The 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 6, 2018. The first tournament was the 2K Sports Classic and the season concluded with the Final Four in Minneapolis on April 8, 2019. Practices officially began on September 28, 2018.[1] The season saw Zion Williamson dominate Player of the Year honors and media attention, while Virginia won its first NCAA Championship. The NCAA Championship Game between Virginia and Texas Tech would mark the final NCAA game with a 20-foot 9 inch three-point shot line, as it moved out to the FIBA standard of 22 feet and 2 inches the following year.
The following rules were also used in the 2018 NIT:
The three-point line was moved to the FIBA standard of 6.75 metres (22 ft 2 in). When the arc approached the sideline, it changed to a line parallel to and 1.02 metres (3 ft 4 in) from the sideline.[a]
The free-throw lane was widened from the current college standard of 12 feet to the NBA standard of 16 feet.
After an offensive rebound, the shot clock was reset to 20 seconds instead of the current NCAA standard of 30.
A set of rules relating to free throws that had been used in the 2017 NIT[3] was used again in the 2019 edition, with one modification:
Team foul counts, for purposes of determining bonus free throws, were reset to zero at the 10-minute mark of each half, effectively dividing the game into quarters for that purpose.
The "one-and-one" was eliminated. All bonus free throw situations resulted in two free throws for the non-fouled team. This mirrored current practice in NCAA women's basketball, which has been played in quarters since the 2015–16 season.
Teams entered the bonus upon the fifth team foul in each 10-minute segment.
The team foul count was reset to zero at the start of any overtime period. Teams entered the bonus upon the fourth team foul in an overtime period.
In a completely new feature, the NCAA adopted the NBA's bonus rule regarding team fouls in the last two minutes of any period. Teams entered the bonus on the second team foul in the last two minutes of a ten-minute segment or overtime period, regardless of the total team foul count at that point of the period.
Notes
^FIBA's definition of the three-point arc calls for the line to be exactly 0.9 metres (2 ft 11 in) from the sideline until it intersects the 6.75 m arc. However, the FIBA court is officially defined as 15 metres (49 ft 3 in) wide, slightly narrower than the NCAA standard of 50 feet (15.24 m). On a FIBA court, the closest three-point distance, found along a line parallel to the baseline that passes through the center of the basket, is thus 6.6 metres (21 ft 8 in) from the center of the basket. Translating this distance to the NCAA court dimensions results in the line being the stated 1.02 m from the sidelines.
Season headlines
May 23, 2018 – The NCAA announced its Academic Progress Rate (APR) sanctions for the 2018–19 school year. A total of nine programs in eight sports were declared ineligible for postseason play due to failure to meet the required APR benchmark, including the following Division I men's basketball team:[4]
May 29 – Conference USA announced a new men's basketball scheduling format that took effect with the 2018–19 season. The league now plays an 18-game schedule formatted as follows:[5]
During the first 14 games of the conference season, each team plays its designated travel partner home-and-home, and single games against every other team.
At this point, teams are placed into three groups based on their conference standings through 14 games, with the top five teams in one group, the next five in a second group, and the bottom four teams in the final group. Teams play within their grouping for the final four games of the conference season, with home and away games determined by a preset formula.
Each team will be locked into a seed for the C-USA tournament that corresponds to its group. For example, teams in the top group will be assured the top five seeds. The specific seedings will be determined by conference record across the full league schedule.
June 4 – The Sun Belt Conference announced a new men's basketball scheduling format similar to that announced by Conference USA the previous week. Effective with the 2019–20 season, the league was to have played a 20-game schedule formatted as follows:[6]
The conference would split into East and West Divisions for scheduling purposes, though this split would not affect overall league standings.
West: Arkansas State, Little Rock, Louisiana, Louisiana–Monroe, Texas State, UT Arlington
For the first 16 games of the conference season, each team would play home-and-home against other divisional members and single games against teams in the other division.
After 16 conference games, teams would be divided into four "pods" based on their conference standings at that time. The top three teams would be assigned to Pod A, the next three to Pod B, and so on through Pod D for the bottom three teams. The final four games for each team would be home-and-homes against the other two teams in that pod.
Each team would be locked into a seed for the Sun Belt tournament that corresponds to its pod. For example, teams in Pod A would be assured the top three seeds. Unlike the C-USA system, the specific seed would be based strictly on standings in the final four conference games—not overall conference record.
