In a matter of just a few days, West Virginia went from believing they had a résumé worthy of making the NCAA Tournament to being forced to search for a head coach once again. But even though the Mountaineers are looking for their fourth coach in as many years, the WVU basketball brand still has a lot to offer and can be argued as one of the top open jobs.
Unlike WVU director of athletics Wren Baker’s recent coaching searches, this one is expected to move fast. And while WVU could always end up hiring a surprise candidate, it’s also likely their next coach is busy this week doing exactly what they feel they should be doing -— competing as part of March Madness.
Here are the coaches to watch who could end up taking the WVU job after wrapping up their time in the NCAA Tournament.
Ben McCollum, Drake
Perhaps the favorite for some, Ben McCollum could become the second Drake coach to leave one of the most consistent mid majors for the Country Roads of West Virginia.
And as long as WVU doesn’t feel hiring another Drake coach would be a bad omen after Darian DeVries bolted for Indiana at the end of his first season in Morgantown, McCollum has a track record that could make any Power Four program feel he’s ready to be elevated.
In fact, Baker even talked to McCollum during last year’s search before eventually hiring DeVries. McCollum led Drake to the Big Dance in his first season at the helm, leading the Bulldogs to a 30-3 record and the No. 11 seed in the West Region. They face No. 6 seed Missouri in the first round on Thursday.
McCollum has only been at the Division-I level for one season, but he has a past history with Baker. He spent 15 seasons at Division-II Northwest Missouri State, where he overlapped with Baker from 2010-13. Baker also first hired WVU women’s basketball head coach Mark Kellogg at NWMS in 2012.
Jerrod Calhoun, Utah State
Instead of having a past relationship with Baker, Jerrod Calhoun has ties to WVU. He served as an assistant on Bob Huggins’ staff from 2007-12, including being part of West Virginia’s 2010 Final Four run.
Calhoun then pivoted his time under Huggins to a a head coach opportunity at Division-II Fairmont State before leaving West Virginia for Youngstown State in 2017. He helped resurrect YSU and accomplished back-to-back 20-win seasons.
Like McCollum, he led his new team to an NCAA Tournament appearance in his first season. Calhoun’s Utah State team finished the season at 26-7, earning the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Region. They face No. 7 seed UCLA in the first round on Thursday.
Niko Nedved, Colorado State
For someone who has shown a sense of loyalty that may impress Baker, Niko Nedved has been at Colorado State for seven seasons. Nedved has CSU in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four year and has five 20-win seasons under his belt.
Ironically enough, prior to jumping to CSU job in 2018, Nedved spent a year as Drake’s head coach and Furman before that. He served as an assistant at schools like Minnesota before landing a head coach opportunity.
His Rams are the No. 12 seed in the West with a first-round matchup against No. 5 Memphis coming up on Friday
While these names are worth keeping an eye on, it’s also possible Baker looks at other candidates, granted he has a much shorter list to go through this time around since most of his searching work was done last year.