Top 5 replacements for Buzz Williams as Texas A&M basketball coach
04/02/2025 04:57 PM
Texas A&M basketball opened up the latest intriguing head coaching opportunity Tuesday. Buzz Williams goes from College Station to College Park — accepting the Maryland job. Williams makes the jump from one March Madness team to another.
The Aggies will attract multiple applicants. Williams leaves a place that made three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, a first since 2005 to the 2010-11 season. The allure of the Southeastern Conference is another top sell for this opening.
Time to sort through which five candidates rise as the top contenders. However, we begin with an update on a popular choice for the Aggies.
Chris Beard Texas A&M interest
Beard surfaced first as the popular replacement candidate for Williams. The Ole Miss coach sustained massive success in the Lone Star State before — producing a Final Four run at Texas Tech.
Texas A&M’s chances of landing Beard took a hit, however. He’s since pulled out of the Texas A&M running by agreeing to a new extension.
Beard’s decision to stay in Oxford also got confirmed by Inside the Rebels on 247Sports. Here now are the new top five contenders for the Aggies’ opening.
Grant McCasland, Texas Tech
This rises as an in-state promotion should McCasland make the jump.
He’d leave a Big 12 program fresh off making an Elite Eight run. And as CBB fans have seen in Lubbock, coaches will leave for something more greener — a la Beard when he bolted from TTU to Texas in 2021.
The 48-year-old has guided the Red Raiders to back-to-back March Madness appearances. He also took North Texas to the NCAA Tournament in 2020-21. Every team he’s coached won more than 18 games, including his one season with Arkansas State. He’s got to emerge on the short list for Texas A&M athletic director Trev Alberts.
Porter Moser, Oklahoma
If not McCasland, A&M can attempt to siphon an SEC rival coach.
Moser, though, knows College Station well. He served as an assistant coach for the Aggies in 1996-1998.
The 56-year-old is 74-59 in Norman. But he first rose to CBB fame by taking Loyola (Ill.) to the Final Four in 2017-18.
Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska
Sticking to the theme of familiarity, Hoiberg has ties to AD Alberts from Nebraska.
The 52-year-old has struggled producing a consistent March tournament qualifier in Lincoln. But he’s overachieved at a non-traditional basketball power — producing 195 career wins for the Cornhuskers.
Hoiberg, however, delivered subpar results with the Chicago Bulls before diving back to the college game. He holds a massive $7.5 million buyout on his current contract too. But his past ties to Alberts places him here.
Steve Forbes, Wake Forest
Pivoting back to former Aggies assistants who could draw intrigue. Forbes is one to monitor out in Atlantic Coast Conference country.
Forbes worked under the popular Billy Gillispe in College Station from 2004-2006. He’s since gone 222-108 as a head coach.
The 60-year-old has rebuilt a struggling Demon Deacons program that nearly cracked the field of 68. Jumping to the SEC becomes a step up for him, though. And through a place he’s coached at before.
Alan Huss, High Point
Time to drop off the outside-the-box candidate. Yet one who checks off a lot of boxes when one researches Huss’ resume.
Huss took the Panthers to a historic 29-6 finish that ended with the school’s first March Madness bid. But he served as an assistant under Greg McDermott at Creighton from 2017-2023 — which includes the semifinal run of 2020-21.
Huss runs an efficient offense that’s analytical driven and would steer from Williams’ defensive oriented approach. Huss rises as the dark horse candidate of this group.
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