Big Ten Basketball Head Coach Rankings: Is Brad Underwood Top Three?

In the aftermath of Dusty May’s departure from Michigan, the door is cracked open in the Big Ten. After the two-year turnaround May engineered with the Wolverines – which culminated in the 2026 national title – the prevailing consensus was that the league would run through Ann Arbor for quite some time.

Instead, May is off to the Dallas Mavericks, and the Big Ten is again anybody’s league. That said, there are a handful of program leaders in the conference who are operating at a different level than their peers. Here are our top five head coaches in the Big Ten:

Top Big Ten basketball head coaches

Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum looks on in the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

No. 5: Ben McCollum, Iowa

The first year of the Ben McCollum era in Iowa City was something to behold. Although Iowa went a dead-even 10-10 in Big Ten play, the Hawkeyes were one of the most competitive teams in the league, losing just three games by double digits – almost entirely thanks to lead guard Bennett Stirtz – and McCollum.

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The Iowa head man, who is both a culture-builder and an X’s-and-O’s savant, elevates the floor for his squads astronomically. Meanwhile, the ceiling – which many considered low a year ago – will always be higher than it may appear on paper, evident in the Hawkeyes’ dance into the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament last season.

No. 4: Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska

Mar 26, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg reacts in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the South Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Nebraska had never won an NCAA Tournament game before Fred Hoiberg took over in Lincoln. And under his guidance last season,…

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Publish date : 2026-06-28 20:09:00

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