Facilities/fans: Sixth Tier I Record since 2000: 335-430; one conference title; two NCAA Tournaments (0-2)In short: We raised this job by two spots from our last rankings when Utah State was sixth. But the Aggies have had too much success regardless of head coach to keep that low. Since 2000, Utah State ranks second among […]
Facilities/fans: Sixth
Tier I
Record since 2000: 335-430; one conference title; two NCAA Tournaments (0-2)In short: We raised this job by two spots from our last rankings when Utah State was sixth. But the Aggies have had too much success regardless of head coach to keep that low. Since 2000, Utah State ranks second among MW schools in wins (579), conference titles (15) and NCAA Tournament berths (12) with several coaches having success, including Stew Morrill, Craig Smith, Ryan Odom, Danny Sprinkle and now Jerrod Calhoun. It’s concerning coaches keep leaving the school so quickly, as elite jobs don’t have that kind of turnover rate. But it’s also a great selling point to coaches that Logan can be a springboard to a bigger payday. Utah State sits in the MW’s second-smallest market, but the fans are among the best in the conference.5. Boise StateRecord since 2000: 579-250; 15 conference titles; 12 NCAA Tournaments (2-12)10. San Jose StateIn short: The No. 2-5 schools on this list aren’t separated by much, so you could argue for almost any placement within Tier II. Boise State has had a ton of success under Leon Rice, who was hired in 2010 and has averaged 21 wins per season with five NCAA Tournament berths in 15 seasons. The facilities are good, too, with ExtraMile Arena hosting NCAA Tournament games not too long ago and a high-level program complex. On the downside, the budget is mid-level; the Broncos only have five league titles in the last 25 seasons; they’ve never won an NCAA Tournament game (0-10); almost all of the success has come under Rice; and Boise State will always be a football-first town. This is a good job, but there are some demerits.
Tier II
Budget: ,079,930 (fourth)Budget: ,097,388 (eighth)Facilities/fans: EighthBudget: ,241,656 (third)Facilities/fans: FourthHead coach salary: N/AFacilities/fans: FirstBudget: N/AHead coach salary: .7 million (second)9. Wyoming2. NevadaHead coach salary: 5,000 (sixth)Columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at crmurray@sbgtv.com or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.6. UNLVBudget: ,818,506 (ninth)Facilities/fans: SecondFacilities/fans: FifthBudget: ,727,314 (seventh)Head coach salary: 0,008 (eighth)Record since 2000: 496-312; 10 conference titles; seven NCAA Tournaments (3-7)Facilities/fans: Ninth8. Fresno StateIn short: We put Air Force last because this school is not set up to have success in the NIL, transfer-heavy college basketball model. Previously, the Falcons could develop a senior-laden team that takes advantage of schools that are put together on the fly with transfers. But now the Falcons are losing transfers they can’t replace. Air Force has lost its top scorer to a power-conference school in each of the previous two offseasons, which a school like this cannot afford. The Falcons are one of two MW teams with a losing record since 2000 (SJSU is the other) with coach Joe Scott, who had previous success at Air Force, going 43-106 in Colorado Springs the last five seasons, including a 15-78 league mark. The team’s last winning season was 2012-13.In short: Wyoming ranks bottom three in the MW in budget, head-coaching salary and wins since 2000. It lost head coach Jeff Linder to an assistant job at Texas Tech last offseason, which shows how frustrating the gig can be. Laramie isn’t the easiest place to recruit to given its remote location, winter weather and medium-sized fan base. The program does have a strong history, although most of that came pre-Vietnam War. The Cowboys have played in 16 NCAA Tournaments with five Elite Eights and a 1943 national championship (joining UNLV as MW schools to accomplish that). But only three of those NCAA Tournament appearances have come in the last 37 seasons. At Wyoming, you’ll always have to punch above your weight.
