Power Danger: Coaching Newbies Ewing & Hopkins Bound For Modest Marks

June 12th, 2017 - 6:29

There was no grooming comparable to most coaches working their way up the ladder from the bush leagues. Despite boasting zero head-coaching experience, Patrick Ewing (Georgetown) and Mike Hopkins (Washington) were hired to be in charge of power-conference members. They join Louisville interim mentor David Padgett among more than 20 active head coaches for power-league members getting their starts as bench boss without serving as head coach for another college.

Ranging from regal (Pitt's Jamie Dixon) to repulsive (St. John's Chris Mullin), there is no rhyme or reason regarding first-year results. But if Ewing and Hopkins assemble average inaugural campaigns, the novice head coaches face an overall record of 18-14 with losing league mark. First-year worksheets for mentors in this category have dramatically gone downhill this decade. In the previous five years, the five latest newcomer power-league coaches - Rick Ray, Kevin Ollie, Chris Collins, Steve Wojciechowski and Mullin - combined for an average record of 13-19 overall and 5-13 in league competition. Only six active coaches on the following alphabetical list compiled a winning league ledger in his inaugural season:

Active Head Coach Current School 1st Season Guiding Power-League Member Overall League
Tommy Amaker Harvard Seton Hall (1997-98/Big East) 15-15 9-9
Rod Barnes Cal State Bakersfield Mississippi (1998-99/SEC) 20-13 8-8
Tony Bennett Virginia Washington State (2006-07/Pacific-10) 26-8 13-5
Jim Boeheim Syracuse Syracuse (1976-77/independent) 26-4 N/A
Todd Bozeman* Morgan State California (1993-94/Pacific-10) 22-8 13-5
Chris Collins Northwestern Northwestern (2013-14/Big Ten) 14-19 6-12
Mike Davis Texas Southern Indiana (2000-01/Big Ten) 21-13 10-6
Johnny Dawkins UCF Stanford (2008-09/Pacific-10) 20-14 6-12
Jamie Dixon Texas Christian Pittsburgh (2003-04/Big East) 31-5 13-3
Frank Haith Tulsa Miami FL (2004-05/ACC) 16-13 7-9
Leonard Hamilton Florida State Oklahoma State (1986-87/Big Eight) 8-20 4-10
Tom Izzo Michigan State Michigan State (1995-96/Big Ten) 16-16 9-9
Jeff Jones Old Dominion Virginia (1990-91/ACC) 21-12 6-8
Andy Kennedy Mississippi Cincinnati (2005-06/Big East) 21-13 8-8
Frank Martin South Carolina Kansas State (2007-08/Big 12) 21-12 10-6
Chris Mullin St. John's St. John's (2015-16/Big East) 8-24 1-17
Kevin Ollie Connecticut Connecticut (2012-13/Big East) 20-10 10-8
Rick Ray Southeast Missouri State Mississippi State (2012-13/SEC) 10-22 4-14
Rick Stansbury Western Kentucky Mississippi State (1998-99/SEC) 20-13 8-8
Roy Williams North Carolina Kansas (1988-89/Big Eight) 19-12 6-8
Steve Wojciechowski Marquette Marquette (2014-15/Big East) 13-19 4-14

*Bozeman was named interim coach in mid-season the previous year when he replaced Lou Campanelli.