West Virginia Head Coach Candidates Coaching in the NCAA Tournament

A handful of coaches Mountaineer fans may want to watch during March Madness.

Mar 1, 2025; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Utah State Aggies head coach Jerrod Calhoun in the second half against the Colorado State Rams at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, West Virginia is not participating in this year's NCAA Tournament and could be considered one of the biggest snubs in the history of the event. Also, instead of attacking the transfer portal to build on a strong first year under Darian DeVries, athletic director Wren Baker finds himself in another coaching search.

Which coaches should Mountaineer fans keep an eye on during March Madness? Here's a list of potential candidates, appearing in order of the time of their first round game.

Alan Huss (High Point)

Mar 19, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; High Point Panthers head coach Alan Huss answers questions during the press conference at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

1st round game: vs. No. 4 Purdue

Game info: March 20th at 12:40 p.m. ET on truTV

Huss led the Panthers to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Big South Conference championship last week. It's been an incredible start to his coaching career, compiling a 56-14 record in his first two years. Like Darian DeVries, he also comes from the Greg McDermott coaching tree.

Ryan Odom (VCU)

Mar 19, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; VCU Rams head coach Ryan Odom during a press conference at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

1st round game: vs. No. 6 BYU

Game info: March 20th at 4:05 p.m. ET on TNT

Odom was the coach who led No. 16 seed UMBC past No. 1 seed Virginia a few years back. He has since had stints at Utah State (44-25) and of course, VCU, where he's gone 52-20 over the last two seasons.

Ben McCollum (Drake)

Mar 19, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Ben McCollum watches his team during a practice session at Intrust Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

1st round game: vs. No. 6 Missouri

Game info: March 20th at 7:35 p.m. ET on truTV

McCollum had a ton of success at Northwest Missouri State, where he worked with WVU AD Wren Baker and won four Division II national titles. In his first year at Drake, he's led the Bulldogs to a 30-3 record with a brand new roster, most of which is made up of his guys from the D-II level.

Jerrod Calhoun (Utah State)

Mar 19, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun talks with media during NCAA Tournament First Round Practice at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images / Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

1st round game: vs. No. 7 UCLA

Game info: March 20th at 9:25 p.m. ET on TNT

Calhoun is the only one on this list who has a direct tie to West Virginia University, spending time as an assistant here from 2007-12. He won big at Fairmont State, turned around a bad Youngstown State program, and is now finding success at Utah State.

Niko Medved (Colorado State)

Mar 1, 2025; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams head coach Niko Medved looks on in the second half against the Utah State Aggies at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

1st round game: vs. No. 5 Memphis

Game info: March 21st at 2 p.m. ET on TBS

Medved was a name that was linked to West Virginia last year, so surely he'll be at least in the conversation once again. He's led the Rams to the NCAA Tournament three times in the last four years.

Bryce Drew (Grand Canyon)

GCU Lopes head coach Bryce Drew yells out to his team as they play against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix on Jan. 4, 2025. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

1st round game: vs. No. 4 Maryland

Game info: March 21st at 4:35 p.m. ET on CBS

Drew didn't have much success in his first big-time job at Vanderbilt, but he might be ready for a second chance. He's done wonders with the Grand Canyon program, going 120-39 in five seasons. Before his stint at Vandy, he was very successful at Valparaiso, going 124-49.

Richard Pitino (New Mexico)

New Mexico's head coach Richard Pitino watches his team during the first round game between Clemson University and University of New Mexico in the 2024 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Friday, March 22, 2024. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

1st round game: No. 7 Marquette

Game info: March 21st at 7:25 p.m. ET on TBS

The son of the legendary Rick Pitino is having success with the Lobos and considered one of the up-and-coming coaches in the game. He had an up-and-down stint at Minnesota from 2013-21, but didn't have much to work with there and may have been taking on a job he wasn't quite ready for. Pitino is 87-48 in four seasons at New Mexico.

Other possible candidates

John Groce (Akron) vs. No. 4 Arizona

Ritchie McKay (Liberty) vs. No. 5 Oregon

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

West Virginia WR Requests Release From National Letter of Intent

WVU Coaching Search: Potential Top Target Already Off the Board

Wren Baker Tells it Like it is, WVU has More Recent Success Than Indiana

Wren Baker Addresses Patrick Morrisey's Legal Action Against the NCAA