Promising Starts: Prohm Posts Best First-Season Mark in 33 Years
Steve Prohm of Murray State (31-2) posted the best first-year record for a coach since Bill Hodges directed Indiana State (33-1) to the 1979 Final Four. Since Hodges' debut, only three coaches from power six leagues compiled the nation's best first-year mark - Oregon State's Jim Anderson in 1989-90, North Carolina's Bill Guthridge in 1997-98 and Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon in 2003-04. Hodges succeeded Bob King, who earlier in the decade gave Norm Ellenberger a quality team on a silver platter in 1972-73.
Joining King in the category of twice being the predecessor for coaches who compiled the best first-year mark are Gene Bartow (Memphis State '75 and UCLA '78) and Tim Floyd (Idaho '89 and New Orleans '95). Following are first-year NCAA Division I head coaches with the best winning percentages going back to prominent mentors Lou Carnesecca and Bob Knight in 1965-66:
| Season | Coach | School | W-L | Pct. | Predecessor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Norman Sloan |
| 1967-68 | John Dromo | Louisville | 21-7 | .750 | Peck Hickman |
| 1968-69 | Tom Gola | La Salle | 23-1 | .958 | Jim Harding |
| 1969-70 | unavailable | ||||
| 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 |