigan's championship season.
Michigan initially named Boynton interim head coach before signing him to a two-year contract. Boynton described his recent tenure under May as a "sabbatical," learning to manage a high-functioning organization and identify player strengths. This transition at Michigan represents one of the most notable moves in the offseason coaching changes.
Elsewhere in men's college basketball, Jerome Tang was fired from Kansas State after four seasons, where his team reached a regional final in his first year but struggled in subsequent seasons. Casey Alexander, who has a 303-180 career record, has been appointed as the new coach at Kansas State.
Will Wade is returning to LSU for a second stint, having been fired in 2022 due to NCAA recruiting violations. His successor, Matt McMahon, was fired after four seasons with a 60-70 record. Wade led McNeese and N.C. State to NCAA Tournament appearances during his time away from LSU. In his previous tenure at LSU, he achieved a 105-51 record over six seasons with three NCAA berths.
North Carolina made an unconventional hire in Michael Malone, a former NBA coach with a 510-394 record from 2013-25 and an NBA title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. Malone, who has no prior college head coaching experience, replaces Hubert Davis, who led the Tar Heels to the national championship game in 2022 and amassed a 125-54 record in five years.
Justin Gainey, a former Syracuse captain and assistant coach at Tennessee, has been named the new head coach at N.C. State. He takes over after Wade's departure for LSU. Gerry McNamara, Syracuse's all-time leader in 3-pointers and minutes played, returns to his alma mater to coach after leading Siena to a 23-12 record and an NCAA appearance last season. He replaces Adrian Autry, who was fired after three seasons without an NCAA berth.
On the women's side, Pauline Love is returning to Alabama as head coach after serving as an assistant coach there last season. She previously coached at Oklahoma. Tammi Reiss comes to Rhode Island after a successful seven-year tenure at the university, which included an NCAA appearance last year. Ayla Guzzardo led McNeese to a school-record 29 wins last season. Carla Berube has taken over at Northwestern after a six-year stint at Princeton, where her teams made five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Aaron Rousell, who had a 148-72 record and three straight NCAA berths in seven seasons at Richmond, is now coaching Virginia, which reached the Sweet Sixteen last season.
Cooley has coached Georgetown for three seasons with a 43-57 record, following a 242-153 record in 12 seasons at Providence. South Carolina saw a dip in performance under Paris, earning an NCAA bid in 2023-24 but struggling in the preceding two seasons. Tennessee's roster saw a complete overhaul after an eight-game losing streak ended Caldwell's second season and resulted in a first-round NCAA Tournament exit. Texas A&M has secured only one NCAA bid in Taylor's four years, with a combined 24-32 record over the last two seasons.