The Green Wave has struggled greatly in seven seasons under Hunter. How much longer can this go on?
Once upon a time, Ron Hunter was a hot, rising coach in the world of college basketball.
Hunter made waves with the Georgia State Panthers from 2011-2019, leading the smaller program to the NCAA Tournament three times with three regular season conference championships and three conference tournament championships in that time.
When Hunter joined the Tulane Green Wave ahead of the 2019-2020 season, there was some excitement surrounding the team for what felt like the first time in a long time. There was belief that he could repeat all of the impressive things he did at Georgia State on a somewhat bigger stage and carry his new program to an era that it had not seen since the early 1990s.
Unfortunately, that success just hasn't translated over to the Green Wave. Hunter's first three seasons ended with losing records -- though the team did at least go 10-8 in conference play in the 2021-2022 season. He's fared slightly better as of late, but not enough to bounce back from a rocky start.
Now in his seventh season, Hunter has failed to even come close to breaking into March Madness. Tulane did reach the College Basketball Crown following a fourth-place finish in the American Conference in 2025, though the team would go on to lose its opening game in the invitational tournament.
This season, hope seems lost. The Green Wave is on a five-game losing streak and sits at 3-5 in league play. There have been few adjustments to combat continuous in-game issues for the program, and even standout players are beginning to struggle much more than expected. Is it a lack of coaching? A lack of preparation? Something else entirely?
On top of this, the program is now wrapped up in a point-shaving scandal that stems from former forward Kevin Cross Jr. At this time, there is absolutely no indication that any staff members or players aside from Cross were involved, but it's still not a good look.
Under Hunter, Tulane has seemingly regressed. The moral victories have started to outweigh the real victories, and the immediate future doesn't necessarily look promising. After seven years of these same problems, it's become evident that Hunter simply won't be able to shape up into the coach that many expected him to be.
The Green Wave program deserves better than what it is currently getting. The team should at least be able to compete in the American every year and give fans something to look forward to. Imagine how different things would be in Uptown if the team had confidence that translated to success and was fueled by more people tuning into the program. It would be one of the hottest sports on campus once again.
There's no telling what AD David Harris will choose to do -- if anything. For all we know, Tulane could once again be in this exact position next year. However, the writing is truly on the wall at this point: there has to be some sort of change.