2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
{{Short description|Basketball season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA Division I men's basketball season
| year = 2005
| image = Indianapolis-indiana-rca-dome.jpg
| caption = The RCA Dome was the site of the Final Four and Championship game to end the 2005–06 season.
| preseason_ap = Duke Blue Devils{{cite web|title=2005-06 Duke Blue Devils Roster and Stats|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/duke/2006.html|publisher=Sports Reference}}
| regular_season = November 6, 2005–
March 14, 2006
| tourney_start = March 14
| nc_date = {{nowrap|April 3, 2006}}
| champ_stad = RCA Dome
| champ_city = Indianapolis, Indiana
| champ = Florida Gators
| nit_champ = South Carolina
| cbi_champ =
| playeroftheyear = JJ Redick, Duke
}}
The 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 6, 2005, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments and concluded with the 2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship game on April 3, 2006, at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Florida Gators won their first NCAA national championship with a 73–56 victory over the UCLA Bruins. This was the last Final Four site at the RCA Dome. The Final Four will return to the city of Indianapolis, but will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Season headlines
- Prior to the season, the NCAA purchased the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) from the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA). The NCAA took over operation of the NIT beginning in 2006, and MIBA, which had owned and operated the tournament for its first 68 years,{{cite web |url= https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2136724|title=NCAA buys tournaments, ends NIT litigation| work= ESPN.com}} was dissolved.
- Prior to the season, a major realignment of teams in the Big East Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) sent shock waves across college basketball:
- Boston College, which had become a charter member of the Big East in the 1979–80 season, followed Virginia Tech and Miami (who had moved the year before) from the Big East to the ACC.
- The Big East brought in five teams from Conference USA (C-USA) —Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, and South Florida. **To replace the teams that defected to the Big East (as well as TCU, which left C-USA for the Mountain West Conference and Charlotte and Saint Louis, who left for the Atlantic 10 Conference), Conference USA brought in six new members: Rice, SMU, Tulsa, and UTEP from the Western Athletic Conference; Marshall from the Mid-American Conference, and Central Florida from the Atlantic Sun Conference.
- The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) added New Mexico State (from the Sun Belt Conference) and Idaho and Utah State (both from the Big West Conference).
- East Tennessee State moved from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic Sun Conference.
- The Colonial Athletic Association added Northeastern from the America East Conference and Georgia State from the Atlantic Sun Conference.
- Troy moved from the Atlantic Sun Conference to the Sun Belt Conference.
- The preseason AP All-American team was named on November 8. JJ Redick of Duke was the leading vote-getter (67 of 72 votes). The rest of the team included Shelden Williams of Duke (63 votes), Dee Brown of Illinois (51), Adam Morrison of Gonzaga (45) and Craig Smith of Boston College (31).[http://www.gozags.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/110805aaa.html Morrison Named Preseason AP All-American], Gonzaga Bulldogs. Retrieved 2010-07-29. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906022103/http://www.gozags.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/110805aaa.html |date=September 6, 2015 }}
- On February 1, 2006, the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) became available to the public for the first time, appearing on the NCAA Web site.{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/Rules.pdf |title=Playing Rules History |author= |date= |website=ncaa.org |publisher=NCAA |access-date=June 25, 2024 |page=11}}
- JJ Redick of Duke and Adam Morrison of Gonzaga engaged in a year-long battle for the national scoring title and Player of the Year honors. Morrison won the scoring race, edging Redick by 1.3 points per game. However, Redick won most National POY Awards, though in 2006 he and Morrison became the first co-winners of the Oscar Robertson Trophy.
- Paul Millsap of Louisiana Tech became the first player ever to lead the nation in rebounding for three consecutive years.{{cite web|url=http://www.latechsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/032006aaa.html |title=Millsap's Numbers Should Make History |publisher=Louisiana Tech Official Athletic Site |access-date=2009-04-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713185733/http://www.latechsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/032006aaa.html |archive-date=2011-07-13 |url-status=live }}
- In the 2006 NCAA tournament, George Mason made an improbable run to the Final Four, becoming the first true mid-major to do so since Penn in 1979. The Patriots' path was not easy, as they defeated schools that had won three of the past six titles—national powers Michigan State, North Carolina, and Connecticut—en route to its first Final Four berth.
