College basketball coaches best suited to make NBA jump during career

The college basketball to NBA pathway is one which has intrigued a certain class of coaches for years, with Hall of Famers like John Calipari and Rick Pitino giving it a shot, or Billy Donovan and Brad Stevens making it stick. As the landscape continues to shift at both levels, so does the mold of candidate to make such a move.

Certain coaches are a clear college fit, whether through scheme, coaching style, or a variety of others factors. When looking for the ones best suited to make an NBA jump, it is important to focus on pace of play, relationship with players, and ability to maximize talent once it is in the program rather than collect top prospects.

There are a handful of candidates who have heard their name in NBA coaching conversations over recent years, and plenty more who will start to join the shortlist when the next coaching carousel starts spinning. After the Memphis Grizzlies kicked off this year’s first search at a convenient time for college candidates to join the cycle, there is no better time to evaluate which ones make the most sense.

Dan Hurley – UConn

Dan Hurley was the top candidate in every coaching search which took place last season, from the Kentucky job to the Lakers job, but stuck at UConn with a chance to three-peat. When that did not come to fruition, it reopened the window just a bit.

Having previously flirted with the NBA jump, Hurley is sure to be on the shortlist of many teams hoping that off a far more difficult season there is more to consider. After all, it is extremely difficult to ever match his best run in college basketball now.

Why it won’t happen: Hurley’s coaching style does not fit the NBA prototype. he would have to make major adjustments to his daily interactions with a group of professional athletes and control some of his sideline antics to avoid widespread criticism complicating his path to success.

Nate Oats – Alabama

The system run by Nate Oats makes the Alabama head coach a perfect NBA candidate. Teams across the league would love to implement his blue-collar basketball style at a professional level with star players.

Oats has turned the Crimson Tide into a destination within college basketball leading players from all different backgrounds into the NBA during his tenure. From guards, to wings. to bigs. From five-stars, to four-stars, to transfers. He prepares players willing to buy in for professional basketball.

Why it won’t happen: Oats has created a culture at Alabama which positions them to make deep NCAA Tournament runs year after year. Even after losing his entire coaching staff, he took the Crimson Tide to its first Final Four and still has national title aspirations to reach.

Dawn Staley – South Carolina

Dawn Staley has asserted herself as one of the best coaches at any level, turning South Carolina into a juggernaut of women’s college basketball. Her coaching prowess, relationship with players and ability to develop talent would play at any level and coaching any gender if she chose to leave.

Any team which believes it could poach Staley over the past several seasons has at least seen rumors fly around. From men’s and women’s college gigs to the NBA and WNBA, she has received heavy interest in her skills.

Why it won’t happen: Staley is running one of the most dominant programs in college athletics right now, constantly putting South Carolina in position to win the national championship regardless of roster turnover and changes in the college landscape. Simply put, she is a legend who holds a special esteem in her current role.

Kevin Young – BYU

An easy candidate to pick out, Kevin Young is another name who has NBA teams waiting for him to jump back into the professional ranks just one year after taking the BYU job. He was a top assistant who already interviewed for head coaching vacancies at that level before taking over the Cougars program.

Young has now brought his NBA scheme to college basketball, where he took BYU to the Sweet 16 in Year One. He has proven himself as a coach at any level, adding on-court success to his resume which already featured great player relationships.

Why it won’t happen: Young has No. 1 recruit and projected No. 1 draft pick AJ Dybansta committed for next season. With one of the best rosters in college basketball set to come in, now would be the most head-scratching time of all to make an NBA return.

Candidates worth knowing

Damon Stoudamire – Georgia Tech

Since taking over at Georgia Tech, there have been improvements made by Damon Stoudamire but no NCAA Tournament run to this point. However, his history as an NBA player and assistant with multiple franchises put him in the mix of candidates who could definitely apply his system at that level.

Penny Hardaway – Memphis

While his college basketball coaching career has seen ups and downs, Penny Hardaway’s ability to connect with players and develop them still stands out at times. He also holds the distinction as a former NBA point guard, giving him a level of respect and understanding across the league.

Fred Hoiberg – Nebraska

Fred Hoiberg has made the jump from college basketball to the NBA before, seeing a mixed bag of results during that time. While it did not end in great success, with him returning after a few years, that does not guarantee his name will fully fade away from the candidate pool.

Luke Loucks – Florida State

Having just made the jump from NBA to college basketball, if Luke Loucks can find success at Florida State he will surely draw interest to move back up a level. At that point, he would have the chance to decide which game he prefers coaching and settle in there.

Alex Jensen – Utah

Another coach who made the jump from the NBA to college basketball, Alex Jensen has heard his name in coaching searching at both levels in the past. Now, with success at Utah he could unlock doors wherever he ultimately wants to coach.

Jai Lucas – Miami

Now in his first head coaching position, Jair Lucas will get the chance to show what his system looks like after building great player relationships during his time as an assistant. After getting such a big job in his first go, it is clear how widely respected he is within basketball circles.

Future names to remember

Bryan Hodgson – South Florida

Synonymous with Nate Oats’ blueprint to build the Alabama program, Bryan Hodgson is now quickly working his way up the college ranks as a head coach with a great style of his own.

Dan Geriot – Iona

Another new hire who arrives with NBA ties, Dan Geriot could easily find himself back if he creates success over the next few years.

Eric Olen – UC San Diego

Playing a style which focuses heavily on perimeter shooting, there is one easy box checked for Eric Olen in NBA conversations if he can translate it across levels.

Phil Martelli Jr. – VCU

Phil Martelli Jr. played one of the fastest paces in college basketball this season, and is now rising to a more prominent job. He also holds family ties which hold great respect across the sport.