The preponderance of ACC coaches are relatively new arrivals during these last years of the league's Dozen Decade - the period between the expansion to 12 members in 2004-05 and the impending growth to 14 no later than calendar year 2014.
Eight coaches took up their current posts in the past three seasons, coinciding with a drop from a striking seven African-Americans to one. The survivor is Florida State's Leonard Hamilton, 63, old enough to remember sports in the region in pre-integration days.
| MAIN MEN ACC Coaching Roster For 2011-12 Men's Season |
||||
| COACH | BIRTHDATE | AGE | HOME STATE | SEASONS AT CURRENT POST |
| Steve Donahue, BC | May 21, 1962 | 49 | Pennsylvania | 2 |
| Brad Brownell, C | November 15, 1968 | 42 | Indiana | 2 |
| Mike Krzyzewski, D | February 13, 1947 | 64 | Illinois | 32 |
| Leonard Hamilton, FS | August 4, 1948 | 63 | North Carolina | 10 |
| Brian Gregory, GT | December 15, 1966 | 44 | Illinois | 1 |
| Mark Turgeon, M | February 5, 1965 | 46 | Kansas | 1 |
| Jim Larranaga, Mi | October 2, 1949 | 62 | New York | 1 |
| Roy Williams, NC | August 1, 1950 | 61 | North Carolina | 9 |
| Mark Gottfried, NS | January 20, 1964 | 47 | Ohio | 1 |
| Tony Bennett, V | June 1, 1969 | 42 | Wisconsin | 3 |
| Seth Greenberg, VT | April 18, 1956 | 55 | New York | 8* |
| Jeff Bzdelik, WF | December 1, 1952 | 58 | Illinois | 2 |
| * One previous season at school while member of Big East. NOTE: Age entering 2011-12 season. |
||||
The coaching corps has gone from an eastern-oriented group to one dominated by Midwesterners. Where in 2009 Mike Krzyzewski was the only league coach from the Midwest, now seven of 12 come from the nation's midsection. Three hail from Illinois, more than any other state, and one each from Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Last year three alums coached at their alma maters. Now it's only Roy Williams at North Carolina. In fact, with Gary Williams retired at Maryland, Roy is the only Williams in the ACC, a first since his arrival from Kansas for the '04 season.
Hamilton and Williams are the only coaches who grew up within the league's traditional footprint. Both are North Carolinians.
Miami's hire of Jim Larranaga maintains a three-decade run of at least two coaches from the New York metropolitan area. He joins Virginia Tech's Seth Greenberg. Last season there were four coaches spawned in the New York area - Greenberg, Gary Williams (from New Jersey), Miami's Frank Haith, and Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt. Haith, like Michael Jordan, was born in a New York borough but raised in North Carolina.
Tony Bennett, hired at UVa for the 2009-10 season, remains the youngest coach in the league at 42. Clemson's Brad Brownell is a close second. Krzyzewski, 65 before season's end, is the oldest.
In fact, while coaching turnover has been pronounced, the chronological profile of those on the sidelines remains remarkably stable. It is, however, trending modestly younger.
The average age of the 2012 contingent is 52.8. The average age in 2011 was 53.1. The average in 2010 was 53.7.
Half of the coaches celebrate birthdays during the 2012 season, but none play games on those dates. Last year both Brownell and Krzyzewski coached and won games on their respective birthdays.