- Florida won its first national title in basketball, defeating UCLA in the NCAA tournament's championship game 73–57. The team was led by a group of sophomores, several of whom were the offspring of retired professional athletes, nicknamed "The Oh-fours". Forward Al Horford and guard Taurean Green were the sons of former NBA players (Tito Horford and Sidney Green, respectively), while center and Final Four MOP Joakim Noah was the son of retired tennis pro Yannick Noah. These three (along with fellow sophomore star Corey Brewer) surprised many by choosing not to enter the 2006 NBA draft, but instead returning to try to repeat as champions in the 2006–07 season.
Season outlook
= Pre-season polls =
The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls November 7, 2005.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings?seasonYear=2006&weekNumber=1&seasonType=2|title=2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Rankings (Nov. 7)|publisher=ESPN|access-date=2009-01-21}}
| style="vertical-align:top;"
| {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| colspan=2| 'Associated Press' |
|---|
| Ranking
!Team |
| 1
|Duke (61) |
| 2
|Texas (6) |
| 3 |
| 4
|Michigan State (4) |
| 5
|Villanova (1) |
| 6 |
| 7 |
| 8 |
| 9 |
| 10 |
| 11 |
| 12 |
| 13 |
| 14 |
| 15 |
| 16 |
| 17 |
| 18 |
| 19
|UCLA |
| 20
|Iowa |
| 21 |
| 22 |
| 23 |
| 24 |
| 25 |
|
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| colspan=2| ESPN/USA Today coaches |
|---|
| Ranking
!Team |
| 1
|Duke (28) |
| 2 |
| 3
|Texas (2) |
| 4
|Villanova (1) |
| 5 |
| 6 |
| 7 |
| 8 |
| 9 |
| 10 |
| 11 |
| 12 |
| 13 |
| 14 |
| 15 |
| 16 |
| 17 |
| 18
|UCLA |
| 18 |
| 20
|Iowa |
| 21 |
| 22 |
| 23 |
| 24 |
| 25 |
|}
Conference membership changes
These schools joined new conferences for the 2005–06 season.
| class="wikitable sortable"
!School !Former conference !New conference |
| {{sort|Boston College|Boston College Eagles}} |
| {{sort|Central Florida|Central Florida (UCF) Knights}} |
| {{sort|Charlotte|Charlotte 49ers}} |
| {{sort|Cincinnati|Cincinnati Bearcats}} |
| {{sort|DePaul|DePaul Blue Demons}} |
| {{sort|East Tennessee State|East Tennessee State Buccaneers}} |
| {{sort|Georgia State|Georgia State Panthers}} |
| {{sort|Idaho|Idaho Vandals}} |
| {{sort|Kennesaw State|Kennesaw State Owls}} |
| {{sort|Louisville|Louisville Cardinals}} |
| {{sort|Marquette|Marquette Golden Eagles}} |
| {{sort|Marshall|Marshall Thundering Herd}} |
| {{sort|New Mexico State|New Mexico State Aggies}} |
| {{sort|New Jersey Institute of Technology|NJIT Highlanders}} |
| {{sort|North Dakota State|North Dakota State Bison}} |
| {{sort|North Florida|North Florida Ospreys}} |
| {{sort|Northeastern|Northeastern Huskies}} |
| {{sort|Rice|Rice Owls}} |
| {{sort|Saint Louis|Saint Louis Billikens}} |
| {{sort|South Dakota State|South Dakota State Jackrabbits}} |
| {{sort|South Florida|South Florida Bulls}} |
| {{sort|Southern Methodist|SMU Mustangs}} |
| {{sort|Texas Christian|TCU Horned Frogs}} |
| {{sort|Texas El PAso|Texas–El Paso (UTEP) Miners}} |
| {{sort|Troy|Troy Trojans}} |
| {{sort|Tulsa|Tulsa Golden Hurricane}} |
| {{sort|Utah State|Utah State Aggies}} |
Regular season
=Conferences=
== Conference winners and tournaments ==
Thirty conference seasons concluded with a single-elimination tournament. Generally, all member schools were eligible to participate in their conference tournament regardless of their records, but the Big East did not invite its teams with the worst records to its 2006 tournament. Conference tournament winners received an automatic bid to the 2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, while a school that won its conference regular season title but did not win its conference tournament was guaranteed a bid to the 2006 National Invitation Tournament unless it received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Ivy League was the only NCAA Division I conference that did not hold a conference tournament, instead sending its regular-season champion to the NCAA tournament.
