Coaching Carousel Conference Preview: American

The American looks a little different this year. The league lost Cincinnati, Houston and UCF to the Big 12, but added Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA. The new group brought plenty of storylines and there’s a whole lot to unpack in the American coaching carousel preview.

Newcomers

Aaron Fearne (Charlotte) 

Aaron Fearne takes over as the interim head coach at Charlotte after the early June resignation of Ron Sanchez. Sanchez reportedly grew frustrated with the administration’s unwillingness to give him an extension and decided to return to Virginia as the associate head coach under Tony Bennett. Fearne’s promotion allowed him to keep the roster together heading into next season. He’ll have one year to prove he’s the man for the job.

Ross Hodge (North Texas)

It was only a matter of time before Ross Hodge got a chance to lead his own team. Grant McCasland’s departure for Texas Tech expedited that process, leaving Hodge the keys to a North Texas program built for sustained success. Hodge is credited as the mastermind behind the gritty defense that hallmarked Mean Green teams for the last half decade. Expect UNT to look very similar under their new head coach.

Amir Abdur-Rahim (South Florida)

South Florida managed to make one of the best hires of the cycle with Amir Abdur-Rahim. Abdur-Rahim took over a Kennesaw State program that hadn’t seen a winning season since transitioning to Division I. In his first season, they only managed to win one game. The next two years, they improved to five and 13 wins respectively. Then in year four, he led the Owls to a 26-9 record and ASUN regular season and conference tournament titles. Abdur-Rahim is one of the best program builders in the country and will look to turn around a school that usually opts for retreads and quick fixes.

Adam Fisher (Temple)

Temple has a new coach after Aaron McKie decided to step down at the end of the season. Reports suggest McKie was unhappy with the lack of support from administration and grew tired of the head coach grind. Temple landed on former Penn State and Miami assistant Adam Fisher. Fisher beat out Charlton Young for the job thanks to his strong ties to the Philadelphia area. “Fish” is known as a tireless recruiter. The Pennsylvania native brought Lonnie Walker and Isaiah Wong to Miami, so he should find success rebuilding Temple with a core of local talent.

Paul Mills (Wichita State)

Wichita State let go of Isaac Brown after just three seasons. The program is one of the wealthiest in the conference in terms of fan and financial support. The Shockers made a great hire, luring Paul Mills away from Oral Roberts. Mills led the Golden Eagles to two NCAA Tournaments in six seasons and won 30 games last year. He’s an excellent recruiter and quickly assembled a quality transfer class that will make the Shockers competitive right away. Wichita State is in good hands with Mills in charge.

Potential Movers

Dusty May (Florida Atlantic)

Dusty May took Florida Atlantic to the Final Four. That’s the only line he needs on his resume. May signed a lucrative extension this off-season and didn’t lose a single player to the transfer portal. The Owls are set to run it back with the same group, but with a much tougher schedule and a giant target on their back. If FAU can prove last year wasn’t a fluke, May will be the top choice for the best available jobs next spring.

Penny Hardaway (Memphis)

Penny Hardaway had his best (and least dramatic) season at Memphis in 22-23. The Tigers won 26 games and the AAC tournament. A first round NCAA Tournament loss to FAU got in the way of what could’ve been a magical season. So where would Hardaway go if given the chance? The NBA. Penny has already flirted with the league before. One more successful season with the Tigers could entice a franchise to make the hire.

Ron Hunter (Tulane)

Ron Hunter is the best bad job head coach in the country. Last year, he led Tulane to its second 20-win season since 2000. Before Tulane, he took Georgia State to three NCAA Tournaments and led IUPUI to nine consecutive seasons with a record at or above .500. Imagine what Ron Hunter could do at a place that’s rich with resources and tradition. One day he’ll get his shot and he’ll do what he’s always done – win.

Andy Kennedy (UAB)

Has any coach in the country remade his image better than Andy Kennedy? Since returning to his alma mater in 2020, Kennedy has gone 78-25 with one NCAA Tournament appearance and a run to the NIT title game last year. Kennedy was a serious candidate for the opening at West Virginia this summer and could very well find himself in the same position next spring. It will take a massive job to lure “AK” away from the friendly confines of Bartow Arena, but the high majors will be circling if he has another big season.

Hot Seat

Aaron Fearne (Charlotte)

Fearne has one year to show proof of concept that he’s the right guy for Charlotte. Athletic director Mike Hill is desperate to get this right after things didn’t work out with his first football and hoops hires. Ultimately, I expect Charlotte to conduct a national search and hire a sitting head coach at season’s end.

Steve Henson (UTSA)

Steve Henson will return to San Antonio for his eighth year, but heads into the last year of his contract in 23-24. After two consecutive 10-22 finishes, Henson is firmly on the hot seat. The Roadrunners are 99-123 with him at the helm and haven’t made it further than the quarterfinals of their conference tournament. Joining the AAC means the expectations will be much higher this season. Anything less than a .500 record will likely result in Henson’s dismissal.

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