The year 2020 was a mess the United States and the world are only now beginning to understand—one of mass death, sprawling unemployment, economic bifurcation and all kinds of social upheaval.
Sports was immune to none of these trends, but from a competitive perspective one element of the COVID-19 pandemic is often forgotten. That is the extent to which `20 and early 2021 were fertile ground for—put bluntly—weird stuff.
On Thursday, Oregon State gave coach Wayne Tinkle his walking papers, Tinkle coached the Beavers to a .463 winning percentage over 12 seasons, and the college basketball world may have forgotten him... except for the fact that he took a No. 12 seed to the Elite Eight in `21.
In that spirit, here is a look back at 10 pandemic-era breakouts across several different sports, and what happened to them in the years afterward.
2020-21 Atlanta Hawks
What did the Hawks do during the pandemic? Atlanta redefined peaking at the right time, hiring Nate McMillan as its head coach on March 1 and reeling off a 27-11 stretch to close the regular season. The Hawks dismantled an equally surprising Knicks team—New York is still seething about guard Trae Young—and shocked the top-seeded 76ers to reach the Eastern Conference finals. Atlanta’s Cinderella run ended there, but only after the Hawks swiped two games from the eventual champion Bucks.
What’d the Hawks do afterward? Young departed Atlanta on Jan. 9 as the franchise’s well-regarded all-time assists leader, but it never got as good for the Hawks as it did in the long spring and summer of `21. The top-seeded Heat knocked Atlanta out in 2022, and the second-seeded Celtics did likewise in 2023. The `22 campaign remains the last winning season for a team still without a title since its late-1960s relocation to the Peach State.
2020 Coastal Carolina football
What did the Chanticleers do during the pandemic? With an unprecedented spotlight on mid-major Southern football, Coastal Carolina cracked the AP Poll by winning at a ranked Louisiana team in October. Led by quarterback Grayson McCall—the eventual winner of three conference player of the year awards—the Chanticleers conjured an on-the-fly December matchup against BYU after its scheduled opponent Liberty was forced to drop out due to COVID concerns. Both Coastal Carolina and the Cougars entered the game undefeated, and the Chanticleers came out with one of the biggest wins in program history. Though it was unable to complete an undefeated season after losing in the Cure Bowl to Liberty, Coastal Carolina still secured its immortality among college football diehards.
What’d the Chanticleers do afterward? Widely considered a New Year’s Six contender in `21, Coastal Carolina reached the Top 15 before losing at Appalachian State. Coach Jamey Chadwell left to coach the Flames after the `22 season, and the Chanticleers haven’t been the same since. Ryan Beard, formerly of Missouri State, will take the reins in Conway, S.C., in 2026.
2020-21 Georgetown men’s basketball
What did the Hoyas do during the pandemic? Following years of mediocrity and a 9-13 regular season, Georgetown entered the Big East tournament seeded eighth. The Hoyas promptly won four games in four days to make their first NCAA tournament since 2015. Georgetown’s run came to a quick end, however—Colorado crushed the No. 12 Hoyas 96–73 in Indianapolis.
What did the Hoyas do afterward? A 6-25 campaign in `22 constituted Georgetown’s worst record since 1972, and a similarly bad `23 (7-25) spelled the end for coach Patrick Ewing. After canning the Hall of Fame center, the Hoyas turned to Ed Cooley, long successful at conference rival Providence. That has yet to work out for Georgetown, which is two games under .500 with three games left this regular season.
Kendall Hinton
What did Hinton do during the pandemic? The ex-Wake Forest wide receiver established himself as a trivia answer with his actions on Nov. 29, 2020. Gamely taking over the quarterback position for a Broncos team void of signal-callers due to pandemic-era rules and regulations, Hinton completed one of nine passes for 13 yards and two interceptions in a 31–3 loss to the Saints. “I would not say this is how I planned it out in my dreams, but it usually doesn't work out how you want it,” Hinton—a high school quarterback—understatedly told reporters postgame.
What did Hinton do afterward? Hinton returned to life at the wide receiver position, and served as a depth piece for Denver in `21 (15 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown) and `22 (24 catches for 311 yards). He embraced life as a minor celebrity, addressing Wake Forest’s Class of `21 in a virtual graduation ceremony. The Broncos waved him in Aug. `23, and he hasn’t played a down in the NFL since.
2020 Indiana football
What did the Hoosiers do during the pandemic? Seizing on an abbreviated Big Ten schedule, coach Tom Allen’s team pulled a then-stunning upset of No. 8 Penn State to start the season. Indiana then rolled through the old Big Ten East before falling just short of an epic comeback against No. 3 Ohio State. Even after a loss to Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl, the Hoosiers still reveled in a season to remember.