== Conference standings ==
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=30%|{{2005-06 America East men's basketball standings | normal=1}} |valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings}} |valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 ACC men's basketball standings}} |
| valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings}}
|valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Big East men's basketball standings | normal=1}} |valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Big Sky men's basketball standings}} |
| valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Big South Conference men's basketball standings}}
|valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Big Ten men's basketball standings}} |valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Big 12 men's basketball standings | normal=1}} |
| valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Big West men's basketball standings | normal=1}}
|valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 CAA men's basketball standings | normal=1}} |valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Conference USA men's basketball standings | normal=1}} |
| valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Horizon League men's basketball standings | normal=1}}
|valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Ivy League men's basketball standings | normal=1}} |valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 MAAC men's basketball standings | normal=1}} |
| valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings}}
|valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball standings | normal=1}} |valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 MEAC men's basketball standings}} |
| valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings}}
|valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings}} |valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings}} |
| valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings |normal=1}}
|valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings}} |valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Patriot League men's basketball standings}} |
| valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings}}
|valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Southern Conference men's basketball standings}} |valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Southland Conference men's basketball standings}} |
| valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 SWAC men's basketball standings}}
|valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings}} |
| valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 WAC men's basketball standings}}
|valign="top" width=30%|{{2005–06 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings}} |
= Division I independents =
Eleven schools played as Division I independents.{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/independent/men/2006.html |work=Sports Reference |title=2005-06 Men's Independent Season Summary |access-date=September 15, 2024}} Only {{cbb link|year=2005|team=IPFW Mastodons|title=IPFW}}, {{cbb link|year=2006|team=Savannah State Tigers|sex=none|title=Savannah State}}, {{nowrap|Texas A&M–Corpus Christi}}, and {{cbb link|year=2006|team=Texas–Pan American Broncs|title=Texas–Pan American}} were considered full NCAA Division I schools, as the rest were still in a transition phase from NCAA Division II.
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em| {{2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings}} |
= Informal championships =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!Conference !Regular | ||
| Philadelphia Big 5 | Villanova | Randy Foye, Villanova |
Villanova finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.
= Statistical leaders =
[https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/men/2006-leaders.html Source for additional stats categories]
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;" | ||||||||||||||
| colspan=3 | {{center|Points per game}} | colspan=3 | {{center|Rebounds per game}} | colspan=3 | {{center|Assists per game}} | colspan=3 | {{center|Steals per game}} | |||||||||||
| Player | School | PPG | Player | School | RPG | Player | School | APG | Player | School | SPG | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:left;"| Adam Morrison | Gonzaga | 28.1 | Paul Millsap | LA Tech | 13.3 | Jared Jordan | Marist | 8.5 | Tim Smith | E. Tennessee St. | 3.4 | |||
| style="text-align:left;"| JJ Redick | Duke | 26.8 | Kenny Adeleke | Hartford | 13.1 | José Juan Barea | Northeastern | 8.4 | Oliver Lafayette | Houston | 3.4 | |||
| style="text-align:left;"| Keydren Clark | St. Peter's | 26.3 | Rashad Jones-Jennings | UALR | 11.3 | Terrell Everett | Oklahoma | 6.9 | Obie Trotter | Alabama A&M | 3.3 | |||
