Newest basketball coaches give SEC upgrade

In this March, 2015 file photo, Mississippi State men's basketball coach Ben Howland fist bumps with player Oliver Black prior to being introduced to fans and media on the floor at Humphrey Coliseum on the school's campus in Starkville, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
In this March, 2015 file photo, Mississippi State men's basketball coach Ben Howland fist bumps with player Oliver Black prior to being introduced to fans and media on the floor at Humphrey Coliseum on the school's campus in Starkville, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

FAYETTEVILLE -- The SEC lost its dean of men's basketball coaches this spring when Billy Donovan, a two-time NCAA champion at Florida in 2005-06, made the leap to the NBA to coach the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Yet the league might have strengthened itself overall during the offseason by attracting a decorated group of new coaches in Rick Barnes at Tennessee, Ben Howland at Mississippi State, Avery Johnson at Alabama and fast-rising Michael White to take over for Donovan at Florida.

New guys on the block

RICK BARNES

SCHOOL Tennessee

AGE 60

HOMETOWN Hickory, N.C.

ALMA MATER Lenoir-Rhyne (1977)

CAREER RECORD 604-314

HEAD COACHING STOPS George Mason (1987-88), Providence (1988-94), Clemson (1994-98), Texas (1998-2015)

NOTEWORTHY Led Texas to one Final Four (2003) and 16 trips to the NCAA Tournament in 17 seasons. Won three Big 12 championships and four Big 12 coach of the year awards. Led the Longhorns to the No. 1 ranking on Jan. 11, 2010. All-time winningest coach in Texas history.

BEN HOWLAND

SCHOOL Mississippi State

AGE 58

HOMETOWN Lebanon, Ore.

ALMA MATERS Weber State (1979), Gonzaga (1981)

CAREER RECORD 401-206

HEAD COACHING STOPS Northern Arizona (1995-99), Pittsburgh (2000-03), UCLA (2004-13)

NOTEWORTHY Led UCLA to three consecutive Final Fours (2006-08) and became first coach since John Wooden to take the Bruins to three consecutive conference titles (2006-08). Had the highest winning percentage (.685) in his 10-year span at UCLA (2004-13) of all Pacific-12 schools. Joined Adolph Rupp and John Calipari as the only coaches with three consecutive 30-win seasons.

AVERY JOHNSON

SCHOOL Alabama

AGE 50

HOMETOWN New Orleans

ALMA MATER Southern University (1988)

CAREER RECORD 254-186

COACHING STOPS Dallas Mavericks (2005-08), New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets (2010-12)

NOTEWORTHY Starting point guard on NBA champion San Antonio Spurs (1999) during his 16-year career. Guided Dallas to its first appearance in the NBA Finals and won the NBA’s coach of the year award in 2005-06. Established the NBA record for the fastest coach to 50 victories (62 games) and 150 victories (191 games). Had his jersey No. 6 retired by the Spurs on Dec. 22, 2007. Served two stints as an ESPN analyst.

MICHAEL WHITE

SCHOOL Florida

AGE 38

HOMETOWN Dunedin, Fla.

ALMA MATER Ole Miss (2000)

CAREER RECORD 101-40

HEAD COACHING STOP Louisiana Tech

NOTEWORTHY Four-year starter at point guard at Ole Miss (1995-99). Led Louisiana Tech to three consecutive conference championships in the Western Athletic Conference (2013) and Conference USA (2014-15). Spent seven years as an assistant coach at Ole Miss (2005-11). Son of Kevin White, the athletic director at Duke, and previously Notre Dame.

"We've certainly got a new group that is very accomplished and very good," said Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings, now the longest-tenured SEC men's coach at 16 years. "I'm sure we'll just continue to enhance the status and the image of our league."

Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson marveled at the consistent coaching turnover in the league, which has left him tied for fifth in seniority in the SEC heading into his fifth season behind Stallings, Ole Miss' Andy Kennedy, Kentucky's John Calipari and Georgia's Mark Fox.

"I tell you what, we have lost some tremendous coaches, but as we've seen we have some tremendous guys coming in," Anderson said. "Great recruiters. ... All it does is make a statement that our league is continuing to step up from the standpoint of coaches."

Kennedy agreed, calling Barnes one of the most underrated coaches in college basketball.

"I think it's certainly enhanced the profile of SEC basketball, which is obviously a good thing for our league," Kennedy said.

Howland directed three NCAA Final Four teams during his 10-year stint at UCLA before critics say he lost his grip on discipline. Barnes led Texas to the 2003 Final Four and coached in 16 NCAA Tournaments in his 17 seasons with the Longhorns.

Johnson, a player with the 1999 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, earned his coaching stripes on the professional level with Dallas and the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets. White, a four-year starter on successful Ole Miss teams in the late 1990s, turned Louisiana Tech into a repeat conference champion in four seasons prior to succeeding Donovan.

"You're talking about bringing some quality coaches into what already is a quality league," said Texas A&M Coach Billy Kennedy, who also is entering his fifth season. "It just continues to keep the SEC as an elite league."

Howland said he is excited to be entering a league with this class of coaches.

"I mean Rick Barnes ... you think about taking a team to the NCAA Tournament 16 out of 17 years, that is absolutely phenomenal," Howland said. "Avery's been to the finals of the NBA ... and it's phenomenal for our league to have a coach of his stature joining the league. I think he's a fun guy and a great coach. He was NBA Coach of the Year. That says it all right there."

Johnson was the most outside-the-box hire of the foursome with no college coaching experience.

"I'm thrilled to be here and thrilled to be a part of such a great lineup of SEC coaches, and glad to be coming in with Coach Howland and Coach Barnes and Coach White," Johnson said. "Obviously I'm the rookie since I'm the guy who's never coached college, but hopefully I'll be able to play catch up and we can put a program on the floor that can be very competitive, not only in the SEC but also in the postseason."

Paul Pressey, a longtime NBA player and current assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, played on teams with Johnson and coached him as a Spurs assistant.

"Avery has a great basketball mind," Pressey said. "He's going to do some special things down there. The biggest thing is recruiting, and he's great with people."

Barnes, who has been a head coach in the Big East, the Atlantic Coast and the Big 12 conferences, said an influx of outstanding signees should have SEC basketball on the rise.

" I think basketball has a chance to really go to new heights ... in terms of consistency," he said. "There's no reason the University of Tennessee shouldn't be able to compete at the highest level year in and year out.

"I think the league as a whole is just going to get better and better because of the fact we're going to be able to attract the top players in the country, and you couple that with the coaching experience in the league, it makes for great competition."

White said he thinks SEC basketball can produce teams capable of competing for NCAA championships annually.

"It's such a prestigious conference nationally, and basketball has always had its blips on the radar where it's been really, really good in certain years," White said. "I think that with the emphasis on the scheduling tactics, if you will, to try to get out computer numbers up as a league, I think the last couple of years has seen SEC basketball do some really good things."

Sports on 07/03/2015

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