Each year, there are dozens of coaching changes across Division 1 NCAA basketball. So far this offseason, 59 schools hired a new head coach. The group includes several high-profile coaches at historically successful programs. Most of the well-known coaches in this transition period found positions at other schools, but there were some surprising moves. Now that the offseason has reached month four, the yearly coaching carousel is winding down. This provides an opportunity to analyze what moves were made and examine the significance that it will have on each program.

Michigan

Out: John Beilein

In: Juwan Howard

In perhaps the most high-profile coaching change this offseason, John Beilein left Ann Arbor after 12 successful seasons at the helm. Under Beilein, Michigan won two Big Ten regular season titles, and two conference tournament championships. His teams were perennial contenders, missing the NCAA Tournament only 3 times in 12 years, and finishing national runner-up twice. The hallmark of the Wolverines under Beilein was discipline and teamwork. In the last 12 years, Michigan was in the top 20 in the nation in TO% ten times. In May, Beilein signed a five-year deal to become the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. After Cleveland’s 19-63 season, Beilein will continue the uphill battle to rebuild the Cavs after Lebron’s departure to LA.

In order to replace the winningest coach in school history, the Wolverines turned to alumnus Juwan Howard. Howard played basketball for Michigan from 1991-1994 and was part of the ‘Fab Five’ teams that appeared in two straight National Championships. After a 19-year career in the NBA, Howard served as an assistant for the Miami Heat from 2013-2019. While it is rare for a storied program such as Michigan to hire a coach with no previous head coaching experience, this situation is different. Howard has widely been expected to receive a head coaching job soon, and he has a special connection with the Michigan program. In order to land top recruits, colleges focus on preparing players for the NBA, and Howard has more NBA experience than any coach in the nation.

Alabama

Out: Avery Johnson

In: Nate Oats

At the end of the 2018-19 season, Alabama decided to relieve Avery Johnson of his duties after four seasons as the team’s head coach. Overall, it was a disappointing term for the Crimson Tide, culminated by an 18-16 record last season. Johnson’s lone NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2018, led by current NBA PG Collin Sexton. One of the biggest issues throughout Johnson’s tenure was the average free-throw percentage (FT%) of his teams. In all four years, Alabama never ranked higher than 307th in the nation in FT%, with an average of 65.8%. This stat is a microcosm of the Johnson era at Alabama, and it shows that his teams struggled with the basics and did not improve. In fact, in Johnson’s first year, Alabama finished with a record of 18-15 overall and 8-10 in the SEC. In his final year, the numbers were nearly identical (18-16, 8-10).

Only three days after firing Johnson, Alabama signed former Buffalo head coach Nate Oats. His hiring came as a surprise to many Buffalo fans, considering Oats signed an extension through 2024 only two weeks prior. However, it is easy to see why Alabama AD Greg Byrne wanted Oats to lead his staff. Under Oats, the Bulls won the Mid-American Conference Tournament three out of four years and logged a combined record of 31-5 in the MAC over his final two seasons. Buffalo did not just show up to the dance, they won their opening-round games in 2018 and 2019. Oats’ main basketball philosophy is to push the pace, crash the glass, and take quality three-pointers. In his last two seasons at UB, the Bulls placed in the top-5 of Average Possession length (APL) each season, averaging one of the shortest offensive possession times in the nation. They also ranked inside the top 75 in Offensive Rebound Percentage in each of the past two years. It will be fascinating to see if Oats is able to continue his success at a Power-5 school, and Tide fans are hopeful to have a second fall sport to cheer for this season.