"The tectonic shift that NIL deals and revenue sharing have sparked in college sports has not spared the men's basketball coaching carousel and the annual hot seat discussion. When NIL and revenue sharing were first introduced, there were questions on whether schools would be more patient when it came to firing coaches, opting instead to spend buyout money on putting together better rosters."
"It's now become clear that that's not the case. In reality, patience is at an all-time low. If new hires aren't cutting it after two years, they're on the hot seat. If a veteran coach underperforms for a few consecutive years, he's likely getting forced out the door, or at least under significant pressure. We saw evidence of that last spring,"
"We saw evidence of that last spring, when Minnesota's Ben Johnson (four years), Utah's Craig Smith (four years), Texas' Rodney Terry (three years) and Villanova's Kyle Neptune (three years) were let go after short stints. NC State fired Kevin Keatts 12 months after making the Final Four. Indiana's Mike Woodson stepped down midway through his fourth year at his alma mater."
NIL deals and revenue sharing have fundamentally changed college basketball coaching dynamics, removing previous tolerance for underperformance. Patience for new hires has decreased, with many programs evaluating coaches harshly after two seasons. Veteran coaches who underperform across consecutive years face firings or intense pressure. The recent cycle included short stints and abrupt departures at several Power Five programs, plus notable retirements. The 2024 and 2025 offseasons featured numerous high-profile changes, and further movement among blue-blood programs and longtime coaches is anticipated in 2026.
Read at ESPN.com
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