On Friday, February 21, the Naismith Awards announced the 2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year Watch List.
Each year, the award is presented to an outstanding coach who has achieved great on-court success.
Here are the coaches named to this year’s watch list:
| FULL NAME | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|
| Greg Gard | Wisconsin | Big Ten |
| Dennis Gates | Missouri | SEC |
| Todd Golden | Florida | SEC |
| Penny Hardaway | Memphis | AAC |
| Tom Izzo | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| Pat Kelsey | Louisville | ACC |
| Dusty May | Michigan | Big Ten |
| Grant McCasland | Texas Tech | Big 12 |
| Ben McCollum | Drake | MVC |
| Matt Painter | Purdue | Big Ten |
| Bruce Pearl | Auburn | SEC |
| Rick Pitino | St. John’s | BIG EAST |
| Richard Pitino | New Mexico | MWC |
| Kelvin Sampson | Houston | Big 12 |
| Jon Scheyer | Duke | ACC |
