Degrees of Success: Educational Backgrounds of 2026 NCAA Tourney Coaches
March 17th, 2026 - 20:55
NCAA Tournament head coaches need to draw upon all of their resources to motivate their respective clubs in postseason play. Following is an alphabetical list assessing the educational backgrounds of majority of the 68 mentors in 2026 NCAA playoffs:
| 2026 NCAA Tourney Coach | School | Bachelor's | Master's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Armstrong | McNeese | Justice Sciences | |
| Rick Barnes | Tennessee | Health & Physical Education | |
| Randy Bennett | Saint Mary's | Biology | |
| Kenny Blakeney | Howard University | unavailable | |
| Brad Brownell | Clemson | History | |
| Mark Byington | Vanderbilt | Physical Education | Sports Psychology |
| Jerrod Calhoun | Utah State | Criminal Justice | |
| John Calipari | Arkansas | Marketing | |
| Craig "Speedy" Claxton | Hofstra | unavailable | |
| Flynn Clayman | High Point | Social Science | Interdisciplinary Studies in Sports Conditioning and Performance, Communications and Leadership |
| Mick Cronin | UCLA | History | |
| Scott Cross | Troy | Marketing | |
| Rick Croy | California Baptist | Recreation Administration | Education/Physical Education |
| Hubert Davis | North Carolina | Criminal Justice | |
| Johnny Dawkins | UCF | Political Science | |
| Jake Diebler | Ohio State | Marketing | Business Administration |
| Jamie Dixon | Texas Christian | Finance | Economics |
| Andy Enfield | Southern Methodist | Economics | Business Administration |
| Jim Ferry | Maryland-Baltimore County | Safety Studies | |
| Mark Few | Gonzaga | Physical Education | Athletic Administration |
| Eran Ganot | Hawaii | Economics and Sociology/Anthropology | |
| Greg Gard | Wisconsin | Physical & Health Education | Counselor Education |
| Dennis Gates | Missouri | Sociology | Adult Education & Human Resource Development |
| Todd Golden | Florida | Business Administration | |
| John Groce | Akron | Mathematics | |
| Bryan Hodgson | South Florida | Sports Management | |
| Fred Hoiberg | Nebraska | Finance | |
| Dan Hurley | Connecticut | Business | |
| Tom Izzo | Michigan State | Health and Physical Education | |
| Ben Jacobson | Northern Iowa | Physical Education | |
| Pat Kelsey | Louisville | Business Administration & Marketing | |
| Grant Leonard | Queens (N.C.) | Psychology | Psychology |
| Tommy Lloyd | Arizona | Biology | |
| Jai Lucas | Miami (Fla.) | Corporate Communication | |
| Phil Martelli Jr. | Virginia Commonwealth | Marketing | |
| Dusty May | Michigan | Business Administration | |
| Fran McCaffery | Penn | Economics | Education |
| Grant McCasland | Texas Tech | Entrepreneurship and Management | |
| Ben McCollum | Iowa | Business Finance | Athletic Administration |
| Henry "Bucky" McMillan III | Texas A&M | Education Services | |
| Gerry McNamara | Siena | Communication and Rhetorical Studies | |
| Sean Miller | Texas | Communications | |
| Nate Oats | Alabama | Math Education | Kinesiology & Exercise Science |
| Ryan Odom | Virginia | Economics | |
| T.J. Otzelberger | Iowa State | Business Administration | Curriculum & Instruction |
| Matt Painter | Purdue | Sociology | |
| Antoine Pettway | Kennesaw State | Business | Sport Management |
| Rick Pitino | St. John's | Political Science | |
| Mark Pope | Kentucky | English | |
| Alex Pribble | Idaho | Sociology | |
| Dr. Brett Reed | Lehigh | Literature | Instructional Technology |
| Bob Richey | Furman | Business Management | |
| David Richman | North Dakota State | Physical Education | Sport and Recreation Management |
| Kelvin Sampson | Houston | Health & Physical Education | Coaching & Administration |
| Clint Sargent | Wright State | unavailable | |
| Josh Schertz | Saint Louis | unavailable | Education |
| Jon Scheyer | Duke | History | |
| Bill Self | Kansas | Business | Athletic Administration |
| Herb Sendek | Santa Clara | Industrial Management | |
| Byron Smith | Prairie View A&M | unavailable | Health and Physical Education |
| Nolan Smith | Tennessee State | unavailable | |
| Travis Steele | Miami of Ohio | Business | |
| Rod Strickland | Long Island | Sports Leadership | |
| Brad Underwood | Illinois | Radio & TV Communications | |
| Frank "Will" Wade | North Carolina State | unavailable | |
| Mike White | Georgia | Business | |
| Kevin Willard | Villanova | unavailable | |
| Kevin Young | Brigham Young | Education |