Gopher Basketball
A couple points before we get going:
* for overall record, I went strictly with NCAA D-1 coaching records, not at any other college level. This affects at least three coaches (Pearl, Ryan, and Beilein) in the rankings.
* after overall record, I have listed the farthest a coach has brought a team in NCAA tournament play.
* hopefully my numbers are accurate, I pulled them from wikipedia, so blame them, not me :).
1. Mike Krzyzewski-Duke
overall record 775-261 (.748); 3 National Titles
I despise Duke basketball as much as anyone, but I’d have no legitimacy if I didn’t have Coach K at #1. He seems to be on track to eventually finish as the all-time winningest coach in D-1 basketball, he is tied with Bob Knight for current coaches with NCAA title championships, he presides over the most recognizable program in college basketball, and he runs one of the cleanest programs in the nation. Few recall that Coach K also took over at Duke while the program was in a lull, but that also enhances his legacy.
Before last year, the distance between Coach K and the field was considerable; however, the pack is making its move on Coach K. Whether he has spread himself too thin by taking on the duties of USA basketball coach, whether the competition in the ACC and nation-wide has become stiffer, the luster of Duke seems to have faded a bit. I’m not just basing this assessment on last year’s disappointing season, but the fact that his teams as of late seem to be lacking in depth, frontcourt options, and the elite clutch talent that you would take for granted as always existing at Duke. With apologies to Satchel Paige, don’t look back Coach K, someone might be gaining on you.
2. Roy Williams, North Carolina
overall record 524-131 (.801); 1 national title
You might say Williams has been fortunate to only coach at two of college basketball’s royalty programs; you might also say that Williams should have won more national titles with all the talent that has been on his teams; you could also say you find his ole’ country boy routine a bit disingenous.
You could say all of that and I would agree with you on all points. But you would also have to admit that Williams recruits like perhaps no other in the game and that he gets his players to the next level like few others. He plays a style of ball that appeals to kids and he’s doing this at Chapel Hill. If he doesn’t win a couple more national championships in the next 7-10 years, I’ll be surprised. That he’s clipping Duke and Coach K since he’s arrived in Chapel Hill at 4-2 helps his cause too.
3. Billy Donovan-Florida
overall record 261-103 (.717); 2 national titles
For all those coaches who don’t make the top 25, take heart-if I had done this ranking three years ago, Billy D likely would have fallen outside of the top 25. At the time, I had him pegged as a slick regular season performer, ultimately always falling short in the NCAA’s with uber-talented teams. It’s ironic (or perhaps instructive) that his great success these past two years came with a group of players who probably had the least amount of press clippings coming to Gainesville among his recruiting classes.
Now Donovan gets to prove himself all over again, as he will be hard-pressed to reproduce the collection of talent and chemistry that evolved the last two years for the Gators. There are also those who think his dalliance with the NBA clouds his ability to lead the Florida program. I don’t buy that at all, I think the talent will continue to flow to his program as will the wins, but he might never recapture what he had these past two seasons.
4. Tom Izzo, Michigan State
overall record 278-121 (.697); 1 national title
That Izzo checks in so high on this list after a couple sub-standard seasons (by Michigan State’s standards) either means I’m skewing towards the Big Ten a bit, or watching him become the face of the conference over the last ten years while fielding competitive, tough, yet clean teams gains him such respect. Obviously, I’m going to lean towards the latter, especially after the coaching job he pulled off last season, when he had Drew Neitzel, Marquis Gray, and a bunch of kids, yet still made the NCAA tournament.
I believe his long term planning was thrown out of whack when players such as Jason Richardson, Zach Randolph, and Marcus Taylor left school very early, and as a result he struggled getting a balance between his recruiting classes for a few years. In looking at his upcoming recruiting classes, it appears the Big Ten should have enjoyed the lull last season, because he is once again bringing in the blue chip recruits and we all know that the Spartans are a formidable opponent with whoever they put on the court, as long as Izzo is on the sidelines.
5. Jim Calhoun, UConn
overall record 750-328 (.695); 2 national titles
It speaks to the quality of college head coaches when Calhoun does not crack the “final four” of coaches. It might also speak to the disdain I have for Calhoun’s methods of running a basketball program, where academics and off court behavior (Marcus Williams’ computer thefts) seem to be afterthoughts to what occurs on the court. Hell, it even bothers me that he has such an ego that he can’t get along with the women’s basketball coach at UConn.
