How 2026 men’s tournament coaches have played in the NCAA tournament

The NCAA tournament gives gamers a possibility to have interaction themselves in nationwide conversations, whether or not it is as certainly one of the high buckets in the nation, a fan favourite, or a reputation that comes up in March yearly.

For some coaches, it is an opportunity for them to relive a second in time from a previous life, profession, even.

28 coaches in this 12 months’s March Madness have competed in the NCAA tournament as a participant, with seven teaching at their alma mater and two successful nationwide titles collectively.

Here’s a have a look at what faculty coaches had a few of the most embellished resumes throughout their heydays. Below that could be a full listing of every coach who made it to the Big Dance.

Duke’s teaching pipeline

Duke earned the title of ‘NBA expertise manufacturing unit’ way back, producing high gamers yearly that took the faculty basketball realm by storm. Many keep for only a 12 months, others hold round, develop and grow to be veteran leaders.

The Blue Devils have grow to be a hotbed for turning their former stars into faculty coaches, too. Four are in this 12 months’s NCAA tournament, all enjoying for coach Mike Krzyzewski for 4 seasons — two successful a nationwide championship collectively and the others hoisting one in every in the Nineteen Eighties and 90s.

Take a have a look at just a few of them.

Duke’s Jon Scheyer—Duke from 2006-10

College basketball followers born after 2005 could solely know Jon Scheyer, ‘the coach,’ the disciple of coach Mike Krzyzewski.

But older March Madness heads have been launched to the 38-year-old 1.5 many years prior, who was a beginning guard that helped lead the Blue Devils to their first title in almost 10 years.

Scheyer, who played at Duke from 2006-10 reached the NCAA tournament in all 4 seasons and began in three of them. Scheyer’s large second in the Big Dance got here throughout the 2010 nationwide championship recreation.

The group captain ended his faculty profession on a excessive word, dropping 15 factors in the 61-59 win over Butler, scoring 5 of the Blue Devils’ remaining 10 factors, ending with six rebounds and a team-high of 5 assists. Scheyer was dialed in even earlier than that with 20 factors in their Elite Eight recreation and 23 in the Final Four matchup in opposition to West Virginia.

Scheyer would grow to be the second men’s basketball coach ever to win a nationwide championship as a participant and coach for his alma mater.

Tennessee State’s Nolan Smith—Duke from 2007-11

The different half of Duke’s 2010 polarizing backcourt was Nolan Smith, who, like Scheyer, assembled a powerful resume in Durham.

Smith had a quiet first two seasons for the Blue Devils, enjoying behind the likes of Scheyer, Gerald Henderson and DeMarcus Nelson. But when the latter two departed, Smith exploded onto the scene, averaging 17.4 factors per recreation and main the group in area targets made.

His high efficiency throughout the 2010 run got here in the Elite Eight, scoring 29 factors to raise Duke over Baylor, and he averaged 16 factors and 5 assists between the Final Four and title recreation. Although Smith and firm fell in the Sweet Sixteen a 12 months later, 2011 was undoubtedly his finest season for the Blue Devils — 20.6 factors per recreation, led the ACC in scoring and was stamped ACC Player of the Year.

Funny sufficient, Smith and Scheyer discovered themselves again underneath Coach Ok as assistants after their professional careers ended.

UCF’s Johnny Dawkins—Duke from 1982-86

Johnny Dawkins takes us again to the earliest days of Coach K’s 42-year tenure at Duke, and in a manner, helped set the program up for his rise to Blue Blood, star-studded standing.

A 6-foot-2 guard, Dawkins stuffed the stat sheet on a nightly foundation, scoring 2,556 factors from 1982-86, a college file that stood till JJ Redick surpassed it in 2006. He took the Blue Devils to the NCAA tournament thrice, the most memorable being in 1986, the place they fell simply brief in the nationwide championship recreation to Louisville, 72-69.

The program’s first of many Naismith Player of the Year winners, Dawkins dropped 20 factors and 4 rebounds in the loss.

“God only makes so many Johnny Dawkins” 🤣🐐 pic.twitter.com/8mWhCHhigu

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) October 21, 2025

Other names to know

Siena’s Gerry McNamara—Syracuse from 2002-06

Carmelo Anthony is the first title that involves thoughts for many when discussing the 2003 nationwide champions and Syracuse men’s basketball as a complete.

Quietly, Gerry McNamara was one other key ingredient to that freshman class and the Orange’s sole championship run. Starting all 135 for Syracuse over his four-year profession, McNamara averaged 13.3 factors and 4.4 assists in 2003, highlighted by an 18-point efficiency on six threes in the title recreation in opposition to Kansas.

