The 2026 men’s college basketball coaching carousel has kicked into high gear, with more than 20 jobs already announcing changes — including five power-conference positions.

Despite schools moving quickly at the ends of their respective seasons, an even larger contingent of programs at the low- and mid-major level have opted to stay the course with their embattled coaches.

Will that trend continue at the power-conference level?

That’s been the question for weeks among industry sources, with more jobs than usual hovering right around a 50-50 chance of turning into openings. As we’ll get into shortly, the rest of this week could determine how long the power-conference carousel spins this spring.

Whether it’s weeks or months, this will be your one-stop shop for the entire carousel — the latest news and buzz from around the country, primers on the big jobs as they open and analysis on all the dominoes that fall.

MARCH 11

Syracuse officially informed head coach Adrian Autry of his firing on Wednesday morning after a three-season run. Autry was the successor to Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim, who retired in 2023 after 47 years as the head coach of the Orange. A former Syracuse player under Boeheim, Autry spent 12 seasons as an assistant coach on Boeheim’s staff before taking over as head coach.

Who will hire the next coach?

The firing was not a surprise — the only question was timing, which could also potentially impact the search for a new head coach. Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack announced his retirement last month and plans to leave the school on July 1. Syracuse has not officially announced his replacement yet, though college football Bowl Season executive director Nick Carparelli is considered the favorite. It has been understood that Wildhack would let Autry go, then the incoming athletic director would make the next hire, although sources told ESPN that Wildhack has been working behind the scenes on the preliminary stages of the search for a few weeks.

What’s the perception of the job?

Boeheim built Syracuse into one of the most consistent and prominent programs in college basketball over his five decades at the helm of the Orange. They went to five Final Fours, won the 2003 national championship and were a staple in the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. The March runs papered over the cracks of a program that didn’t finish better than sixth in the ACC in any of Boeheim’s last nine seasons, though, and finished 14th in two of Autry’s three seasons as head coach. They are not a ready-made contender anymore.

That said, the NIL structure has improved, and there were certainly enough resources to put together a talented roster with March expectations entering this season.

What names are worth monitoring?

Three current head coaches stand out: Siena’s Gerry McNamara, Saint Louis’ Josh Schertz and South Florida’s Bryan Hodgson.

McNamara is a Syracuse legend and was on Boeheim’s staff alongside Autry for 12 years before spending one season under Autry as his associate head coach. McNamara just led Siena to the MAAC tournament title and an NCAA tournament bid on Tuesday, taking the Saints to their first Big Dance since 2010. Siena went 4-28 the season before McNamara took over; just two years later, it won 23 games.

Schertz is arguably the most sought-after mid-major coach of the cycle, along with Utah State’s Jerrod Calhoun. Schertz built a stellar reputation for himself with multiple Division II Final Four appearances at Lincoln Memorial, then led Indiana State to 32 wins in 2023-24 and now has Saint Louis tracking toward the NCAA tournament this season.

Hodgson is an upstate New York native whose stock has risen dramatically over the last few years. He has won back-to-back regular-season titles the last two seasons, split the Sun Belt title and won 25 games at Arkansas State last season, then won the American in his first season at South Florida.

Another name to watch is UConn assistant Luke Murray, who has been part of two national championship-winning staffs under Dan Hurley in Storrs. Murray has been credited with helping build UConn’s vaunted offensive system over the last few years.

More openings

Boston College Eagles

There have been several names linked to this opening since Boston College fired Earl Grant last Friday. Merrimack’s Joe Gallo, Colgate’s Matt Langel, UConn assistant Luke Murray, Yale’s James Jones, Furman’s Bob Richey and Los Angeles Clippers assistant Jay Larranaga are rumored to be in consideration. One dark-horse name also in the mix: Tulsa’s Eric Konkol, who worked with BC athletic director Blake James at Miami.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

With Damon Stoudamire out, Belmont’s Casey Alexander and Troy’s Scott Cross have the most perceived momentum for the opening at Tech. Alexander just guided the Bruins to the Missouri Valley regular-season title before losing in the conference tournament, while Cross has the Trojans going to back-to-back NCAA tournaments. Tech deputy AD Brent Jones also overlapped with Cross at Troy. Other names that have been mentioned include Furman’s Bob Richey, Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey, Appalachian State’s Dustin Kerns, former NC State coach Kevin Keatts and George Mason’s Tony Skinn. Long Island Nets coach Mfon Udofia, who played at Tech, has been linked as well.

Kansas State Wildcats

With the mid-February firing of Jerome Tang, Kansas State is furthest along among the power-conference searches. Utah State’s Jerrod Calhoun is considered the favorite for the position — the Ohio native could opt to slow-play his decision and wait to see if the Cincinnati or Pittsburgh roles open and either program expresses interest. Belmont’s Casey Alexander and Creighton associate head coach Alan Huss are also involved. Northern Iowa’s Ben Jacobson is believed to be on the list as well.

Providence Friars

Kim English’s ousting hasn’t been officially announced yet, though the administration has informed him he will not be returning next season. There have been a long list of names linked to this job in recent days, although Santa Clara’s Herb Sendek has been buzzing as a legitimate candidate. Clippers assistant Jay Larranaga, Utah State’s Jerrod Calhoun, South Florida’s Bryan Hodgson and Merrimack’s Joe Gallo have also been linked.

What’s next?

The rest of the week could be busy.

With Arizona State, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh winning in their respective conference tournament games on Tuesday, any potential decisions on their futures will have to wait at least another day.

Arizona State seems certain to bid farewell to Bobby Hurley, whose contract is up after the season and whose departure has been the expected outcome for nearly a year. Pittsburgh is not as definitive as Arizona State, although signs point to the Panthers parting ways with Jeff Capel after eight seasons. He still has eight figures left on a fully-guaranteed deal, however, which makes the decision more complicated for athletic director Allen Greene. Wes Miller and Cincinnati surged onto the bubble down the stretch of the season — potentially saving his job in the process — but if the Bearcats fall short of the NCAA tournament, a change could be in store.

In addition to the above programs, another handful of schools with hot seat questions play on Wednesday: Memphis, Butler, LSU and Oklahoma. One could make the argument that none of those four programs ends up making a coaching change this spring. Things are trending toward Porter Moser getting another season at Oklahoma, although he could also look to make a move on his own before facing another year on the hot seat in 2026-27. Memphis and Butler are difficult to read, while Matt McMahon’s future at LSU is not quite solidified, either.

More chatter

• Michigan assistant Justin Joyner is the heavy favorite at Oregon State.

• Top candidates at St. Bonaventure include Daemen College coach Mike MacDonald and Washington Wizards assistant coach David Vanterpool — both former Bonnies.

• Little Rock is viewed as a desirable job, with the likes of Southeast Missouri’s Brad Korn, former Saint Louis head coach Travis Ford and DePaul assistant Bryan Mullins all linked to the position.

• UL Monroe let go of Phil Cunningham after just one season with the Warhawks defeating only two Division I teams. UAB assistant Ryan Cross and Chipola College coach Donnie Tyndall have the most buzz here.

• New Mexico State’s Jason Hooten has been among the names swirling around for the Tarleton State vacancy.

• Among the names involved for the UNC Greensboro Spartans job is former Stanford head coach Jerod Haase.