Ranking the best and worst coaching hires from 2015

Steve Forbes grew up in a town whose very name captures its essence. I’m just not.’’ Top mid-major hires East Tennessee State: Steve Forbes Hired: March 26, 2015 Record: 130-43 Postseason: 2 NCAA Tournament appearances; * CIT Team record five years prior: 86-78, no postseason since 2010 Liberty: Ritchie McKay Hired: April 1, 2015 Record: 154-87 Postseason: 2 CIT; 2 NCAA Tournament appearances;* beat Mississippi State in 2019 NCAA first round Team record five years prior: 67-97; no postseason since 2013 Skinny: Any Liberty fans who felt jilted when McKay left in 2009 to become Tony Bennett’s assistant at Virginia have come around in his second go-round. * Won conference tournament and earned at-large bid before season was canceled Top Power 5 hires Arizona State: Bobby Hurley Hired: April 9, 2015 Record: 92-69 Postseason: Two NCAA Tournament appearances Team record five years prior: 81-81; no NCAA Tournament since 2014 Skinny: Hurley’s Sun Devils were poised to earn their third consecutive NCAA bid this year, a string that hasn’t been matched at Arizona State since the 1960s. Worst overall hires St. John’s: Chris Mullin Fired: After four seasons Record: 59-73 Postseason: One NCAA Tournament appearance, in 2019 Team record five years prior: 92-72; two NCAA Tournament appearances; two NITs Skinny: The great nostalgia experiment did not go well for the Red Storm, Mullin steering his alma mater to one First Four appearance and the fan frenzy stoked by his hire cooling amid lousy results. Utah State: Tim Duryea Fired: After three seasons Record: 47-49 Postseason: None Team record five years prior: 108-57; one NCAA Tournament appearance Skinny: Before he retired, Stew Morrill led the Aggies to nine NCAA berths.