Tier III
3. New Mexico1. San Diego StateBudget: ,823,977 (sixth)In short: The knock on New Mexico the last time we did these rankings was a lack of on-court success the last 25 seasons outside of the Steve Alford era. Richard Pitino has assuaged those concerns with MW titles in each of the last two seasons (one tournament, one regular season) with a win in the Big Dance this March. The Lobos have the MW’s strongest fan base and good facilities with The Pit one of college basketball’s most famous home-court advantages. The budget could be bolstered a little, and must be to keep Pitino from returning to the power-conference level. New Mexico hasn’t reached the Sweet 16 since 1974, but it’s not like a lot of MW teams have reached that level (just SDSU, UNLV and Nevada in the 2000s).Record since 2000: 439-360; two conference titles; six NCAA Tournaments (3-6)Budget: ,254,424 (10th)Record since 2000: 404-391; three conference titles; three NCAA Tournaments (1-3)Head coach salary: .2 million (fourth)Facilities/fans: 10thIn short: CSU could be higher, and it will be interesting to see if the Rams land a better coach than UNLV with both jobs open (the Rebels tabbed Josh Pastner). CSU spends money, ranking second in budget and coaching salary. Niko Medved proved you could win at a high level with the school’s first MW title since 2003 coming this season and back-to-back years with an NCAA Tournament victory (one was in a “First Four” game if we’re counting those). The location, campus and community are top notch, although attendance generally lags behind the MW’s top schools. CSU hasn’t won a regular-season league title since 1990 when it was in the WAC. This ranking is the one I’m most conflicted on, but I still give UNLV the close edge.Facilities/fans: 11thBudget: ,114,263 (first)
Tier IV
The Mountain West will experience head-coaching turnover this offseason with openings at UNLV and Colorado State plus potential vacancies at New Mexico and Utah State (although Jerrod Calhoun looks like he’s staying in Logan). With the offseason here and changes afoot, it seems an appropriate time to re-rank the conference’s basketball jobs from best to worst, refreshing our previous rankings from 2023. The rankings below include categories for budget (per the self-reported numbers to the U.S. Department of Education for fiscal year 2024); current head-coaching salary; the team’s performance over the previous 25 seasons (since 2000-01); and my rankings for where their facilities/fan base ranks among MW programs. Here’s the list.Head coach salary: .3 million (third)4. Utah StateRecord since 2000: 234-527; zero conference titles; zero NCAA Tournaments (0-0)Budget: ,908,879 (fifth)Facilities/fans: ThirdIn short: SDSU became a powerhouse program after Steve Fisher lifted it from the grave before handing the job to top assistant Brian Dutcher, who has raised the Aztecs’ profile even more. SDSU’s 13 NCAA Tournament wins since 2000 are twice as many as any other MW program with its 16 league titles tops by one over Utah State. Its 578 wins in the last 25 seasons also rank first with a great fan base and excellent facilities to boot. The budget of more than million is more than million more than the MW’s second-highest spender (Colorado State). SDSU reached the NCAA Tournament championship game in 2023 and is the second-best “mid-major” in the nation after Gonzaga. This is an easy call for the top spot.Record since 2000: 497-314; three conference titles; six NCAA Tournaments (3-6)Head coach salary: million (fifth)In short: We dropped UNLV a tier from our last rankings (and down two spots overall and four since we first did these rankings in 2020). The Rebels’ most recent coaching search is proof why as UNLV didn’t land its top targets and has been spinning its wheels the last decade. Lon Kruger had a successful run from 2004-11, but that’s about it post-Jerry Tarkanian, and he was fired 34 seasons ago. UNLV no longer funds basketball at a high level with football taking more financial prominence lately. The fan base also seems tuned out with the invasion of pro sports to Vegas. UNLV has won just three league titles in the last 25 seasons and has the ninth-longest NCAA Tournament drought among the MW’s 11 schools (last made it in 2013).Head coach salary: 0,000 (ninth)Record since 2000: 578-253; 16 conference titles; 14 NCAA Tournaments (13-14)
Tier V
In short: Things haven’t been good of late for Fresno State basketball, which has one winning season in the last six years and six in the last 18 with four coming from Rodney Terry, who got so fed up with the Bulldogs job he willingly moved to El Paso to take the UTEP gig instead. Fresno State has had issues with NCAA violations (Jerry Tarkanian, Ray Lopes) and a betting scandal this year. The Bulldogs’ last regular-season conference championship came in 2003 with one NCAA Tournament berth in the last 24 seasons (2016). The Bulldogs’ arena, the Save Mart Center, is awesome — probably the MW’s best — but rarely one-third full with a fan base more engaged with football. The recruiting location is good, but the results haven’t been there.Head coach salary: 5,000 (10th)11. Air ForceIn short: We could go in a variety of directions for the No. 2 job with four or five schools making a legitimate case. We went with Nevada. Homer call? Perhaps. But the Wolf Pack’s six NCAA Tournament wins since 2000 are twice as many as any non-SDSU MW school. Its 12 conference titles rank third. It’s also third in budget, head-coaching salary and wins over the last 25 seasons. The program just got a new million locker room with a potential 0 million arena sits in the near future (potentially 2027-28). Toss in the fact Trent Johnson (Stanford), Mark Fox (Georgia) and Eric Musselman (Arkansas) all won big en route to power-conference jobs and this is an attractive position, although one that’s not likely to open anytime soon.Record since 2000: 411-385; three conference titles; two NCAA Tournaments (1-2)Record since 2000: 514-303; 12 conference titles; nine NCAA Tournaments (6-9)Record since 2000: 486-319; five conference titles; six NCAA Tournaments (0-6)Facilities/fans: SeventhHead coach salary: 5,000 (seventh)7. Colorado StateHead coach salary: .4 million (first)Budget: ,948,014 (second)In short: SJSU is the only MW school without a conference title or NCAA Tournament berth this century but stays out of the bottom spot! The last time it accomplished either of those things was 1996 when the Spartans won the Big West Tournament title (but still went 13-17 that season). There’s been an uptick of success in recent years with 21 wins in 2023 and an NIT appearance this season (after three MW schools turned down the bid). But we are grasping at straws here with SJSU posting just two winning seasons since 1994-95, and one of those was a 17-16 campaign in which SJSU was 5-11 in league play. The Silicon Valley location has its pros and cons, but SJSU basketball doesn’t get a lot of support, making it a tough sell.
