January Coaching Carousel Breakdown

At the beginning of every month, we’ll give you the most comprehensive coaching carousel coverage in college basketball. Here’s where everything stands on January 1 – the third edition of the coaching carousel breakdown.

Jobs marked with *** are already open.

High-Major Hot Seat

Tony Stubblefield (DePaul)

The Blue Demons are 3-9 to start year three of the Tony Stubblefield era and the writing is on the wall. This team only won three Big East games last year and I’m not sure I can definitively count three chances to win this year. It’s going to be a long winter in Lincoln Park.

Kenny Payne (Louisville)

Louisville AD Josh Heird said Payne will continue to coach through the new year, but didn’t go as far to say he would remain in place the rest of the season. Candidates are already lining up behind the scenes.

Juwan Howard (Michigan)

After a confrontation with strength coach Jon Sanderson and a disappointing non-conference slate, it’s starting to feel like the beginning of the end. It’s hard to fire a prominent alum, so a “mutually agree to part ways” makes sense here.

Ben Johnson (Minnesota)

The Gophers have rattled off five straight wins and surpassed last year’s win total. Only one of those wins have come from an opponent inside the KenPom top-240, so we’ll see how they fare in B10 play. They need to finish over .500 to stay off the chopping block.

Mike Boynton (Oklahoma State)

Oklahoma State is 7-5 and no where near the NCAA tournament bubble conversation. With only one tournament appearance in now his seventh season, the once proud program is fading fast.

Dana Altman (Oregon)

Altman is starting to figure things out despite the litany of injuries the Ducks are dealing with. Oregon is 10-3, but still needs to find that signature win. A tournament berth feels necessary to avoid an “early retirement.”

Wayne Tinkle (Oregon State)

Given his buyout situation and the instability of the conference, this one could go either way. I could see Oregon State punting this to next year if the Beavers finish over .500.

Jerod Haase (Stanford)

Stanford showed signs of life with their upset of Arizona last night. They’re still 6-6 though, with a lot of work to do to make the tournament. This roster has a ton of potential, but Haase hasn’t been able to maximize it yet.

Johnny Dawkins (UCF)

Sources say it’s tournament or bust for Johnny Dawkins.

Andy Enfield (USC)

The Trojans had very high expectations to begin the year and they’re only 6-7 to show for it. We might be a year early on this, but there are some rumblings out there. Another potential mover candidate.

Jerry Stackhouse (Vanderbilt)

This one has fallen off the tracks fast. Vanderbilt has dealt with injuries this year, but some of their losses are inexcusable. It’ll be a fifth straight year of no tournament for the Dores.

Mike Hopkins (Washington)

It’s another tournament or bust situation in Seattle.

Josh Eilert (West Virginia)***

The brutal year continues for West Virginia, with Jesse Edwards out for a month with a wrist injury. The back channel search will begin in earnest very soon.

Mid-Major Hot Seat

John Smith (Cal Poly)

Cal Poly is on their way to a fifth consecutive single-digit win season under John Smith.

Reggie Witherspoon (Canisius)

More than halfway to last year’s win total, an above .500 year should get Witherspoon another year.

Saah Nimley (Charleston Southern)***

Nimley has a chance to earn the job outright with a strong finish to the season.

Aaron Fearne (Charlotte)***

Athletic director Mike Hill will have a tough decision at the end of the year if Fearne keep the 49ers make a run in the AAC tournament.

Dave McLaughlin (Dartmouth)

Dartmouth is 4-9 heading into a tough Ivy League slate.

Anthony Grant (Dayton)

Tournament or bust for Anthony Grant. Luckily there aren’t more than a handful of legitimate threats in the A10.

Mike Davis (Detroit Mercy)

Detroit Mercy is 0-15. This is likely it for Mike Davis.

Chris Casey (Fairfield)***

It’s hard to say what the expectations are at Fairfield right now, but I think they’ll be able to field some quality candidates at the end of the year. Casey will need a big win total in league play to keep the job.

Robert McCullum (Florida A&M)

The Rattlers are on pace for their fourth single-digit win season in seven years.

Jeremy Ballard (Florida International)

FIU didn’t do themselves any favors with the schedule and they’ve started 5-10. There are some tough games in league play, too. The biggest question here is do the folks in Miami care enough to make a change? The Panthers have been obliterated by the portal every year under Ballard.

Justin Hutson (Fresno State)

Sitting at 7-6 heading into a brutal Mountain West schedule, it’s going to be tough to stay above .500 the rest of the way.

Edward Joyner, Jr. (Hampton)

The Pirates are 4-8 with only one win over a D1 opponent. Joyner’s 15-year tenure at Hampton is close to its end.

Matt Crenshaw (IUPUI)

IUPUI has matched its win total from last year, but three of the wins are non-D1. There’s some improvement there, but not enough to get off the hot seat list just yet.

Darrell Walker (Little Rock)

Another good month and Walker could find himself off the list.

Keith Richard (Louisiana Monroe)

We could see an early “retirement” from Richard if things don’t turn around in Monroe.

Tavaras Hardy (Loyola MD)

The wheels have fallen off at Loyola. They’re 2-11 to start the year.

Greg Gary (Mercer)

Mercer lost on opening night to non-D1 Clark Atlanta and it hasn’t gotten much better for Greg Gary. It’s going to be a long year in a tough SoCon for the Bears.

Matt Driscoll (North Florida)

Matt Driscoll needs a big year in the ASUN to get another season in Jacksonville.

Shane Burcar (Northern Arizona)

There are some winnable games coming up for Northern Arizona. Burcar needs to get as many as he can before they head into a tough Big Sky slate.

Lorenzo Romar (Pepperdine)

The second iteration of the Romar era hasn’t gone quite like the first. This is likely the end unless they overachieve in WCC play.

Andrew Toole (Robert Morris)

Already 0-3 in Horizon League play, we could also see Toole look for a parachute somewhere else.

Travis Ford (Saint Louis)

Tournament or bust for Travis Ford.

Geno Ford (Stony Brook)

Stony Brook has won five of their last six. Ford survived last off-season and is another one of those that could go either way.

Steve Henson (UTSA)

Henson has gone 10-22 in consecutive seasons and looks destined to finish near that mark again heading into a tough AAC.

Dane Fischer (William & Mary)

The buyout saved him last year, will it save him again?

Coaches on Retirement Watch

Cliff Ellis (Coastal Carolina)***

Keith Dambrot (Duquesne)

Leonard Hamilton (Florida State)

Fran Dunphy (La Salle)

Ed DeChellis (Navy)

Greg Kampe (Oakland)

Jeff Jones (Old Dominion)

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