A year later, the conference announced that it would place almost all of these changes on hold. The only part of the plan that was implemented on the original schedule was expansion of the conference schedule to 20 games.[7]
August 8 – In response to the sport's ongoing corruption scandal, the NCAA announced a suite of major changes to its rules governing college basketball:[9][10][11]
Certain high school players and college players with remaining eligibility will now be allowed to have formal relationships with agents while retaining college eligibility. These agents must be certified by the NCAA. College players can be represented if they have formally requested an evaluation of their NBA prospects from the league. Should the NBA change the age limit for the draft to once again allow players to be drafted directly from high school, the rule also allows for high school players to be represented, effective on the July 1 before their senior year, if USA Basketball has designated them as "elite senior prospects". However, these relationships will be allowed only during the draft process, and must be terminated if the player returns to school.
Certain players who declare for the NBA draft but are not selected will be free to return to their former schools, as long as they have not signed professional contracts, or have not complied with NCAA rules for relationships with agents, in the meantime. However, this privilege is only extended to players who have requested NBA evaluation of their draft prospects and have been invited to the NBA Draft Combine.
School presidents, chancellors, and athletics staff members are now contractually required to comply with all NCAA investigations. This effectively gives the NCAA subpoena power in its investigations, which it previously lacked.
Presidents and chancellors are now personally accountable to the NCAA for athletic department compliance with NCAA rules.
The NCAA and its Committee on Infractions can now use information obtained in outside investigations in its infractions process. Previously, the NCAA could not use such information.
August 22 – The NCAA announced that effective immediately, the RPI will no longer be used in the selection process for the Division I men's tournament. It was replaced by the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), which takes into account the following:[12][13]
Game results
Strength of schedule
Location (home, away, or neutral site)
Scoring margin—Teams will receive no added credit for victory margins above 10 points. Additionally, overtime games will be assigned a scoring margin of 1 point, regardless of the actual score.[14]
Net offensive and defensive efficiency
Quality of wins and losses—The NCAA will continue to use its "quadrant" system, introduced for last year's tournament selection process, to classify individual wins and losses.
All games will be evaluated equally; there is no bonus or penalty for when a game is played within the season.
The NET was adopted only for men's basketball. All other sports that use selection committees to determine NCAA tournament entries, including the Division I women's basketball tournament, continue to use their own versions of the RPI.[13]
September 28 – LSU player Wayde Sims, set to play his junior season for the Tigers, was killed in a shooting near the Southern University campus in Baton Rouge, home to both schools.[16]
October 3 – Long Island University announced that it would merge its two current athletic programs—the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds, full members of the NEC, and the Division II LIU Post Pioneers—effective with the 2019–20 school year. The new program will compete under the LIU name with a new nickname and maintain LIU Brooklyn's Division I and NEC memberships.[17] This change will have minimal effect on the existing LIU Brooklyn men's basketball program, as LIU has announced that the unified basketball team will be based at the Brooklyn campus.[18]
January 19 – The last two undefeated teams lost. First, Michigan suffered a 54-64 point loss at Wisconsin. Later on in the day, Virginia lost on the road to Duke by the score of 72–70.
