Power Danger: No-Experience Coaching Results for Power-League Members

August 22nd, 2022 - 8:02

There was no grooming comparable to most coaches working their way up the ladder from the bush leagues. Despite boasting zero college head-coaching experience, Jon Scheyer (Duke), Jerome Tang (Kansas State) and Kenny Payne (Louisville) were hired to be in charge of a power-conference member. They are among 27 active head coaches (some subsequently moving on) for power-league members getting their starts as bench boss without serving as head coach for another college.

There is no rhyme or reason regarding first-year results. But if Scheyer, Tang and Payne assemble an average inaugural campaign, the novice head coaches face an overall record of 19-14 with losing league mark. First-year worksheets for mentors in this category usually don't generate headlines. For instance, all three newcomers in the Big Ten Conference last year registering losing league marks. In the previous nine years, newcomer power-league mentors combined for an average record of 15-17 overall and 6-12 in league competition. Only seven active coaches on the following alphabetical list compiled a winning power-league ledger in his inaugural season sans benefit of toiling as a full-time college bench boss:

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
Chris Collins Northwestern Northwestern (2013-14/Big Ten) 14-19 6-12
Hubert Davis North Carolina North Carolina (2021-22/ACC) 29-10 15-5
Mike Davis Detroit 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
Patrick Ewing Georgetown Georgetown (2017-18/Big East) 15-15 5-13
Leonard Hamilton Florida State Oklahoma State (1986-87/Big Eight) 8-20 4-10
Mike Hopkins Washington Washington (2017-18/Pac-12) 21-13 10-8
Juwan Howard Michigan Michigan (2019-20/Big Ten) 19-12 10-10
Tom Izzo Michigan State Michigan State (1995-96/Big Ten) 16-16 9-9
Ben Johnson Minnesota Minnesota (2021-22/Big Ten) 13-17 4-16
Jeff Jones Old Dominion Virginia (1990-91/ACC) 21-12 6-8
Tommy Lloyd Arizona Arizona (2021-22/Pacific-12) 33-4 18-2
Frank Martin Massachusetts Kansas State (2007-08/Big 12) 21-12 10-6
Micah Shrewsberry Penn State Penn State (2021-22/Big Ten) 14-17 7-13
Jerry Stackhouse Vanderbilt Vanderbilt (2019-20/SEC) 11-21 3-15
Rick Stansbury Western Kentucky Mississippi State (1998-99/SEC) 20-13 8-8
Travis Steele Miami (Ohio) Xavier (2018-19/Big East) 19-16 9-9
Tony Stubblefield DePaul DePaul (2021-22/Big East) 15-16 6-14
Mike Woodson Indiana Indiana (2021-22/Big Ten) 21-14 9-11