CBB Odds For The First Big Name College Basketball Coach To Leave

• Jim Boeheim has -275 odds to leave his job before Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, and John Calipari.
• Calipari has +650 odds to leave before the others, the longest odds.
• Coach K sits at +400, and his contract is up at the end of the 2021 season.

LAS VEGAS - The college basketball world is rife with big-name coaches, and with some major teams underperforming, bettors know that some big names will fall at some point.

Online sportsbooks are offering odds on which big-name coach ends up leaving their position first, either willingly or unwillingly.

Each of these coaches is an institution unto themselves at their respective schools, and any of them leaving would be big news.

Jim Boeheim, Syracuse, -275

Jim Boeheim is at the top of the odds boards for this wager with good reason. Boeheim was expected to retire following the 2017-2018 season, but ended up signing a new contract with Syracuse.

Given his advanced age and previous retirement plans, it seems likely that Boeheim is the first of these names to go.

It’s not that Boeheim is on the hot seat or anything, it’s more that he’s been coaching for more than 40 years, he’s already looked at retirement, and Syracuse is ranked 49th in the nation according to the net rankings.

It might be time.

Boeheim’s contract is actually unknown - he re-signed for an unknown number of years. That said, it’s worth noting that he announced his previous retirement plans several years in advance.

Mike Krzyzewski, Duke, +400

Coach K getting fired is a vaguely unbelievable prospect, and the fact that he’s in second place on these odds boards is likely disconcerting to many.

That said, Duke has been poor this season, uncharacteristically so, and they’re ranked 76th in the nation at the moment. They have a 7-8 record overall and are more or less locked out of any chance at making the NCAA Tournament.

The last time Duke missed March Madness was 1995, and while it’s unlikely that Coach K is truly on the hot seat, his situation is definitely worth paying attention to.

Coach K’s contract runs through the end of the 2021 season.

Roy Williams, UNC, +500

Williams’ inclusion on this list could be for a different reason than many of the others - he’s making headlines in a bad way.

Williams’ UNC Tar Heels defeated Duke and immediately proceeded to violate university COVID-19 protocols celebrating the win. Their next game - against Miami - was canceled at Miami’s request after a video of their maskless celebration leaked.

While this seems fairly likely to blow over, especially this close to March Madness, Williams is also 70 years old, and could reasonably be on this list for that alone.

However, his contract extends through 2028 - he’s not likely to leave anytime soon.

Tom Izzo, Michigan State, +500

Izzo signed a new contract after the 2019 season in which his Michigan State Spartans were fresh off of a Final Four appearance.

As part of that contract, Izzo will receive $4 million if he remains Michigan State’s head coach through April 30, 2022.

If he retires before that time, he will receive some of the bonus, but if he leaves for another job or to the NBA, he’ll receive none of it. In other words, Izzo is hugely financially incentivized to remain with Michigan State through at least the end of the 2022 season.

John Calipari, +650

Calipari’s inclusion on this list is likely due to persistent rumors linking him to NBA franchises in need of coaching.

However, with Kentucky in the midst of a horrific season at 5-13, their only chance to make the NCAA Tournament is winning the SEC Tournament.

This doesn’t seem likely - after all, they’re 5-13 - and will mark a unique occurrence in the modern age of college basketball: March Madness without Duke or Kentucky.

That said, Calipari has the longest odds on being the first of these coaches to leave his post. Why? Well, he’s on a deal that runs through 2029 at $8-9 million per year. He seems pretty locked up at Kentucky.

Each of these coaches is a legend, but even legends come to an end. Boeheim’s contract is for an unknown time period, while Coach K’s is up at the end of this season.

Either of them could be a solid wager were any college basketball betting fans to place a bet on this prop. Even if this bet doesn’t cash out at the end of this season, it could cashout in the near future.