February 13 – Florida A&M announces four athletic teams, including men's basketball, are ineligible for postseason play due to failure to meet the APR multi-year threshold.[23]
February 20
North Carolina's 88–72 upset of top-ranked Duke was overshadowed by a freak injury suffered by superstar Duke freshman Zion Williamson. On the Blue Devils' first possession of the game, Williamson's left shoe catastrophically failed, with the sole completely separating from the midsole. Williamson suffered a sprained right knee in the incident, and did not return to the game.[24] The following day, the injury was confirmed to be minor; although Williamson was listed as day-to-day immediately after the injury,[25] he did not return to action until the Blue Devils' ACC tournament opener on March 14.[26]
On his way home from a postgame meal after Syracuse's 69–49 upset of Louisville, Orange head coach Jim Boeheim was involved in a fatal car accident. A car crashed on Interstate 690 in Syracuse, and the occupants attempted to cross over to the median. Boeheim hit one of them while swerving to avoid those with disabilities vehicle, and the victim died in a local hospital. Neither driver involved in the incident was found to be impaired, and Syracuse's police chief initially indicated that no charges would be filed in the case.[27]
March 5 – Kansas was eliminated from the race for the Big 12 Conference regular-season title with an 81–68 loss atOklahoma, ending the Jayhawks' streak of consecutive conference regular-season titles at a Division I men's record of 14.[28]
March 7 – The district attorney for Onondaga County, New York issued his report on the fatal car accident in which Jim Boeheim was involved. According to the report, the disabled vehicle did not have lights on, and also had inoperable rear marker lights. Additionally, the passengers of that vehicle, including the individual who was struck and killed, were wearing dark clothing. Boeheim was officially cleared of wrongdoing, and no charges would be filed against anyone involved.[29]
March 8 – In further fallout from the corruption scandal, LSU suspended head coach Will Wade indefinitely. This action came the day after it was revealed that FBI wiretaps had intercepted calls between Wade and Christian Dawkins, an aspiring agent who had been convicted on federal felony charges relating to the corruption scandal, during one of which Wade referenced a "strong-ass offer" made to a recruit.[30][31]
March 15 – Long Island University announced that its merged athletic program would compete as the LIU Sharks.[32]
April 14 – Will Wade was reinstated as LSU head coach after a meeting between the LSU athletic department, Wade, and NCAA compliance officials.[33]
December 3—Furman was ranked 25th in the AP top 25 poll - signifying the first time in school history that the program cracked the top 25.[57]
December 7—Mike Daum became the Summit League's all-time leading scorer. In a 42-point outing against Southern, Daum passed former Oral Roberts forward Caleb Green's conference record 2,504 points.[58]
December 21 – Chris Clemons of Campbell became the Big South Conference's all-time leading scorer. He passed VMI guard Reggie Williams' 2,556 career points for the honor.[59]
February 23 – Syracuse drew a crowd of 35,642 in the Carrier Dome for its 75–65 loss to then top-ranked Duke, breaking the school's own record attendance of 35,446 for an on-campus college basketball game.[61] Not only was this a record, it was also greater than the home attendances of more than half of Division I men's teams in the entire regular season (180 out of 353).[62]
February 25 – Wofford made the AP top 25 for the first time in the school's history, entering the poll at #24.[63]
March 3 – Marshall guard Jon Elmore became the Conference USA all-time leading scorer, passing UTEP's Stefon Jackson. Earlier in the season, Elmore became the conference's all-time assist leader (passing UTEP's Julyan Stone), making him the only player currently leading a conference in both categories all-time.[64]
Later in the season (March 26), in a quarterfinal match of the CollegeInsider Postseason tournament, Elmore made three 3-pointers to become Conference USA's all-time leader in that category.[65] He surpassed the previous record of 345 set by Charlotte's Jobey Thomas in 2002.[65]
March 21 – The first day of the first round of the NCAA tournament saw one significant milestone achieved and one major record broken:
First, in an afternoon West Regional game, Murray State'sJa Morant became the first player with a triple-double in the NCAA tournament since Draymond Green in 2012, with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists in the Racers' 83–64 win over Marquette.[69]
Then, in a late-evening Midwest Regional game, Wofford's Fletcher Magee became the Division I career leader in three-pointers, surpassing Oakland'sTravis Bader in the Terriers' 84–68 win over Seton Hall. Magee's seven three-pointers gave him 509 for his career to Bader's previous record of 504. This was also Wofford's first-ever NCAA tournament win.[70]
Conference membership changes
Six schools joined new conferences for the 2018–19 season. Four schools switched between Division I conferences for the 2018–19 season. In addition, two schools moved from Division II starting this season and are ineligible for NCAA-sponsored postseason play until completing their D-I transitions in 2022.
In addition to the schools changing conferences, the 2018–19 season was the last for Savannah State in D-I with its decision to reclassify all of its sports to D-II.[77]
Houston initially planned to reopen the renamed Fertitta Center (originally Hofheinz Pavilion) by the start of the 2018–19 season, but the new arena did not open until December 1, 2018, six games into the season.[80] The Cougars' first game in the renovated facility was a 65–61 upset of then-#18 Oregon.[81]
Due to delays in the construction of the new UPMC Events Center, originally scheduled to open in January 2019 but since delayed to that summer, Robert Morris played its entire home schedule at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center, a facility that opened in 2017 at the on-campus North Athletic Complex as part of the UPMC Events Center project.[82]
An upset is a victory by an underdog team. In the context of NCAA Division I Men's Basketball this generally constitutes an unranked team defeating a team currently ranked In the Top 25. This list will highlight those upsets of ranked teams by unranked teams as well as upsets of #1 teams. Rankings are from the AP poll.
