Black coaches to watch in the 2025 NCAA men’s tournament

March Madness is here and all eyes are on the college basketball world once again, as one of the greatest events in sports, the NCAA tournament, is set to begin this week. Along with the skill that will be displayed on the basketball court over the next few weeks, the buzzer-beaters, the upsets and the heartwarming storylines, some fans will also notice the familiar visual of predominantly Black players playing while predominantly white coaches are coaching.

The disparity between coach and player representation remains present today despite a minor reduction in the gap over the past few years. According to the NCAA Demographics Database, while 52% of all Division I basketball players in 2024 were Black (down from 56% in 2019), compared to 25% that were white, only 31% of all coaches were Black (up from 28% in 2019, but down from 33% in 2023), while 64% were white. However, the percentage of Black assistant coaches in Division I college basketball has remained consistent, only dropping to 47% from 48% in 2019.

Back when many industries, including college athletic departments, made a concerted effort to hire qualified diverse applicants in response to the post-George Floyd unrest, there was a sense among some that just as gains were being made, things could just as quickly reverse. “I also know that there is going to be some backlash, I know there’s some people who aren’t in favor of what’s taking place because it’s taking jobs from what the numbers looked like before these Black coaches got the jobs,” South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley told me for a story in 2021, with the prescience of a coach anticipating an opponent’s defensive scheme.

The backlash is clearly here. With diversity, equity and inclusion under attack, it’s important to recognize the coaches of color who are succeeding in the current climate. Here’s a look at who to watch in this year’s men’s NCAA tournament.

Kelvin Sampson – Houston

No. 1 seeds are becoming a habit for Sampson. This is the third straight year that Sampson has led Houston to a dominant regular season and secured a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament, this time in the Midwest region. The Cougars (30-4) come into the tournament on a 13-game winning streak and will likely have to contend with teams such as Gonzaga, Clemson and Tennessee in order for Sampson to reach his third Final Four.

“Never take it for granted. It’s hard to make the NCAA tournament,” Sampson said Sunday night after the bracket reveal. “I would hope that our fanbase would never get so arrogant that they think it’s a right, because the people that are actually doing the work, we don’t think that way. I know how hard it is. Of course, I remember where I came from. I started at a school that didn’t care about basketball and now we are where we are.”

Dennis Gates – Missouri

After a dismal 2023-24 season, in which Missouri was 8-24 overall and 0-18 in the SEC, Gates’ team bounced back in a big way this season and comes into the NCAA tournament with a 22-11 record and a solid 10-8 in an SEC many are calling the best conference ever.

Gates served as an assistant to the recently retired Leonard Hamilton at Florida State for eight years, before taking the head coaching job at Cleveland State in 2019. Since then he has made the NCAA tournament three times including this season, once with Cleveland State and twice with Missouri. The Tigers are a 6-seed in the West and have a tough first round matchup against Drake. Mizzou is an explosive offensive team and battle-tested, so a Final Four run is not out of the question.

“I remind our guys in every first meeting [before the season] where the Final Four is at,” Gates said Friday night after losing to Florida in the SEC tournament.

Shaka Smart – Marquette

Smart is making his 12th NCAA tournament appearance and his fourth in four years as head coach at Marquette. He’s looking to make his second straight Sweet 16, this time as a 7-seed in the South, but the road won’t be easy with a tough first-round matchup versus New Mexico followed likely by an even stiffer test versus 2-seed Michigan State.

Marquette finished fourth in the Big East regular season before bowing out to St. John’s in the Big East tournament semifinals.

“The key is, that we come closer together and we make sure that whatever goes into being our best that we lacked tonight, we have to have that in our next game, we don’t have a choice. The difference is, now moving forward, as we say in the NCAA tournament, it’s kill or be killed,” Smart said after the semifinal loss.

Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway – Memphis

Hardaway, who had a memorable 14-year NBA career, is now in his seventh season as head coach of Memphis. He has won over 70% of his games, but heading into this week’s NCAA Tournament, Hardaway’s third appearance, he brings his best team to date.

The Tigers are 29-5 and have beaten tournament teams including Missouri, UConn, Michigan State, Clemson and Ole Miss. However, one of the Tigers’ best players and leader, senior point guard Tyrese Hunter, is questionable for the tournament because of a foot injury.

Hardaway has never gotten past the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament and it won’t be easy this time either. As a 5-seed in the West region, they face a hot Colorado State team in the first round and Big Ten power Maryland could lurk in the second round.

But Hardaway is thankful for where he is today.

“Growth. Growth as a coach, growth as a person,” Hardaway said in reference to where he and his team stands today versus where they were a year ago at this time. “There was a huge storm last year. Losing [in the AAC tournament] first round, my mother having throat cancer and just really going through it. To be here now, happy, winning the regular season and the conference championship, I feel blessed and grateful for this situation.”

Hubert Davis’ North Carolina squad and Rodney Terry’s Texas team both were among the last four teams selected by the NCAA tournament selection committee, so both played play-in games in Dayton, Ohio, this week. Both 11-seed North Carolina and 11-seed Texas had uneven seasons that did not live up to its fanbases’ expectations. Davis’ job security is stronger than Terry’s at the moment. Davis and the Tar Heels rolled past San Diego State on Tuesday 95-68 and will play No. 6 Ole Miss on Friday. Terry and the Longhorns lost 86-80 to Xavier in the First Four on Wednesday night.

Ritchie McKay and James Jones bring two dangerous teams to the tournament in 12-seeded Liberty (28-6) and 13-seeded Yale (22-7), respectively. Both McKay and Jones are accomplished, veteran coaches that have won games in the NCAA tournament before. Jones and Yale upset Auburn in the first round last year.

Takayo Siddle’s UNC Wilmington (27-7) team is a 14-seed in the West and will face Texas Tech.

Travis DeCuire and Montana (25-9) are in the East region as a 14-seed versus Wisconsin.

Dwight Perry leads Wofford (19-15) into the Midwest region as a 15-seed versus Tennessee.

Chris Crutchfield leads his alma mater Omaha (22-12) into the West region as a 15-seed to face St. John’s.

Robert Jones is back in the NCAA tournament for the third time. Norfolk State (24-10) is a 16-seed in the West region and will face Florida. Duane Simpkins and American (22-12) were a 16-seed in Dayton for a First Four matchup versus Mount St. Mary’s. American lost 83-72 to Mount St. Mary’s on Wednesday night. Tony Madlock and Alabama State scored a thrilling 70-68 First Four win against fellow 16-seed Saint Francis.