Ben Jacobson (Northern Iowa)
Pros: One of the more impressive resumes on this list, Jacobson is likely to be a big name for several coaching vacancies. In nine seasons at Northern Iowa, his overall record is an impressive 197–105 (.652). He led his team to a Sweet 16 in 2010 and the Round of 32 this year. He has three conference coach of the year awards to his name, three conference tournament championships and two regular season championships. Simply put – he’s had sustained success at one program. Jacobson has an 8-6 regular in postseason tournaments, including a 3-3 mark in the NCAA Tournament. He makes less than $600,000 a year and fits in UT’s historic budget for basketball coaches. Perhaps even more importantly – he doesn’t have even a hint of NCAA dirty laundry to his name.
Cons: He’s likely to have his choice of jobs this offseason and in the coming years. Would he jump for the Tennessee job? Vols fans also concerned with style won’t like the pace at which his teams play – they typically rank near the bottom of the NCAA in tempo.
