Big Shoes to Fill: Only Time Will Tell For Successors Scheyer and Neptune

Time will tell if Jon Scheyer and Kyle Neptune were the proper choices to succeed Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Villanova's Jay Wright, respectively. Ditto Davidson's Matt McKillop after inheriting head-coaching position from his father (Bob). First test for Scheyer and Neptune will be trying to duplicate what North Carolina's Hubert Davis achieved in reaching NCAA tourney championship in debut season after inheriting reins from Roy Williams. Much is made of the struggles for an individual when succeeding a coaching legend such as Purdue's Matt Painter, who has combined with predecessor (Gene Keady) to fail to reach Final Four in 31 tourney appearances. Maryland's Mark Turgeon (Gary Williams) and Florida's Michael White (Billy Donovan) moved on this past campaign after failing to measure up to expectations. But only 10 of the successors on the following list posted losing marks during their tenures compared to twice as many of the predecessors.

Syracuse, where Mike Hopkins previously was coach-in-waiting to replace Jim Boeheim, was likely the next example showing how celebrated coaches lay a solid foundation that can't possibly be messed up. But Hopkins got antsy waiting for Boeheim to finally hang 'em up and chose to become Washington's bench boss. Rick Pitino joined Gene Bartow, John Brady, Mike Davis, Bill Guthridge, Joe B. Hall, Dick Harp, Jack Kraft, Pete Newell, John Oldham and Lou Rossini as coaches who took teams from the same institution to the Final Four after replacing an icon.

Scheyer probably will learn it's not all peaches and cream inheriting a stable program after Davis lost four contests by at least 20 points. Before guiding South Florida to the NCAA playoffs in 2012, Stan Heath compiled a modest 82-71 record with Arkansas in five seasons from 2002-03 through 2006-07 after succeeding Nolan Richardson. Richardson (389-169 mark with the Hogs from 1986-2002), John Beilein (278-150 with Michigan from 2008-19) and Steve Fisher (386-209 with San Diego State from 2002-17) and their successors didn't quite make the following list regarding the level of success for successors of legends who won more than 400 games at DI level for a single school:

*CCNY de-emphasized its program after the 1952-53 season.

NOTE: Olson formally announced his retirement less than a month before the 2008-09 season when the Wildcats compiled a 21-14 record under Russ Pennell.