The Mid-American Conference fired four men's basketball coaches in March 2026. Their combined record: 200-333 (.375). Not one had a winning conference record in their final season. The MAC looked at its basketball product, decided it was broken, and replaced 25% of its coaching staff in a single month.
Ball State: Michael Lewis fired after four seasons (61-64). His first year was strong — 20-12 — but three consecutive losing seasons followed. Chris Capko hired from SMU's staff, where he spent a decade under Andy Enfield and helped USC reach the 2021 Elite Eight. First head coaching job.
Eastern Michigan: Stan Heath's contract not renewed after five seasons (57-99). Zero winning seasons. Heath previously coached at Kent State (where he made the 2002 Elite Eight), Arkansas, and South Florida. Billy Donlon hired — a former John Beilein assistant at Michigan with head coaching experience at Wright State and UMKC (155-133 combined). Six-year deal at approximately $450,000 per year.
Northern Illinois: Rashon Burno let go after five seasons (39-85), finishing 6-25 in his final year. Matt Majkrzak hired from Division II Northern Michigan, where he built a dynasty — winning GLIAC titles in four consecutive years (2023-2026) and compiling a 136-73 record. The DII-to-DI leap is a gamble, but the winning culture is established.
Western Michigan: Dwayne Stephens fired after four seasons (42-84). The former Tom Izzo assistant at Michigan State couldn't translate Big Ten pedigree to MAC success. Kahlil Fennell hired from UT Rio Grande Valley, where he turned around a 6-win program into a 35-29 outfit in two seasons. Five-year deal starting at approximately $400,000.
The pattern across all four hires: assistants from bigger programs and builders from smaller ones. The MAC is betting that coaches who have proven they can create something from nothing will fare better than coaches who arrived with impressive résumés and delivered losing records. Given the conference's resource limitations, that may be the only bet worth making.
The MAC replaced 25% of its basketball coaching staff in one month