First-Year Flash: UTC's Matt McCall Compiles Most Wins For Rookie Coach

March 31st, 2016 - 6:55

Chattanooga's Matt McCall (29-5) posted the most first-year victories for an NCAA Division I coaching newcomer this season. Following are rookie NCAA Division I head coaches with the best winning percentages going back to 1963-64 when Tates Locke became Bob Knight's predecessor at Army:

Season First-Year Head Coach School W-L Pct. Predecessor
1963-64 Tates Locke Army 19-7 .731 George Hunter
1964-65 Gary Thompson Wichita State 21-9 .700 Ralph Miller
1965-66 Lou Carnesecca St. John's 18-8 .692 Joe Lapchick
1965-66 Bob Knight Army 18-8 .692 Tates Locke
1966-67 Tommy Bartlett Florida 21-4 .840 Norm Sloan
1967-68 John Dromo Louisville 21-7 .750 Peck Hickman
1968-69 Tom Gola La Salle 23-1 .958 Jim Harding
1969-70 Terry Holland Davidson 22-5 .815 Lefty Driesell
1970-71 Richard "Digger" Phelps Fordham 26-3 .897 Ed Conlin
1971-72 Chuck Daly Penn 25-3 .893 Dick Harter
1972-73 Norm Ellenberger New Mexico 21-6 .778 Bob King
1973-74 Lute Olson Long Beach State 24-2 .923 Jerry Tarkanian
1974-75 Tom Apke Creighton 20-7 .741 Eddie Sutton
1974-75 Wayne Yates Memphis State 20-7 .741 Gene Bartow
1975-76 Bill Blakeley North Texas State 22-4 .846 Gene Robbins
1976-77 Jim Boeheim Syracuse 26-4 .867 Roy Danforth
1976-77 Charlie Schmaus Virginia Military 26-4 .867 Bill Blair
1977-78 Gary Cunningham UCLA 25-3 .893 Gene Bartow
1978-79 Bill Hodges Indiana State 33-1 .971 Bob King
1979-80 Bob Dukiet St. Peter's 22-9 .710 Bob Kelly
1979-80 Dave "Lefty" Ervin La Salle 22-9 .710 Paul Westhead
1980-81 Pat Foster Lamar 25-5 .833 Billy Tubbs
1981-82 Jim Boyle St. Joseph's 25-5 .833 Jim Lynam
1982-83 Ed Tapscott American University 20-10 .667 Gary Williams
1983-84 Rick Huckabay Marshall 25-6 .806 Bob Zuffelato
1984-85 Newton Chelette Southeastern Louisiana 18-9 .667 Ken Fortenberry
1985-86 Pete Gillen Xavier 25-5 .833 Bob Staak
1986-87 Pete Herrmann Navy 26-6 .813 Paul Evans
1987-88 Rick Barnes George Mason 20-10 .667 Joe Harrington
1988-89 Kermit Davis Idaho 25-6 .806 Tim Floyd
1989-90 Jim Anderson Oregon State 22-7 .759 Ralph Miller
1990-91 Alan LeForce East Tennessee State 28-5 .848 Les Robinson
1991-92 Blaine Taylor Montana 27-4 .871 Stew Morrill
1992-93 Fran Fraschilla Manhattan 23-7 .767 Steve Lappas
1993-94 Kirk Speraw Central Florida 21-9 .700 Joe Dean Jr.
1994-95 George "Tic" Price New Orleans 20-11 .645 Tim Floyd
1995-96 Mike Heideman Wisconsin-Green Bay 25-4 .862 Dick Bennett
1996-97 Bill Carmody Princeton 24-4 .857 Pete Carril
1997-98 Bill Guthridge North Carolina 34-4 .895 Dean Smith
1998-99 Tevester Anderson Murray State 27-6 .818 Mark Gottfried
1999-00 Mark Few Gonzaga 26-9 .743 Dan Monson
2000-01 Thad Matta Butler 24-8 .750 Barry Collier
2001-02 Stan Heath Kent State 29-6 .829 Gary Waters
2002-03 Brad Brownell UNC Wilmington 24-7 .774 Jerry Wainwright
2003-04 Jamie Dixon Pittsburgh 31-5 .861 Ben Howland
2004-05 Mark Fox Nevada 25-7 .781 Trent Johnson
2005-06 Rob Jeter Wisconsin-Milwaukee 22-9 .710 Bruce Pearl
2006-07 Anthony Grant Virginia Commonwealth 28-7 .800 Jeff Capel III
2007-08 Brad Stevens Butler 30-4 .882 Todd Lickliter
2008-09 Ken McDonald Western Kentucky 25-9 .735 Darrin Horn
2009-10 Shaka Smart Virginia Commonwealth 27-9 .750 Anthony Grant
2010-11 B.J. Hill Northern Colorado 21-11 .656 Tad Boyle
2011-12 Steve Prohm Murray State 31-2 .939 Billy Kennedy
2012-13 Kevin Ollie Connecticut 20-10 .667 Jim Calhoun
2013-14 Brad Underwood Stephen F. Austin 32-3 .914 Danny Kaspar
2014-15 David Richman North Dakota State 23-10 .697 Saul Phillips
2015-16 Matt McCall Chattanooga 29-5 .853 Will Wade