As the month of April draws to a close, it is time to reflect on the coaching hires from the previous season. At CBS Sports, we take pride in recognizing the first-year coaches who made an immediate impact, without assigning grades just yet. While a more thorough evaluation will come later, for now, we focus on those who stood out in their debut seasons. In 2023, there were 12 high-major hirings, with only a few coaches making a notable impact right away. We also recognize some power-conference and mid-major coaches who had successful first seasons.
Out of the 60-plus hires in 2023, 16 coaches were particularly impressive in their first seasons. One such coach is Grant McCasland, who quickly restored pride at Texas Tech with a successful rebuild. Two other high-major coaches came close to making the NCAA Tournament but still had solid seasons based on metrics.
At the mid-major level, there were many standout coaches in their inaugural seasons, even if they didn’t make the NCAA Tournament. Some coaches made a significant impact right away, with four of them taking their teams to the Big Dance. Two of those coaches have already moved on to new opportunities.
Among the nearly 50 mid-major coaching changes in 2023, there were 11 first-year hires who made a noticeable difference in their programs.
A successful first year doesn’t guarantee long-term success, but it does help when navigating the transfer portal.
