10 Candidates + 1 Wild Card Who Could Replace Darian DeVries at West Virginia

With Darian DeVries leaving West Virginia for Indiana after just one season, the Mountaineers will have their fourth coach in as many years. Bob Huggins resigned two years ago and was replaced by Josh Eilert in an interim role, who was then succeeded by DeVries.

Who could Wren Baker be targeting this time around? Here are ten names that make sense, plus a wild card.

Chester Frazier (WVU)

West Virginia University assistant coach Chester Frazier | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Frazier doesn't have any head coaching experience, and to be honest, I'm not sure Wren Baker would be willing to risk hiring a first-timer, considering all the program has gone through in recent years. If Frazier is interested, however, Baker should at the very least hear him out. He's a terrific recruiter and is well thought of in the coaching space. One thing he could pitch is keeping key pieces of the team together, mainly the three commits who have already signed.

Josh Schertz (Saint Louis)

Indiana State Sycamores head coach Josh Schertz yells to players on the court Tuesday, April 2, 2024, during the NIT semifinals at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana State Sycamores defeated the Utah Utes, 100-90. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Schertz was in the running for the job last year and was considered to be near the top of Baker's list. He ended up making the move from Indiana State to Saint Louis and in his first year there, the Billikens went 19-14. It doesn't sound great, but he took over a team that went 13-20 the year prior. In his final two years at Indiana State, he went 55-20 and had the Sycamores ranked at one point.

Niko Medved (Colorado State)

Feb 25, 2025; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams head coach Niko Medved in the second half against the Air Force Falcons at Clune Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Medved is another familiar name. He was floated around not only last year but the previous summer when the whole Bob Huggins thing went down. He led the Rams to a Mountain West Conference tournament championship, making the dance three out of the last four years. The Rams have recorded five 20-win seasons under his watch in seven years, including three years of 25+ wins.

Ben McCullom (Drake)

Mar 9, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Ben McCollum looks on during the first half of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship game against the Bradley Braves at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

McCollum and Wren Baker know each other quite well. They worked together at Northwest Missouri State at the Division II level and experienced a lot of success. McCollum won four D-II national titles and ironically, he replaced Darian DeVries at Drake this past season. In his first year on the job, he led the Bulldogs to a 30-3 record. __ is also expected to have interest.

Will Wade (McNeese State)

Mar 21, 2024; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade during the second half in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Vivint Smart Home Arena-Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Gabriel Mayberry-Imagn Images | Gabriel Mayberry-Imagn Images

Will Wade is a long shot, mostly because NC State was able to get a head start on him after firing Kevin Keatts, but until he's hired, he's at least deserving to be on this list. He's won everywhere he's been, be it Chattanooga, VCU, LSU, or McNeese State, owing a career winning percentage of .705.

Ryan Odom (VCU)

Mar 15, 2025; Washington, D.C., USA; VCU Rams head coach Ryan Odom gestures from the sideline against the Loyola Chicago Ramblers in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The name Ryan Odom may sound familiar, but not because he was a part of recent searches. Remember the UMBC squad that became the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament? Yeah? That was his team. After going 97-60 in five years there, he took the job at Utah State and, by year two, had them playing in the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid. Over the past two years, the VCU Rams have compiled a 52-20 record with Odom at the helm.

Alan Huss (High Point)

Jan 22, 2022; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; Creighton Bluejays assistant coach Alan Huss watches action against the DePaul Blue Demons in the first half at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

If Wren Baker wants to dip back into the Greg McDermott coaching tree, perhaps Alan Huss is his guy. Huss was an assistant at Creighton from 2107-23 before taking the head coaching job at High Point last year. In two years with the Panthers, Huss has a sparking 56-14 record and has won back-to-back regular season Big South titles. This year, High Point won the conference tournament and is in the dance.

John Groce (Akron)

Akron Zips coach John Groce reacts as his team struggles during the second half of the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game March 15, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Groce's resume may not be as nice and shiny as the others on this list, but he's an experienced head coach who may be ready for another shot at the Power Four level. He was the head man at Illinois from 2012-17 but made the NCAA Tournament just once. Since 2017, he's been at Akron and has done a magnificent job of turning the program around. The Zips have posted five straight 20-win seasons and would have been six if the COVID-shortened season played out.

Jerrod Calhoun (Utah State)

Dec 22, 2021; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Youngstown State Penguins head coach Jerrod Calhoun calls out a play during the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

The East Liverpool, Ohio native knows a thing or two about West Virginia and the WVU basketball program. He spent six years as an assistant on Bob Huggins' staff before landing the head coaching job at Fairmont State. Calhoun went 124–38 with the Falcons, leading to his first job at the D-I level with Youngstown State. In his final two seasons as the head of the Penguins, Calhoun went 46-20 and won the Horizon League regular season title in 2022-23. This season at Utah State, he went 26-7.

Bryce Drew (Grand Canyon)

Grand Canyon University head coach Bryce Drew directs his players during an exhibition game against Eastern New Mexico at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix on Oct. 29, 2024. | Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Like Groce, Drew is another experienced head coach who looks deserving of a second opportunity at the Power Four level. His stint at Vanderbilt didn't go so well, but he's rebounded nicely at Grand Canyon, posting a 120-39 record over five years. This marks the third straight NCAA Tournament for the Lopes and the fourth appearance in the last five years.

Wild Card: Bob Huggins

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins reacts to a call during the first half of Saturday s game against Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Alright, before you dismiss this or think I'm out of my mind, just know that I'm not suggesting this as a strong possibility. All I'm saying is crazier stuff has happened, and you don't have to look far for that evidence. No one and I mean no one, thought Rich Rodriguez could ever return to West Virginia after the way that all ended. Obviously, Huggins' departure was ugly in its own right, but perhaps it's water under the bridge at this point? Again, I wouldn't expect this to happen.