Bold type indicates winning teams in "true road games"-i.e., those played on an opponent's home court (including secondary homes, such as Intrust Bank Arena for Wichita State).
In addition to the above listed upsets in which an unranked team defeated a ranked team, there were six non-Division I teams to defeat a Division I team this season. Bold type indicates winning teams in "true road games"—i.e., those played on an opponent's home court (including secondary homes).
USBWA Most Courageous Award: The 2019 men's award was not presented to a figure involved with the Division I game. This year's recipient was involved with the NCAA Division II game—namely Ericka Downey, wife of Northeastern State men's head coach Mike Downey.[143]
Coaching changes
Several teams changed coaches during and after the season.
Johnson and Alabama mutually agreed to part ways on March 24 after 4 seasons, in which the Crimson Tide went 75–62 overall but only made the NCAA tournament once.[144] Alabama filled the opening three days later, hiring Buffalo head coach Oats.[145]
Fox was fired on March 15 after 5 seasons and a 56–99 overall record at Appalachian State.[146] On March 28, the Mountaineers hired Presbyterian head coach Kerns for the position.[147]
Arkansas parted ways with Anderson on March 26 after 8 seasons, in which the Razorbacks went 169–102 overall, but Arkansas's AD cited lack of consistent success in the SEC and NCAA as the reasons for Anderson's dismissal.[148] Nevada head coach Musselman was hired by Arkansas on April 7.[149]
The 65-year-old Byrd announced his retirement on April 1 after 33 seasons at Belmont and 38 overall as head coach. Byrd led the Bruins to many accomplishments including winning the 1989 NAIA championship, 8 NCAA tournament appearances, and leaves Belmont as the winningest head coach with 713 wins.[150] Casey Alexander, a former Belmont player and Byrd assistant and head coach of crosstown rival Lipscomb for the past 6 seasons, was hired on April 10.[151]
Oats left on March 27 to replace Avery Johnson as the Alabama head coach. Oats left Buffalo with a 97–43 record over four years, four winning seasons, and back-to-back tournament appearances, both of which included a victory in the Round of 64.[145] Bulls associate head coach Whitesell was promoted to head coach on April 6.[152]
The 61-year-old Rose announced his retirement on March 26 after 14 seasons at BYU. Under Rose, the Cougars won 348 games overall (pending the school's appeal of an NCAA rules violation in November), but this season was the first in Rose's tenure in which the team did not play in any postseason tournaments.[153] On April 10, Utah Valley head coach and former BYU assistant Pope was hired for the head coaching position.[154]
Callero was fired on March 6, effective at the end of the season. At the time of his firing near the end of his 10th season at Cal Poly, he had a record of 126–182, and the Mustangs were 6–21 overall and 2–12 in Big West play, long since assured of their sixth straight losing season. Additionally, the Mustangs were assured of their worst overall record in nearly 25 years.[155] On March 28, the school hired Cal State Fullerton assistant coach Smith for the job.[156]
Jones was fired on March 24 after two seasons in Berkeley, during which the Golden Bears went 16–47 overall and 5–31 in the Pac-12.[157] Former Georgia and Nevada head coach Fox was hired on March 29.[158]
Cronin left his alma mater on April 9 after 13 seasons to accept the UCLA head coaching job.[159] The Bearcats stayed local for Cronin's replacement, hiring Brannen away from nearby Northern Kentucky on April 14.[160]
Cleveland State fired Felton on July 12 after 2 seasons and a 22–44 overall record.[161] The Vikings hired Florida State assistant Gates for the job on July 26.[162]
Matheny was fired on March 18 after 10 seasons at Elon. Despite leaving as the program's winningest coach with 151 wins, the Phoenix only made one postseason tournament under Matheny.[163] On April 5, Elon hired Ohio State assistant coach Mike Schrage as their new head coach.[164]
Johnson was fired March 11 after 8 seasons at Fairfield, in which the Stags went 116–147 overall.[165] Rutgers assistant coach Young was named the new head coach of Fairfield on April 3.[166]
George Washington parted ways with Joseph on March 15 after 3 seasons and an overall record of 44–57.[167] On March 21, the Colonials hired Christian away from Siena to take the job.[168]
Hunter left Georgia State on March 24 after 8 seasons for the Tulane head coaching job.[169] Tennessee assistant coach and former Siena head coach Lanier was hired by the Panthers as their new head coach on April 5.[170]
