The ACC Coaching Scene: A New Generation Steps Up
The ACC's Coaching Landscape is Changing, and it's an Exciting Time for Basketball Fans!
For the first time in four years, the ACC has a new youngest coach, and his name is Luke Loucks. At 35, Loucks, a former player under Leonard Hamilton at Florida State, takes the title of the greenest coach in the ACC. But here's where it gets interesting: he's not alone in this category.
Joining Loucks is Jai Lucas, another young coach at 36, who previously served as an assistant to Jon Scheyer. Lucas now leads the Miami program, bringing a fresh perspective to the league. Scheyer, at 38, is no longer the youngest, but he's still part of an exciting group of coaches with Duke connections, including Jeff Capel and the aforementioned Jai Lucas.
Capel, entering his eighth season at Pitt, has become the second-most senior coach in the league, following Clemson's Brad Brownell. Brownell, working at one of the ACC's toughest outposts, has achieved an impressive milestone, surpassing 100 victories at Clemson, a record-breaking feat.
The ACC is witnessing a unique phenomenon with five men currently leading men's programs without prior varsity head coaching experience. Besides Scheyer, this group includes Hubert Davis (UNC) and Adrian Autry (Syracuse). These coaches account for a significant 28% of the ACC men's head coaches this season, a statistic that raises some intriguing questions.
History Repeats Itself: A Look at the Past
Interestingly, this isn't the first time the ACC has seen success with inexperienced head coaches. Back in the 1960s, two legendary coaches took over at Duke and North Carolina without any varsity head coaching experience. Vic Bubas, who assisted Everett Case at NC State, transformed Duke into a national powerhouse, achieving three Final Four appearances and four ACC titles in just a decade.
Similarly, Dean Smith, who worked as an assistant to Frank McGuire, shaped the ACC basketball scene for over three decades. Smith's record speaks for itself, with more college game wins than any other coach before his retirement in 1997. His 11 Final Four appearances are a testament to his success, ranking him third all-time behind Krzyzewski and UCLA's John Wooden.
While Bubas never won an NCAA championship, his successors, Krzyzewski, Williams, and Smith, did. The last ACC coach to bring home the national title was Tony Bennett of Virginia in 2019.
Special Delivery: ACC Champions
Here's a look at the ACC member schools that have brought home the NCAA Men's Championship:
- 1957: North Carolina
- 1974: NC State
- 1982: North Carolina
- 1983: NC State
- 1991: Duke
- 1992: Duke
- 1993: North Carolina
- 2001: Duke
- 2002: Maryland
- 2005: North Carolina
- 2009: North Carolina
- 2010: Duke
- 2015: Duke
- 2017: North Carolina
- 2019: Virginia
And there you have it! The ACC is a league full of surprises and rich history. With the new coaching blood, who knows what exciting developments are in store for the upcoming season? Get ready for some thrilling basketball action!
