Ranking the Big 12 Basketball Coaches (Part 2)

In part one of this series, we talked a bit about Chris Beard at Texas Tech, Bruce Weber at Kansas State, and Steve Prohm at Iowa State. Let’s look at where Brad Underwood stacks up in part two of this series on Big 12 coaches.

7. Brad Underwood (Oklahoma State)

I know, seventh feels low for the new leader of the Cowboy basketball program. You probably know Underwood’s story by now. He went 89-14 in three seasons at Stephen F. Austin, took Notre Dame down to the wire in the second round of this last year’s tournament, and took the OSU job shortly afterwards.

Brad Underwood has been a smashing hit so far, convincing the major pieces in the program to stick around, reclaiming several Travis Ford recruits, and adding a few of his own, one Starbucks coffee at a time.

He’ll inherit a talented if not undersized roster, and one of the best backcourts in the Big 12. If (I believe, when) he proves it at this level, Underwood will quickly rise on this list.

6. Scott Drew (Baylor)

Ah, Scott Drew. Despite than being one of the more unpopular coaches around, Drew took a program in complete chaos after the Dave Bliss scandal in 2003 and has done a pretty darn good job, considering the state of the program previously.

After Drew emerged from the NCAA’s sanctions, he’s 68 percent of his games in the last nine years, and has won at least 21 games in a season EIGHT times.

Drew has made two Elite Eights and a Sweet Sixteen, but has been bounced from the First Round of the NCAA Tournament each of the last two seasons. H

e’ll enter this year with another talented team, and looks to keep it rolling in Waco. Is he a better pure basketball coach than Bruce Weber or even a Brad Underwood? Probably not. But he has lorded over an impressive run at Baylor and has made them a recruiting power in the Big 12.

5. Jamie Dixon (TCU)

Jamie Dixon is the perfect example of “what have you done for me lately?” His career numbers are impressive. In 13 years, Dixon holds a 328-123 record at Pittsburgh with 11 NCAA tournament appearances in the brutal Big East conference and the ACC (Pittsburgh moved to the ACC in 2013).

However, Dixon finished ninth in the ACC each of the last two seasons, losing in the first round of the tournament last season and missing it completely in 2014-2015.

There were rumblings that Dixon was on the hot seat, and Dixon left the program he had turned into a powerhouse on the east coast to come home to his alma mater, TCU. The Horned Frogs haven’t made a tournament since 1998, so the task will be difficult. Dixon has a career 328-123 record (.727).