March is always chaos, but it also feels a little bigger when you look down at the bracket and see Black coaches leading programs into the biggest spotlight college basketball has to offer. There is real weight to that. These aren’t just sideline guys drawing up ATOs and yelling out coverages. These Black men are trusted to lead major brands, mentor young athletes, manage entire campuses, and embody what true power looks like when opportunities are genuinely available in a sport that doesn’t always reflect the diversity of the individuals who contribute to it. That is significant.
And this year’s bracket gives folks plenty of names to rally behind. Some of these coaches are leading real Final Four threats. Some are guiding dangerous mid-majors. Some are just trying to kick the door in and steal one in front of the whole country. Either way, they all give your bracket a little extra heart. Here are some names worth rooting for when you fill out your bracket, because every one of them represents more than just X’s and O’s.
Hubert Davis, North Carolina
Hubert Davis remains one of the cleanest full-circle stories in college hoops. The former Tar Heel guard became the first Black head coach in UNC men’s basketball history in 2021, and he’s been carrying the pressure of one of the sport’s most famous jobs ever since. That alone is major, but Davis has also kept Carolina firmly in the national conversation, which is no small thing when the expectations in Chapel Hill are basically title-or-bust every year. North Carolina opens the tournament as a No. 6 seed against No. 11 VCU, and that is absolutely not a cupcake draw. VCU is the type of team that can make a game ugly in a hurry, but Carolina has enough size, talent, and March know-how to make a second weekend run if it handles business early.
Kelvin Sampson, Houston
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Kelvin Sampson is one of the most respected coaches in the whole sport, Black or otherwise. Houston hired him in 2014, and since then, he has turned the Cougars into a national power built on toughness, defense, discipline, and that mean edge that travels in March. This year, Houston is back in the field as a No. 2 seed. The Cougars open against No. 15 Idaho, which on paper should be manageable, but the bigger story is that Sampson has Houston positioned as a real Final Four and national championship threat again. This is not just a feel-good bid. Houston can absolutely make a deep run.
Kenny Blakeney, Howard
Kenny Blakeney has quietly become one of the most important Black coaches in the country, especially when you look at what it means to lead an HBCU into March Madness. The former Duke guard has been Howard’s head coach since 2019, and his time there has helped put the Bison back in the center of the national conversation during tournament season. Howard’s road starts in the First Four against UMBC, with the winner moving on to face No. 1 Michigan. So let’s be honest: the path is brutal. Still, that doesn’t take away from the accomplishment. Getting Howard back on this stage matters, and if the Bison can win that play-in game, that alone would be another huge moment for Blakeney and the program.
Nolan Smith, Tennessee State
Nolan Smith might have one of the freshest and coolest stories in the entire bracket. The former Duke star and national champion took over at Tennessee State and immediately led the Tigers into the NCAA tournament, a massive statement for a first-year head coach. The school saw him as a championship-caliber leader, and now that faith already looks justified. Tennessee State is a No. 15 seed and draws No. 2 Iowa State in the first round, so the Tigers are clearly underdogs here. A long run would be shocking, but this is still one of those games where all the pressure sits on the favorite. For Smith, simply getting Tennessee State here in Year 1 says a lot.
Antoine Pettway, Kennesaw State
Antoine Pettway is another coach worth circling if you love programs that are building real momentum. Kennesaw State named him head coach in 2023, and he made an impact right away, leading the Owls to two of the best Division I seasons in program history and posting the best winning percentage of any KSU coach in the D-I era. Now the Owls are dancing as a No. 14 seed. Their first-round matchup is No. 3 Gonzaga, which means the degree of difficulty is high from the jump. But every bracket needs a few upset picks, and Kennesaw State is the exact kind of dangerous underdog that could make people sweat. A Sweet 16 run would be a huge shock, but winning that first game is not impossible.
Dennis Gates, Missouri
Dennis Gates has already shown he can change the temperature of a program. He made an immediate impact and helped reestablish the Tigers on the national stage, and that feels about right given how quickly he brought energy and belief back to Mizzou. This year, Missouri is a No. 10 seed and gets No. 7 Miami in the first round, which feels like one of the more coin-flip games in the bracket. That makes Gates a fun coach to root for, because his team is not walking in just happy to be there. If Missouri gets past Miami, the road gets tougher fast, but the Tigers absolutely have the kind of profile that could hang around longer than people expect.
Johnny Dawkins, UCF
Johnny Dawkins is one of those Black coaches whose résumé deserves more flowers than it always gets. He now has 17 seasons of major-college head coaching experience and multiple postseason trips, and he’s been a stailizing presence for the Knights since arriving in 2016. He’s been around enough to know what March demands. UCF opens as a No. 10 seed against No. 7 UCLA, and that one has upset potential written all over it. The challenge is that No. 2 UConn would likely be waiting afte rthat, so the path is rough. Still, if you’re trying to identify a smart lower-seeded team that could ruin somebody’s bracket, Dawkins and UCF make plenty of sense.
Rod Strickland, LIU
Rod Strickland’s presence in the tournament is dope off rip. The former All-NBA point guard and New York City hoops legend took over LIU in 2022 after working with the NBA G League’s professional path program, and now he has the Sharks in the NCAA tournament. That’s one of the more under-the-radar Black coaching wins in this year’s field. LIU comes in as a No. 16 seed and has to deal with No. 1 Arizona, which is about as harsh a draw as it gets. So no, nobody should expect a long run. But March is also about stories, and Strickland leading LIU onto this stage is a story worth saluting by itself.
Byron Smith, Prairie View A&M
Byron Smith has been holding it down at Prairie View A&M for years, and getting the Panthers back into the NCAA tournament gives him another moment in the spotlight. Prairie View is in the First Four as a No. 16 seed and will face Lehigh for the right to move on and meet No. 1 Florida. That means the margin for error is tiny and the odds of. areal run are slim, but that’s true for most teams in the part of the bracket. The bigger point is that Smith has his program on the board in March, and winning that First Four game would still count as a big-time statement.
Jai Lucas, Miami
Jai Lucas is one of the younger Black coaches in the field, but his name has been buzzing around the sport for a while. Miami named him its 14th head coach in Match 2025 after his rise of Duke’s staff, and now he’s already got the Hurricanes in the NCAA tournament. That is real motion for a coach this early in his head-coaching run. Miami enters as a No. 7 seed and faces No. 10 Missouri in one of the more interesting first-round games on the board. The Hurricanes are good enough to make a little noise, but they’ll need to survive a tricky opener first. This feels less like a team built for a Final Four push and more like one that culd absolutely win a game or two if things break right.
When people talk March Madness, they usually keep the focus on superstar guards, busted brackets, and whatever Cinderella team catches fire for 48 hours. But the coaches matter too, especially the Black coaches carrying programs into these moments with the whole country watching. Some of these men are coaching contenders. Some are coaching dreamers. Some are trying to pull off chaos in a single-night window. But all of them are worth rooting for, and if you want your bracket to have a little more meaning, a little more culture, and a little more soul, these are some strong names to ride with this March.
