Five leading candidates for Naismith men's college basketball Coach of the Year

On Tuesday night, No. 5 Nebraska suffered its first loss of the season, falling 75–72 to No. 3 Michigan. Even so, Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg remains the front-runner to win the 2026 Naismith men’s college Coach of the Year award. 

As the season enters its stretch run — with roughly six weeks left in the regular season before conference tournaments begin — Hoiberg stands among a small group of serious contenders for the 2026 Naismith honor. 

Each of the coaches in the mix has far exceeded preseason expectations. The head coaches listed below, in alphabetical order, are leading the way. (Records are through play Tuesday; preseason forecasts are from vote of conference teams.)

Mark Byington, Vanderbilt Commodores

Record: 18-3 | AP top-25 ranking: No. 18
Preseason forecast: No. 11 in the Southeastern Conference
 
Byington has done a fabulous job navigating the Commodores through the vaunted SEC. On Tuesday, Vanderbilt beat Kentucky 80-55, and Byington's group also has a six-point victory over then-No. 13 Alabama. Not bad for a Vanderbilt team that wasn't projected to make waves in the SEC this season. 

Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska Cornhuskers

Record: 20-1 | AP top-25 ranking: No. 5
Preseason forecast: No. 14 in the Big Ten Conference

Nebraska is the feel-good story of the 2025-26 campaign. The Cornhuskers saw their 24-game winning streak dating to last season snapped by the Wolverines, but what Hoiberg has achieved with Nebraska is remarkable. Picked to finish near the Big Ten's bottom, the Cornhuskers are a contender to claim the conference title and go on a deep run in the Big Dance. 

Tommy Lloyd, Arizona Wildcats

Record: 21-0 | AP top-25 ranking: No. 1
Preseason forecast: No. 2 in the Big 12

The Wildcats entered the season viewed as one of the Big 12’s top teams, but Lloyd’s group has still managed to exceed expectations. Arizona, the top team in the NET rankings and via KenPom, is in line for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the Wildcats have triumphs over ranked foes Florida (the defending national champ), UCLA, UConn, Auburn, Alabama and, most recently, BYU.  

Josh Schertz, Saint Louis Billikens

Record: 20-1 | AP top-25 ranking: No. 21
Preseason forecast: No. 2 in the Atlantic 10 Conference

Saint Louis is battling George Mason (18-2) for Atlantic 10 supremacy, and the teams will square off in the regular-season finale. It's true that the Billikens don't have a win over a ranked foe, but then again, they've yet to play one. Still, Saint Louis' only blemish this season has been by one point to Stanford, and the Billikens are a top-25 team according to both KenPom and the NET. 

Travis Steele, Miami (Ohio) RedHawks

Record: 21-0 | AP top-25 ranking: No. 24
Preseason forecast: No. 2 in the Mid-American Conference

Miami has yet to play a top-25 opponent or a game in Quadrant 1 of the NET. However, that doesn't diminish what Steele has done with the RedHawks. They are one of two remaining undefeated programs, along with top-ranked Arizona. Miami (Ohio) has beaten the MAC's second-best team, Akron, and the RedHawks lead the country in points per game at a whopping 94.1.