The 2026 coaching carousel produced 41 changes. The headline stories — Will Wade's betrayal, UNC's identity crisis, Kansas State's legal battle — dominated the coverage. But the carousel's edges tell their own stories. Here is every other move worth knowing.
41 coaching changes, 27 filled, and the transfer portal opens in 9 days
The Hometown Returns
Charlotte: Aaron Fearne fired after three seasons (47-51). Wes Miller hired on a five-year deal — a Charlotte native and UNC national championship player (2005) who was fired from Cincinnati five days earlier. Sometimes the carousel delivers you home.
FIU: Jeremy Ballard fired after eight seasons (113-141 — the winningest coach in program history, despite the losing record). Joey Cantens hired from Daytona State College, where he went 120-40 with four conference titles. Cantens played at FIU as a freshman in 2005-06. His uncle Bernie played there in the 1980s. The Florida International family tree runs deep.
Little Rock: Darrell Walker departed after eight seasons (113-133). Travis Ford hired — a veteran with 24 years of Division I head coaching experience across Eastern Kentucky, UMass, Oklahoma State, and Saint Louis.
The Retreads and Reboots
UNC Greensboro: Mike Jones fired after five seasons (93-69) — his only losing season was his last (15-19). Jerod Haase hired on a five-year deal. Haase was previously head coach at Stanford for eight seasons (fired in 2024) with a 206-180 career record. A former player and assistant at both UNC and Kansas, Haase brings Power Four experience to a Southern Conference program.
Pepperdine: Ed Schilling fired after two seasons (22-45, 8-28 WCC). Griff Aldrich hired — age 51, most recently Virginia's associate head coach (helped UVA to 30-6 this season). Previously led Longwood to two NCAA Tournament appearances in seven seasons.
San Diego: Steve Lavin fired during a 12-21 season (46-79 overall in four years). JR Blount hired at age 38 from Iowa State's staff, where he spent five seasons under T.J. Otzelberger (120-51 combined, four straight NCAA Tournaments). One of the sharpest young defensive minds in the sport.
The Extremes
Louisiana-Monroe: Phil Cunningham fired after just one season in which his team defeated only two Division I opponents. A 4-28 caliber season that set new lows even by Sun Belt standards. Ryan Cross hired — a UAB associate head coach who previously coached at ULM from 2012-2020 and has two NCAA Tournament appearances on his résumé.
Tarleton State: Billy Gillispie, 66, resigned on January 30 due to heart and blood pressure issues. His 92-90 record across six seasons included building the Texans' transition to Division I. Eric Haut hired from Utah State's staff, bringing 22 years of NCAA coaching experience.
Dartmouth: David McLaughlin's contract was not renewed after nine seasons (87-161). The search remains active — one of the few openings still unfilled as the portal approaches.
Georgia State: Jonas Hayes fired after four seasons (48-78) with four straight losing seasons. Search still active.
Weber State: Eric Duft stepped down to a non-coaching "President of Basketball Operations" role after four seasons (66-65). Search still active.
Forty-one changes. Twenty-seven positions filled. The portal opens April 7. The clock is ticking for the programs still searching — and for every player deciding whether the coach who recruited them is the coach who will develop them.