The 67-year-old Carmody announced his retirement on June 18 after 4 seasons at Holy Cross, and 21 seasons overall as head coach.[171] The Crusaders hired Marquette assistant Nelson as Carmody's successor on July 3.[172]
Nickelberry stepped down from his head coaching position on March 26 after 9 seasons at Howard, finishing 96–193 overall.[173] The Bison hired Columbia assistant Kenny Blakeney as their new head coach on May 6.[174]
Verlin, who had been placed on administrative leave by Idaho since late May, was fired on June 14 after 11 seasons following an internal report that revealed potential NCAA violations in the program. Assistant coach Zac Claus was initially named interim head coach of the Vandals for the 2019–20 season,[175] but had the interim tag removed on February 25 and was named full-time head coach of the team.[176]
Evans' 7-year tenure at Idaho State came to an end on March 26 after his contract was not renewed, finishing 70–141 overall.[177] The Bengals went to Division II for their next hire, tapping Point Loma's Ryan Looney, fresh off a loss in the D-II title game, as their next head coach on April 18.[178]
Gardner resigned from IUPUI on August 27, 2019, after 5 seasons following an OWI arrest 2 days earlier. He leaves the school with a 64-93 overall record. Associate head coach Rimm was initially named interim head coach of the Jaguars for the 2019–20 season,[179] but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the school announced on June 11, 2020, that they had shut down their coaching search and retained Rimm for the 2020–21 season.[180] On April 13, 2021, Ball State assistant coach and IUPUI alum Matt Crenshaw was hired as the new head coach of the program.[181]
Skinner announced his resignation from Kennesaw State effective after the season on February 21.[182] The Owls finished 41–84 overall in Skinner's 4-year tenure as head coach. Georgia assistant coach Amir Abdur-Rahim was hired as his replacement on April 18.[183]
Alexander left Lipscomb on April 10 after 6 seasons to accept the head coaching job at his alma mater and Lipscomb's crosstown rival, Belmont.[151] On April 23, the Bisons hired Acuff from the D-II Alabama–Huntsville Chargers as the new head coach.[184]
Hoffman was fired on March 11 after 11 seasons at Mercer. The Bears went 209–165 under Hoffman, but this season, in which the team finished 11–20 overall and 6–12 in the Southern Conference, was the worst season of his tenure.[185] On March 26, the university hired Purdue assistant coach Gary for the head coaching job, officially introducing him after Purdue exited the NCAA tournament.[186]
Beilein left Michigan on May 13 after 12 seasons to accept the head coaching job with the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. Beilein ends his Michigan tenure as the all-time winningest coach in school history with 278 wins.[187]Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard, a Michigan alum who is best known for his role in the Fab Five during the 1990s, was hired as his replacement on May 22.[188]
MVSU fired Payne on March 25 after 5 seasons, in which the Delta Devils went 31–132 overall and lost at least 25 games in each season of his tenure.[189] The school hired former NBA player Lindsey Hunter as their new head coach on April 20.[190]
Montana State parted ways with Fish on March 17 after 5 seasons and a 65–92 overall record.[191] Cal State Fullerton assistant and former Bobcat standout player Sprinkle was hired as the new head coach on April 4.[192]
Bozeman's 13-year tenure at Morgan State ended on March 20 when his contract was not renewed. Under Bozeman, the Bears finished 195–218 overall, but this season was the 6th straight in which the team finished with a losing record.[193] Maryland assistant Kevin Broadus, who also served as Binghamton head coach from 2007 to 2009, was hired as his replacement on April 29.[194]
Nebraska fired Miles on March 26 after 7 seasons, in which the Cornhuskers went 116–114 overall and made only 1 appearance in the NCAA tournament under his tenure.[195] Former Iowa State and Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg was hired as his replacement on March 30.[196]
Musselman left Nevada on April 7 after 4 seasons for the Arkansas head coaching job.[149] The school announced on April 11 that it had hired Alford, who had been fired by UCLA at midseason, and formally introduced him as the Wolf Pack's newest head coach the next day.[197]
