March Madness is upon us! While the time to fill out brackets is (mostly) behind us – barring you're not filling out a second-chance bracket in the weeks to come – it's always nice to have an advantage as it pertains to college basketball trivia come tournament time. If you want to look smart at the office, please read on: I have you covered.
While the likes of Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Calhoun and Jim Boeheim have moved on, the old guard of college basketball head coaches remains, to some extent. Coaches with Final Four and National Championship experience are always held in high regard. Winning the NCAA Tournament's highest honor usually provides with it unlimited job flexibility.
The list of active head coaches currently coaching in the 2025 NCAA Tournament who have won a title previously is not a long one, but it's important to know when hedging bets or filling out a second-chance bracket.
Which head coaches have won the NCAA Tournament before?
Again, the list of college basketball head coaches who have won the NCAA Tournament at least once prior isn't as long as it used to be. That being said, there are some tells with these teams, and many of them lack the kind of coaching experience that, say, a Rick Pitino brings to the table.
Head coach | Current team | National Championships |
|---|---|---|
Rick Pitino | St. John's | 1 |
John Calipari | Arkansas | 1 |
Dan Hurley | UConn | 2 |
Scott Drew | Baylor | 1 |
Tom Izzo | Michigan State | 1 |
Bill Self | Kansas | 2 |
Self and Hurley are the only two coaches on this list who officially have two National Championships to their name. Pitino has won two – one with Kentucky and another with Louisville – though his 2013 National Title with the Cardinals was vacated by the NCAA.
March Madness picks: Which coaches have the best chance to pick up another National Title?
Of the coaches listed, Rick Pitino and Tom Izzo have the best opportunity to win another title based on seeding, as both St. John's and Michigan State are No. 2 seeds. My money would be on St. John's, however, as they looked fantastic in the Big East Tournament, winning in front of a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden.
St. John's side of the bracket is not an easy one, as Pitino could be forced into a rematch with Calipari, another coach on this list, as early as the second round. Were Pitino to force his way to the Elite Eight, he could face the Florida Gators, which are arguably the hottest team in college basketball entering the tournament and fresh off an SEC title of their own.
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