Ranking the Remaining Coaches in the NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Region

Four coaches remain in the 2019 NCAA Tournament’s Midwest region, picked by three of our four-man panel as the toughest region in the competition. All four coaches have plenty of experience, but only two have won national titles. Here’s how the supremely accomplished group stacks up entering the Sweet 16.

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1. Roy Williams, North Carolina

Williams is the only coach of the group to win more than one national title. He’s appeared in two title games recently and has nine Final Four trips under his belt. He oversaw a strong program at Kansas before his time in Chapel Hill, where he took the Tar Heels to new heights.

He’s turned out NBA players regularly and has built title teams in different ways. It’s hard to mess up a blue blood program, but it’s also tough to elevate one. Williams has done the latter at two programs and because of his vast amount of experience and success, he’s clearly the best coach left in the region.

2. John Calipari, Kentucky

We can debate how much Calipari actually does on game days, but he recruits at the highest level in college hoops. Calipari has won a national title and appeared in four Final Fours. He took a Memphis program with Derrick Rose to the title game and came within a couple free throws from a banner.

His tenure at Kentucky has been highlighted by the regular amount of first-round NBA players he consistently produces. Calipari has a proven track record at multiple schools, but doesn’t have the accolades Williams has to crack the top of this list.

3. Kelvin Sampson, Houston

Winning 33 games throughout the course of a college basketball season is impressive, no matter the school you coach or which conference you play in, which is why what Sampson has done at Houston is nothing short of remarkable. Not only has he taken a program with a rich history and put it back on the map, but he’s also got a Final Four appearance under his belt from his time at Oklahoma.

Sampson has had trouble with the NCAA, but it appears that he’s back on track in Houston. With a strong recruiting base, resources and NCAA tourney success, Sampson has the Cougars looking like a program to be reckoned with in the AAC.

4. Bruce Pearl, Auburn

I was skeptical of how much success Pearl would have at Auburn after surpassing expectations at Tennessee, but he’s recruited well and developed a strong team.

Pearl’s name was involved in NCAA scandals before his time at Auburn, with the recent FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball even shining the spotlight brighter on him. Despite that, Pearl has had tremendous success on the court and has done so at a program historically known for football.

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