| style="text-align:left;"| Andre Collins | Loyola (MD) | 26.1 | Curtis Withers | Charlotte | 11.3 | Walker Russell | Jacksonville St. | 6.8 | Ibrahim Jaaber | Penn | 3.3 | |||
| style="text-align:left;"| Brion Rush | Grambling | 25.8 | Ivan Almonte | Florida Int'l | 11.2 | Kenny Grant | Davidson | 6.7 | Kevin Hamilton | Holy Cross | 3.3 |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;" | ||||||||||||||
| colspan=3 | {{center|Blocked shots per game}} | colspan=3 | {{center|Field-goal percentage}} | colspan=3 | {{center|Three-Point FG percentage}} | colspan=3 | {{center|Free-throw percentage}} | |||||||||||
| Player | School | BPG | Player | School | FG% | Player | School | 3FG% | Player | School | FT% | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:left;"| Shawn James | Northeastern | 6.5 | Randall Hanke | Providence | 67.7 | Stephen Sir | N. Arizona | 48.9 | Blake Ahearn | Missouri St. | 93.6 | |||
| style="text-align:left;"| Justin Williams | Wyoming | 5.4 | Cedric Smith | TAMU-CC | 66.2 | Josh Alexander | Stephen F. Austin | 47.7 | Jermaine Anderson | New Hampshire | 91.9 | |||
| style="text-align:left;"| Stéphane Lasme | UMass | 3.9 | Joakim Noah | Florida | 62.7 | J. Robert Merritt | Samford | 47.6 | Shawan Robinson | Clemson | 91.3 | |||
| style="text-align:left;"| Shelden Williams | Duke | 3.8 | James Augustine | Illinois | 62.4 | Ross Schraeder | UC Irvine | 47.4 | Derek Raivio | Gonzaga | 91.2 | |||
| style="text-align:left;"| Slim Millien | Idaho St. | 3.4 | Michael Harrison | Colorado St. | 62.3 | Chris Hernandez | Stanford | 47.2 | Adam Vogelsberg | Middle Tenn. St. | 90.8 |
Post-season tournaments
= NCAA tournament =
{{main|2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament}}
The NCAA Tournament tipped off on March 14, 2006 with the opening round game in Dayton, Ohio, and concluded on April 3 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. A total of 65 teams entered the tournament. Thirty of the teams earned automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments. The automatic bid of the Ivy League, which does not conduct a post-season tournament, went to its regular season champion. The remaining 34 teams were granted "at-large" bids, which are extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. The Big East Conference led the way with eight bids. Florida won their first NCAA title, beating UCLA 73–56 in the final. Florida forward Joakim Noah was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
== Final Four – [[RCA Dome]], [[Indianapolis, Indiana]] ==
{{4TeamBracket | RD1=National semifinals
| RD2=National championship
| RD1-seed1=A4
| RD1-team1=LSU
| RD1-score1=45
| RD1-seed2=O2
| RD1-team2=UCLA
| RD1-score2=59
| RD1-seed3=W11
| RD1-team3=George Mason
| RD1-score3=58
| RD1-seed4=M3
| RD1-team4=Florida
| RD1-score4=73
| RD2-seed1=O2
| RD2-team1=UCLA
| RD2-score1=57
| RD2-seed2=M3
| RD2-team2=Florida
| RD2-score2=73
}}
A-Atlanta, O-Oakland, W-Washington, D.C., M-Minneapolis.
= National Invitation tournament =
{{main|2006 National Invitation Tournament}}
After the NCAA Tournament field was announced, the 2006 National Invitation Tournament invited 40 teams to participate. Eight teams were given automatic bids for winning their conference regular seasons, and 32 other teams were also invited. Dave Odom's South Carolina Gamecocks won their second consecutive title, defeating the Tommy Amaker-coached Michigan Wolverines 76–64 in the championship game. Gamecock forward Renaldo Balkman was named tournament MVP.
== Semifinals & final ==
{{4TeamBracket | RD1=Semifinals | RD2=Final
| RD1-seed1=5
| RD1-team1=Old Dominion
| RD1-score1=43
| RD1-seed2=1
| RD1-team2=Michigan
| RD1-score2=66
| RD1-seed3=1
| RD1-team3=Louisville
| RD1-score3=63
| RD1-seed4=3
| RD1-team4=South Carolina
| RD1-score4=78
| RD2-seed1=1
| RD2-team1=Michigan
| RD2-score1=64
| RD2-seed2=3
| RD2-team2=South Carolina
| RD2-score2=76
}}
Award winners
= Consensus All-American teams =
{{main|2006 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans}}
| style="width:600px" "border:'1' 'solid' 'gray'"
|+ Consensus First Team |
| style="background:#ccc; width:40%;"| Player
! style="background:#ccc; width:4%;"| Position ! style="background:#ccc; width:16%;"| Class ! style="background:#ccc; width:40%;"| Team |
|---|
| JJ Redick
| G | Senior | Duke |
| Adam Morrison
| F | Junior | Gonzaga |
| Randy Foye
| G | Senior |
| Shelden Williams
| C | Senior | Duke |
| Brandon Roy
| G | Senior |
| style="width:600px" "border:'1' 'solid' 'gray' "
|+ Consensus Second Team |
| style="background:#ccc; width:40%;"| Player
! style="background:#ccc; width:4%;"| Position ! style="background:#ccc; width:16%;"| Class ! style="background:#ccc; width:40%;"| Team |