What’d Indiana do afterward? Indiana quickly snapped back to reality with a 2-10 campaign in `21. The Hoosiers watched their pandemic-era quarterback, Michael Penix, become a superstar for Washington. In Nov. `23, however, Indiana hired Curt Cignetti as its head coach in one of the century’s most inspired sports personnel moves; because of him, the Hoosiers will defend a national title this season.
2020-21 Montreal Canadiens
What did the Canadiens do during the pandemic? Hockey’s most storied franchise barely crept into the playoffs at 24-21-11 after a zonked-out regular season that included an all-Canadian division. Behind goalie Carey Price, however, Montreal heated up in the postseason and clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Final on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day—Quebec’s flagship holiday. The Lightning beat the Canadiens in five games to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
What’d Montreal do afterward? The Canadiens endured a poor `22 that included a 22-49-11 record and a second straight midseason coaching change. It did land them the No. 1 pick, however, in the form of left wing Juraj Slafkovsky. Montreal made the postseason last year and appears ready to return there, buttressed by a pair of players who cut their teeth in the `21 run (right wing Cole Caufield and center Nick Suzuki).
2020-21 Oregon State men’s basketball
What did the Beavers do during the pandemic? After an undistinguished regular season, Oregon State won the Pac-12 tournament as a No. 5 seed. As a No. 12 seed in the NCAA tournament, the Beavers surprised observers by beating both a No. 5 (Tennessee) and No. 4 (Oklahoma State) by double digits. With 2002 Missouri and `22 Saint Peter’s, they are one of three teams seeded 12 or lower ever to reach the Elite Eight.
What’d Oregon State do afterward? The `22 Beavers were the worst team in program history, going 3-28 and closing the year on an 18-game losing streak. They managed to make the College Basketball Crown in 2025—their first season in the West Coast Conference after the Pac-12’s immolation (they’ll rejoin a new version of the conference next year). Tinkle will exit Oregon State as its third-winningest coach, trailing program luminaries Slats Gill and Ralph Miller.
2020 Tampa Bay Rays
What did the Rays do during the pandemic? In a 60-game season, eternally envied Tampa Bay finally put it all together. The Rays posted the best record in the American League (and in franchise history) at 40-20, getting at least one win above replacement from 10 different players. Thanks to a guy with 0.9 bWAR—left fielder Randy Arozarena—Tampa Bay beat the Blue Jays, the Yankees, and a sub-.500 Astros team to set up its eventual World Series loss to the Dodgers.
What’d the Rays do afterward? Tampa Bay kept its foot on the gas in `21, winning 100 games and its most recent division title. Postseason success has eluded the Rays since `20, though: the Rays ended `21, a good `22, and a terrific `23 with one total postseason win to show for them. Tampa Bay’s 77-85 record in `25 was its worst since 2016.
T.J. Warren
What did Warren do during the pandemic? Previously known as a volume scorer on bad Suns teams, Warren completely overhauled his public image during the NBA’s season restart in 2020. The Pacers forward averaged 31 points per game in his final six regular-season contests, including games where he scored 53, 39, 34 and 32 points. Miami buried Indiana in the playoffs, but not before Warren added three more 20-point games to his ledger.
What’d Warren do afterward? Unfortunately, the NC State product played just four games in the `21 and `22 seasons combined due to injury. He signed with the Nets in the summer of `22 and was thrown into the Kevin Durant trade in `23, but made waves with neither Brooklyn nor Phoenix. Warren last played in the NBA in 2024 (for the TImberwolves) and the G-League in `25 (for the Westchester Knicks).
2020-21 Utah Jazz
What did the Jazz do during the pandemic? That’s a loaded question, so let’s focus on what happened on the court. The `21 season marked the culmination of five straight stellar seasons for Utah with coach Quin Snyder in charge. Center Rudy Gobert and guard Donovan Mitchell steered the Jazz to a 52-20 record (their best of this century and the best in basketball), although a conference semifinal loss to the Clippers added a bitter taste to the Beehive State’s mouth.
More College Basketball on Sports Illustrated
- Tarleton State to Part Ways With Men’s Basketball Coach Billy Gillispie
- Small College Playoff Game Ends With Worst Foul You’ll Ever See
- Geno Auriemma Salutes 'Robust' Confetti That Accompanied 32nd Conference Title
- Oregon State to Part Ways With Coach Wayne Tinkle at End of Season
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mirages of 2020: Revisiting 10 Pandemic Sports Breakouts After Wayne Tinkle's Firing.