Niagara fired Casey on March 11 after 6 seasons. Under Casey, the Purple Eagles went 64–129 overall with one winning season.[198] Niagara went to the Division II ranks for its new hire, announcing Le Moyne head coach Patrick Beilein (son of then Michigan head coach John Beilein) as the new coach on March 28.[199] However, the younger Beilein would never coach a game for the Purple Eagles, resigning on October 24, 2019, for undisclosed personal reasons.[200]
Jones left North Dakota on May 1 after 13 seasons for the associate head coaching position at Illinois State.[201] The Fighting Hawks hired Sather from Division II Northern State University as their new head coach on May 28.[202]
Murphy left Northern Arizona on June 2 to become the top assistant at his alma mater of Arizona, leaving NAU with a 78–149 record in 7 seasons. The Lumberjacks named assistant Burcar as interim head coach for the 2019–20 season, and had the interim tag removed on March 25.[203][204]
Brannen left NKU on April 14 after 4 seasons for the Cincinnati vacancy.[160] On April 23, former Western Kentucky and South Carolina head coach Darrin Horn was hired away from his assistant coaching position at Texas to become the Norse's new head coach.[205]
Ohio fired Phillips on March 13 after 5 seasons, in which the team went 81–77 overall and 40–50 in Mid-American Conference play.[206] The school then hired Boals, who played for the Bobcats and began his coaching career as an assistant with the team in the 1990s, from Stony Brook on March 17.[207]
Kerns left Presbyterian on March 28 after 2 seasons for the head coaching job at Appalachian State.[147] College of Charleston assistant coach and Presbyterian alumnus Quinton Ferrell was hired as his replacement on April 11.[208]
Hall of Fame player and St. John's great Chris Mullin resigned on April 9 after 4 seasons as head coach of his alma mater. Mullin posted records of 59–73 overall and 20–52 in Big East play, though the Red Storm reached the NCAA tournament this past season.[209] Former Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson, who was let go by Arkansas last month after 8 seasons, was hired as the new coach on April 19.[210]
Martelli was fired on March 19 after 34 seasons at Saint Joseph's, the last 24 as head coach. Despite Martelli's 444–328 overall record, the Hawks were unable to break .500 in the last three seasons, finishing this season 14–19 overall and 6–12 in the A-10.[211] On March 28, Saint Joseph's hired Philadelphia 76ers assistant and former Navy head coach Billy Lange.[212]
Smith left San Francisco on March 27 after three seasons to replace Ernie Kent at Washington State. During his tenure, San Francisco went 63–40 with two CBI appearances.[213] The Dons promoted assistant Golden to head coaching position the following day.[214]
Christian left Siena on March 21 after a single season to take the head coaching job at George Washington. This was the second straight offseason in which Siena made a coaching change, having fired Jimmy Patsos after the 2017–18 season.[168] The Saints promoted assistant coach Maciariello to fill the vacancy on March 26.[215]
Harris's contract with SIUE was not renewed on March 11, ending his 4-year tenure at the school. The Cougars went 31–88 overall during his tenure.[216] On March 26, assistant coach Barone was initially promoted to interim head coach of the Cougars for the 2019–20 season, but had his contract extended on November 13 and named head coach of the team.[217][218]
Otzelberger left after three seasons for the UNLV opening.[219] Assistant coach Henderson was promoted to head coach of the Jackrabbits the following day.[220]
Ladner left Southeastern Louisiana on April 17 after 5 seasons to accept the head coaching job at his alma mater, Southern Miss.[221] Ladner's top assistant, David Kiefer, was named as his replacement on July 2.[222]
Shortly after losing to Northern Iowa in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, Hinson announced his resignation from Southern Illinois on March 8. The Salukis finished 116–106 overall under Hinson, but did not make any postseason tournaments during his 7-year tenure with the team.[223] On March 20, the school hired Loyola-Chicago assistant and former Salukis player Mullins for the head coaching job.[224]
Sadler resigned on April 11 after 5 seasons at Southern Miss. Under Sadler, the Golden Eagles went 56–94 overall, but this season was their best under Sadler, in which the team went 20–13 overall and finished tied for 2nd in conference play. The following day, new Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg announced he had hired Sadler, a former Cornhuskers head coach who had spent a season on Hoiberg's staff at Iowa State, as an assistant.[225][226] The school hired Southeastern Louisiana head coach and fellow alumnus Jay Ladner as their new head coach on April 17.[221]
