New Mexico is in the market for a new head coach after the departure of Richard Pitino to Xavier.
Pitino led the Lobos to a 27-8 overall record and the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament with a first-round win over Marquette. He guided New Mexico to a 17-3 league record and the 2024-25 Mountain West Conference regular-season title.
The Mountain West is a quality upper mid-major conference that pays its coaches well and gets multiple teams into the NCAA Tournament. The conference also is a springboard for better opportunities, with Pitino and Niko Medved moving up to the Power Five level this offseason.
There will be plenty of quality candidates in the mix. Here are five coaches with head coaching experience that could be in play.
Eric Olen, UC San Diego Coach
Olen led UC San Diego to the NCAA Tournament and a 30-5 record in the program’s first year eligible for the tournament due to its transition from the Division II to Division I level. Under Olen, UC San Diego plays an exciting brand of basketball. This season, the Tritons were a mainstay in the top 100 in categories such as scoring defense, scoring offense, 3-point percentage, turnovers per game and scoring margin. Olen has a 240-119 overall record in his 12 years at UC San Diego.
Russell Turner, UC Irvine Coach
Turner has transformed UC Irvine into a perennial contender with NCAA Tournament aspirations every year. In his 15 seasons as head coach, he has steered the Anteaters to 13 consecutive winning seasons, including two NCAA Tournament appearances. Under his leadership, UC Irvine has also captured seven of the last 12 conference titles, solidifying the program as a consistent force in college basketball.
Craig Smith, Former Utah Coach
Utah fired Smith last month during his fourth season after the Utes stumbled to a 15-12 record. During his tenure, he compiled a 65-62 record but failed to lead Utah to an NCAA Tournament appearance. Last season, the Utes went 22-15 and reached the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
Before taking over at Utah, he led Utah State to a 72-24 record in three seasons, earning two NCAA Tournament berths. The Aggies were also on pace for a third straight appearance before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the season.
Joe Pasternack, UC Santa Barbara Coach
Pasternack has transformed UCSB into a perennial contender in the Big West, consistently keeping the Gauchos in the championship mix. He has won 20 or more games in six of his eight seasons at UC Santa Barbara, capturing two conference titles and earning NCAA Tournament berths in 2021 and 2023. This season, UCSB finished 21-13, bringing Pasternack’s overall record to 169-81 with the program. Before taking over at UCSB, he spent four seasons (2013-17) as an associate head coach at Arizona.
Bucky McMillan, Samford Coach
McMillan posted a 333-74 record in 12 seasons as an Alabama high school boys basketball coach. Samford made an unconventional move, hiring McMillan as its head coach in 2020. The move has worked out well. Last season, Samford qualified for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000. McMillan has led Samford, who runs an up-tempo style, to four straight 20-plus win seasons in his five years at the helm.
