COACHES IN NEW PLACES
Chris Mack, Louisville: The Cardinals landed the right coach to bring the scandal-scarred school back to prominence. Mack is coming off a Big East title at Xavier, where he made the NCAA Tournament in eight of the past nine years and reached the Sweet 16 on four occasions.
Dan Hurley, UConn: After two incredible rebuilding jobs at Wagner and Rhode Island, Hurley now has to win at a school where it is expected. Just four years after Kevin Ollie led the Huskies to a national championship, UConn changed course, and brought in the 45-year-old rising star who led Rhode Island to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, following an 18-year drought.
Jeff Capel, Pittsburgh: This can’t go worse than the school’s decision to hire Kevin Stallings, who was fired after two seasons and compiled an 0-18 record in ACC play last season. Capel, a longtime Duke coach who was one of the most sought-after assistants in the country, has a chance to turn Pittsburgh back into a national power.
Tom Crean, Georgia: The former Indiana and Marquette coach spent last year in broadcasting, but
couldn’t stay away from the bench for long. Penny Hardaway, Memphis (left): Hardaway’s return has brought tremendous buzz back to his former campus and hometown. After spending the past few years coaching high school teams, the former NBA star will attempt to bring Memphis back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years, while using his grassroots connections and name recognition to build a consistent AAC contender.