Rhode Island: Providence Friars

Ed Cooley ($2 million) coaches in the Big East, arguably the nation’s pound-for-pound conference king, and his opponents hate to play his squad at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. He makes nearly $1 million more per year than Rhode Island’s Danny Hurley.

Other Division I schools in Rhode Island (3): Brown, Bryant, and URI.

I mean, it’s pretty cool when you see that PC is listed as the best college job in Rhode Island, but then when you take a look and there are only three other DI basketball programs in the state and that we have owned URI since Ed Cooley got here…it shouldn’t really be a surprise to anyone.

Not to mention the fact that Cooley makes more than $1 million more per year than Hurley.  I’m not sure how long Hurley is going to stay at URI when some jobs open up next year, but I love having the PC/URI rivalry with him because both teams are currently good, and I think he has something to do with that on the URI side.

Other Big East schools making the cut as the best college basketball jobs in their respective states…

Pennsylvania: Villanova Wildcats

Jay Wright coaches the best college program in the best basketball city in America. And he makes $2.5 million each season, enough for a few customized suits. He’s living well right now, especially after winning the national title in 2016.

Other Division I schools in Pennsylvania (13): Bucknell, Drexel, Duquesne, La Salle, Lafayette, Lehigh, Penn, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Robert Morris, Saint Francis, St. Joe’s, and Temple. 

Nebraska: Creighton Bluejays

Ohio State offered Greg McDermott an opportunity to move to the Big Ten, but Creighton’s head coach said no. He couldn’t leave CenturyLink Center, the energized Jesuit school’s home that sells beer and finished in the top-10 in attendance in 2015-16.

Other Division I schools in Nebraska (2): Nebraska – Lincoln and Nebraska – Omaha.