Stetson fired Williams on March 6 after 6 seasons and a 58–133 overall record, including a 7–24 overall record and 3–13 in ASUN play this season.[227] On March 29, the Hatters hired Dayton assistant and former UCF/Marshall head coach Donnie Jones.[228]
Boals left Stony Brook on March 17 after 3 seasons to take the head coaching job at his alma mater of Ohio.[207] Assistant coach Ford served as the interim head coach of the Seawolves in the CBI, and had the interim tag removed on March 26.[229]
Following the 2017–18 season, Temple announced on April 13, 2018, that Dunphy would step down from his head coaching position at the end of the 2018–19 season, with assistant coach and former Owl player McKie succeeding him.[230] In Dunphy's 13-year tenure at Temple, the team won 270 games overall and made the NCAA tournament 8 times. McKie was officially introduced as head coach of the Owls on April 2, 2019.[231]
Tennessee Tech announced on March 3 that Payne had resigned after 17 seasons on the coaching staff and 8 as head coach. Tech had failed to make the NCAA tournament during Payne's head coaching tenure, and his final record as head coach was 118–134. The 2018–19 season saw the Golden Eagles finish last in the OVC, at 4–14 in-conference and 8–23 overall.[232] Alabama assistant Pelphrey, who previously served as head coach at South Alabama and Arkansas, was named Tennessee Tech's new head coach on April 6.[233]
Texas A&M announced on March 12 that Kennedy will not return next season. At the time of the announcement, the Aggies were 150–115 overall under Kennedy's 8-year tenure, but this season, in which the team went 13–17 overall and 6–12 in SEC play, was their worst since joining the conference in 2012.[234] The school hired Virginia Tech head coach Buzz Williams to the same position on April 3.[235]
Troy parted ways with Cunningham on March 11 after 6 seasons and an 80–111 overall record.[236] On March 26, the Trojans hired TCU assistant coach and former UT Arlington head coach Cross for the job.[237]
After a 24–69 overall record in 3 seasons, including going winless in conference play this season, Tulane parted ways with Dunleavy on March 15.[238] On March 24, the Green Wave hired Georgia State head coach Hunter for the job.[169]
UCLA fired Alford on December 31. In 5+1⁄2 seasons at UCLA, Alford was 124–63 along with 3 Sweet 16 trips, but the Bruins were 7–6 on the season and in the midst of a four-game losing streak, capped off by a double-digit home loss to Liberty. Top assistant Murry Bartow, whose father Gene succeeded John Wooden at UCLA, was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[239] The school hired Cincinnati's Mick Cronin as their new head coach on April 9.[159]
UMKC fired Richardson on March 14 after 6 seasons, in which the Kangaroos went 75–118 overall with one winning season.[240] On March 28, Northwestern assistant and former Wright State head coach Donlon was hired to fill the vacancy.[241]
UNLV parted ways with Menzies on March 15 after 3 seasons and a 48–48 overall record.[242] The Runnin' Rebels hired Otzelberger away from South Dakota State on March 27.[219]
Pope left Utah Valley on April 10 after 4 seasons for the head coaching job at BYU, where he served as assistant coach prior to taking the Utah Valley job.[154] The school hired Los Angeles Lakers assistant Mark Madsen as his replacement on April 14.[243]
Vanderbilt fired Drew on March 22 after 3 seasons and a 40–59 overall record. After qualifying for the NCAA tournament in 2017, Drew's first season, the Commodores suffered back-to-back losing seasons, including an 0–18 conference record in 2018–19.[244] On April 5, former North Carolina standout and two-time NBA All-Star Stackhouse agreed to become the new head coach for Vanderbilt after being an assistant for the Memphis Grizzlies.[245]
Williams left Virginia Tech on April 3 after 5 seasons to take the Texas A&M head coaching job.[235] The Hokies hired Wofford head coach Young as his replacement on April 7.[246]
Washington State fired Kent on March 14 after 5 seasons and a 58–98 overall record, with no Pac-12 finish higher than 10th in any of the last four seasons.[247] The Cougars hired San Francisco head coach Smith on March 27.[213]
Willam & Mary parted ways with Shaver on March 13 after 16 seasons. Shaver leaves as the program's winningest coach with 226 wins, but the Tribe were never able to make their first NCAA tournament under his tenure.[248] On April 2, the Tribe hired George Mason assistant Fischer to replace him.[249]
Young left Wofford on April 7 after 17 seasons to accept the Virginia Tech job.[246] The Terriers promoted their top assistant McAuley to head coach on April 14.[250]
