https://bustingbrackets.com/2021/03/16/ncaa-basketball-ranking-68-head-coaches-2021-ncaa-tournament/17/
21. Shaka Smart (Texas)
7 NCAA Tournaments (7-7)
There were certainly rumblings that the end had come for Smart at Texas, with the results largely disappointing since his hiring in 2015. He took VCU to a Final Four and a flurry of Tournament bids but just hadn’t turned Texas into a successful program. This season, he’s led the Longhorns as high as #4 in the nation and won the first Big 12 Tournament title in program history. One season doesn’t absolutely change everything unless of course, Texas catches fire in the NCAA Tournament.
13. Rick Barnes (Tennessee)
24 NCAA Tournaments (24-24)
It’s been a long and successful head coaching career for Barnes, who has led four different schools to the NCAA Tournament during a career that dates back almost 35 years. He took Texas to the Final Four during a long run with the Longhorns and has turned Tennessee into one of the top-level teams in the SEC. This past season was a bit disappointing and this isn’t Barnes’ best Tennessee squad, but he’s proven that he’s still one of the game’s top guys.
8. Chris Beard (Texas Tech)
3 NCAA Tournaments (9-3)
Beard has really exploded onto the national scene in recent years. Just six years ago he was still a non-D1 head coach, but the former Bob Knight assistant took Little Rock to 30 wins and an NCAA Tournament upset before returning home to Texas Tech in 2016. When you consider that he’s taken the Red Raiders to a national title game, far more success than Knight or anyone else has accomplished, you can see the wonders he’s been not just for his program but for the competition in the Big 12.