McNamara was given co-ownership of the program’s keys for the subsequent three seasons after Anthony left, serving to lead the Orange to 3 extra NCAA tournament appearances. He thrived in the NCAA tournament once more in his sophomore marketing campaign, dropping 43 factors in his first spherical matchup in opposition to BYU, making it rain from deep with 9 threes.

The sharpshooter nonetheless holds the all-time profession file in made threes (400) at Syracuse, and is certainly one of three gamers from the championship group (Anthony and Hakim Warrick) to have their jersey retired.

North Carolina’s Hubert Davis—UNC from 1988-1992

The Tar Heels have produced a boatload of stars that have thrived in the tournament all through the years, and Hubert Davis is certainly one of them.

UNC’s coach was a task participant in his first two seasons, which resulted in two Sweet 16 exits, together with an 11-point efficiency in UNC’s 1990 tournament loss to Arkansas, whereas his junior 12 months, particularly in March Madness, was his coming-out occasion. Scoring 13.3 factors per recreation, the beginning guard dropped 19 factors in an Elite Eight win over Temple and a game-high of 25 in the Tar Heels’ Final Four loss to Kansas, coincidentally coached by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams, who was at North Carolina for 18 years.

Davis and the Tar Heels misplaced in the 1992 Sweet 16 to Ohio State in a season the place he averaged 21.4 factors per recreation. He has posted double-digit outings in every of his final eight NCAA Tournament video games.

Hofstra’s Speedy Claxton — Hofstra from 1996-2000

Claxton is one other former participant again at his alma mater, main the Pride to 2 of their 5 appearances in the NCAA tournament.

2000 was the first go-around that includes Claxton ‘the participant.’ Under Basketball Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright, the 5-foot-11 senior hooper was the golden little one for Hofstra, averaging 22.8 factors, 6.0 assists and 5.4 rebounds per recreation throughout his senior season.

Willing the Pride to an American East Championship, they reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in 1977. Hofstra went on to lose to Oklahoma State in the first spherical, however Claxton completed with 20 factors, seven assists and 4 rebounds.

He took dwelling two America East Player of the Year honors in 1998 and 2000 as nicely.

Kentucky’s Mark Pope — Washington/Kentucky from 1991-1996

There are seven coaches in this 12 months’s NCAA tournament who led their alma mater to March Madness, however even a smaller committee that has gained a nationwide championship throughout their hoop days. Mark Pope is certainly one of two, transitioning from a West Coast star at Washington to enjoying an vital position at Kentucky.

Pope gained Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1992, however the Huskies weren’t in a position to attain March Madness in their first two seasons.

Enter Kentucky.

The 6-10 ahead transferred there for his junior and senior years, reaching the Elite Eight throughout his first season in and slicing down the nets in his remaining tour. He was a group captain for the 1996 nationwide championship group, averaging 7.6 factors and 5.2 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per recreation. Although he did not have the strongest stat line in the title recreation in opposition to Syracuse, he made two clutch free throws in the semifinals in opposition to No. 1 UMass.

New Kentucky Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mark Pope & Co. signaling the win over John Calipari’s #1 ranked UMass squad in the 1996 National Semifinal: pic.twitter.com/xFoJMthE0y

— WT – Mo D Enthusiast (@WildcatsTongue) April 13, 2024

Long Island’s Rod Strickland—DePaul

DePaul’s men’s basketball program has retired simply 5 gamers’ jerseys all through its historical past, every gracing the Chicago hardwood previous to 1990, revealing the high-level of standards it takes for somebody to obtain that honor.

The most up-to-date one was Strickland, who played for the Blue Demons from 1985-88. He led DePaul to the NCAA tournament all three seasons — two being consecutive journeys to the Sweet Sixteen — and was named an All-American as a junior.

Strickland was the principal contributor in all three runs, scoring 130 factors and 51 assists throughout eight contests with highs of 25 and 13, respectively.

Coincidentally, DePaul was knocked out of the 1986 NCAA tournament by Duke and Johnny Dawkins, 74-67.

Coaches who played in the NCAA tournament

Here are the 28 coaches who took journeys to the Big Dance throughout their enjoying days — seven greater than final season featured. Three coaches are listed who made appearances in the DII or DIII nationwide tournaments. This consists of the coaches whose groups have been eradicated in the 2026 First Four spherical.

(Readers could have to scroll to learn the whole desk)