|---|
| Dee Brown
| G | Senior | Illinois |
| Rodney Carney
| G | Senior | Memphis |
| P. J. Tucker
| F | Junior | Texas |
| Rudy Gay
| F | Sophomore |
| Leon Powe
| F | Sophomore |
| Allan Ray
| G | Senior |
| Tyler Hansbrough
| F | Freshman |
= Major player of the year awards =
- Wooden Award: JJ Redick, Duke
- Naismith Award: JJ Redick, Duke
- Associated Press Player of the Year: JJ Redick, Duke
- NABC Player of the Year: JJ Redick, Duke and Adam Morrison, Gonzaga
- Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): JJ Redick, Duke and Adam Morrison, Gonzaga
- Adolph Rupp Trophy: JJ Redick, Duke
- CBS/Chevrolet Player of the Year: JJ Redick, Duke
- Sporting News Player of the Year: JJ Redick, Duke
= Major freshman of the year awards =
- USBWA Freshman of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
- Sporting News Freshman of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
= Major coach of the year awards =
- Associated Press Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova
- Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Roy Williams, North Carolina
- NABC Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova
- Naismith College Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova
- CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova
- Adolph Rupp Cup: Roy Williams, North Carolina
- Sporting News Coach of the Year: Bruce Pearl, Tennessee
= Other major awards =
- Bob Cousy Award (Best point guard): Dee Brown, Illinois
- Pete Newell Big Man Award (Best big man): Glen Davis, LSU
- NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Shelden Williams, Duke
- Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Dee Brown, Illinois
- Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (top senior): JJ Redick, Duke
- Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Randy Foye, Villanova
- NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Quincy Douby, Rutgers
- Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award (Strong personal character): Gerry McNamara, Syracuse
Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2332918|title=Div. I men's basketball coaching changes 2005–06|publisher=ESPN|access-date=2009-01-22| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081208145428/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2332918| archive-date= 8 December 2008 | url-status= live}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| Team
!Former !Interim !New !Reason |
|---|
| Alabama-Birmingham
| |After leaving Indiana, Davis returned to his home state—bringing guard Robert Vaden with him. |
| Arizona State
| |After a high-profile flirtation with Pitt's Jamie Dixon, Arizona State pulled Sendek from the ACC.{{cite web |author=Associated Press |date=2006-04-03 |title=Arizona State officially introduces Sendek |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2395295 |access-date=2023-06-14 |work=ESPN.com}} |
| Ball State
| |Buckley was reassigned after a 10–18 season. |
| Brown
| |Brown hired former 2-time Ivy player of the year Robinson after Miller leaves for conference rival Penn. |
| Canisius
| | |
| Central Michigan
| |Two-time MAC coach of the year Smith left the coaching profession.{{cite web |author=Associated Press |date=2006-05-11 |title=Smith, two-time MAC coach of year, resigns |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2441212 |access-date=2023-06-14 |work=ESPN.com}} |
| Cincinnati
|UC alum Cronin was hired for the head job over interim boss Kennedy. |
| The Citadel
| | |
| Cleveland State
| | |
| College of Charleston
| |College of Charleston made a splash hiring former Georgia Tech head man Cremins after Winthrop's Gregg Marshall accepted the job but then reneged.{{cite web |author=Associated Press |date=2006-07-03 |title=Cremins back to school with College of Charleston |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2508576 |access-date=2023-06-14 |work=ESPN.com}} |
| Delaware
| |Henderson is fired after consecutive 20-loss seasons. |
| Duquesne
| |Coaching veteran Nee was fired after a 3–24 season. |
| Fairfield
| |O'Toole was fired only two years removed from winning MAAC coach of the year honors. |
| Florida Atlantic
| |Doherty leaves FAU for SMU after only one year. |
| Furman
| | |
| Hampton
| | |
| Hartford
| |Harrison resigned despite being named America East coach of the year. |
| Idaho
| | |
| Idaho State
| |Oliver announced his resignation mid-season and was replaced in March by three-time JUCO national championship coach O'Brien. |
| Indiana
| |Davis announced his resignation in February—effective at the end of the season. After a long search process, Indiana hired former Oklahoma coach Sampson. |
| Iowa State
| |Iowa State fired Morgan in the wake of a recruiting scandal.{{cite web |last=Meredith |first=Luke |date=2006-03-10 |title=Iowa State fires basketball coach Wayne Morgan |url=http://www.iowastatedaily.com/articles/2006/03/10/breaking_news/20060310-archive.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100210043200/http://www.iowastatedaily.com/articles/2006/03/10/breaking_news/20060310-archive.txt |archive-date=2010-02-10 |access-date=2023-06-14 |publisher=Iowa State Daily}} |
| Kansas State
| |K-State hired Huggins after a one-year absence from coaching. |
| Lamar
| |Tubbs stepped down as head coach but remained as Lamar's Athletic Director, turning the team over to assistant Roccaforte. |
| Manhattan
| |A hot coach for several seasons, Gonzalez made the move to the Big East and Seton Hall. |
| McNeese State
| | |
| Mississippi
| |Ole Miss hired native son Kennedy after he was passed over for the permanent head coaching position at Cincinnati after serving as interim for the entire season. |
| Missouri
|Snyder was fired in February as his status became distracting due to a disappointing season and off-court scandal.{{cite web |date=2006-02-10 |title=Snyder out as Missouri hoops coach |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2326174 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211194121/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2326174 |archive-date=11 December 2008 |access-date=2023-06-14 |publisher=Iowa State Daily}} |
| Montana
| |Montana all-time leading scorer Krystkowiak left Montana for an assistant coaching job with the Milwaukee Bucks, while his former Grizzly teammate and assistant Tinkle is promoted. |
| Montana State
| | |
| Morehead State
| |Former Kentucky All-American Macy resigns after a 4–23 season. |
| Morgan State
| |Bozeman returns to coaching after an eight-year ban over recruiting violations at Cal.{{cite web |date=2006-04-28 |title=Bozeman returns from eight-year ban |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2425197 |access-date=2023-06-14 |work=ESPN.com}} |
| Murray State
| | |
| Nebraska
| |Collier left Nebraska to become athletic director at Butler. |
| New Orleans
| |Towe made the unusual move of leaving a head coaching spot to take the Associate head coach spot at his alma mater, NC State. |
| North Carolina State
| |After a lengthy search process, former Wolfpack guard Lowe comes in from an assistant coaching job with the Detroit Pistons. |
| UNC-Wilmington
| | |
| Northeastern
| | |
| Northern Colorado
| | |
| Northern Iowa
| |UNI promoted top assistant Jacobson after McDermott left for Iowa State. |
| Oklahoma
| |Oklahoma tapped VCU's Capel after Sampson left for Indiana. |
| Oklahoma State
| |Eddie Sutton turned the Cowboys over to son Sean. |
| Penn
| |Penn raided conference foe Brown to hire Miller away after Dunphy moved across town to coach Temple. |
| Pepperdine
| |Former Phoenix Suns coach Westphal was fired after a 7–20 season. |
| Portland
| | |
| Rutgers
| |Waters announced that he would resign late in the season. After the season, he was replaced by assistant Hill. |
| Saint Peter's
|Bob Leckie | | |
| Seton Hall
| |Seton Hall turns to Manhattan's Gonzalez after Orr is fired. |
| Southern Methodist
| |Tubbs was fired after an internal investigation uncovered NCAA violations.{{cite web |author=Associated Press |date=2006-04-06 |title=SMU fires Tubbs after investigation into violations |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2399911 |access-date=2023-06-14 |work=ESPN.com}} |
| South Carolina State
| |Betts left to join Jeff Capel's staff at Oklahoma. |
| Southeast Missouri State
| | |
| Temple
| |Chaney retired after 24 seasons at Temple, allowing Dunphy to become the first man ever to coach at two different Big 5 schools.{{cite web |author=Associated Press |date=2006-04-10 |title=Temple hires Penn's Dunphy to replace Chaney |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2403974 |access-date=2023-06-14 |work=ESPN.com}} |
| Texas-Arlington
| | |
| Texas-Pan American
| | |
| Texas-San Antonio
| | |
| Texas State
| | |
| UTEP
| |UTEP tapped Memphis assistant Barbee after Sadler left for Nebraska. |
| Virginia Commonwealth
| |VCU hired Florida assistant Grant after Capel left for the Big 12. |
| Washington State
| |Dick Bennett retired, handing the reins to his son and assistant Tony. |
| Weber State
| | |
| Winston-Salem State
| |Collins was hired from Hampton to lead the Rams into their first season of Division I play. |
| Wright State
| |Biancardi stepped down after being barred from recruiting by the NCAA over recruiting violations that occurred while Biancardi was at Ohio State.{{cite web |author=Associated Press |date=2006-03-13 |title=Biancardi departs Wright State by 'mutual agreement' |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=2367206 |access-date=2023-06-14 |work=ESPN.com}} |