Setting all that aside, one thing seems indisputable-Calhoun is a world class coach who brought the UConn program from the dust to one of the elite teams in the nation, producing numerous NBA players along the way (arguably the best crop of current NBA players from one university), while being a thorn in Duke’s side (which softens my stance towards Calhoun a bit). It will be interesting to see if Calhoun can return the Huskies to the NCAA tournament once again-his young team struggled mightily last year-but don’t count the aging, irascible Calhoun out just yet.
6. Ben Howland, UCLA
overall record 259-140 (.649); 2 Final Fours
Alright, this is where it gets interesting. The top five really fell into place quite easily, but from this point forward, I think there are strong arguments that could be had for many different coaches. I’m going to go with Howland, who I’ve stated repeatedly I admire as much as any coach going. If not for the buzzsaw which has been the Florida Gators the past two tournaments, he might have laid claim to a national title by now, but I have a feeling it won’t be long before he can add that to his resume. He works in a recruiting hotbed at one of college basketball’s royalty programs, and Pauley Pavillion is being renovated.
Moving beyond all that, Howland is one masterful coach. Before moving to UCLA, he put Northern Arizona on the map and resurrected Pitt, and has quickly advanced UCLA back to elite status. He’s done all this while employing a smothering, lockdown defense which some claimed would not jive with the free-wheeling, fastbreaking West Coast basketball style. Honestly, if you could buy stock in college basketball programs, would there be a better buy than UCLA? Howland’s relatively young, seems to be at his dream job, and can both recruit and coach. The Pac-10’s rebirth is being lead by Howland and UCLA.
7. Rick Pitino, Louisville
overall record 494-182 (.731); 1 national title
You could question how I could have Howland ranked ahead of Pitino, particularly when you look at career numbers, the national title, and taking into account that Louisville is getting a lot of love in early preseason polls for this upcoming season. It’s a valid argument, but from my perspective, there’s been something missing since Pitino came back to coach Louisville. Perhaps it’s the high expectations I placed upon Pitino, who I assumed would just vault a storied program in a strong conference into a permanent top 10 slot, while fighting each year for a national title, but that hasn’t happened, save for the ’04-05 season. Otherwise, it’s been a fairly ho-hum few years for Louisville under Pitino. That could all change beginning this season, especially if Edgar Sosa picks up where he left off at the end of his freshman season.
8. Thad Matta, Ohio State
overall record 183-58 (.729); 1 Final Four
Talk about a coach riding a bullet-how can you not be impressed with what Matta is accomplishing in his young coaching career? When he was hired by Ohio State, he looked like a nice solid mid-major hire who could bring some solid squads to Columbus. Before you could blink though, he was compiling the “Thad Five”, a mercurial group that included Greg Oden, the highest profile recruit to land on a college campus in many years. He weathered Oden’s early season wrist injury, and when Oden returned to start the Big Ten season, the Buckeyes adjusted midstream and went from a small, run and gun three point shooting squad to a team that had to incorporate a 7′ center. He was able to lead the Buckeyes to the national title game, and he said goodbye to two freshman players who went #1 and 4 in the NBA draft. He reloads the Buckeyes with another group of blue chip prospects, and he has commitments from as far out to the 2010 class. It’s good to be a Buckeye basketball fan these days.
9. John Calipari-Memphis
overall record 374-134 (.736); 1 Final Four
Just typing Coach Cal’s name made me want to take a shower. He is the epitome of the slick, shady college coach who seems to have little regard for the NCAA rulebook. Nonetheless, he has a knack for convincing recruits to come play for him, and he wins at an incredible rate. Through his years, particularly in Memphis, he has brought in some questionable character guys and has been able to keep the teams cohesive and winning. While he hasn’t broken through to a national title yet, he could be just on the verge, and then this generation’s Tark the Shark might really get the spotlight shining upon himself, for better or worse.
10. Bob Knight, Texas Tech
overall record 890-363 (.710); 3 national titles
Knight was the toughest placement for me on this board. Obviously we’re looking at the all-time leader in career wins, tied for the lead in NCAA titles among current coaches, and the architect of the motion offense. While he has seemingly overachieved with Texas Tech, you have to wonder if Knight will ever be truly relevant on the national scene again. He hasn’t gotten the McDonald’s All Americans for years, he’s had one team advance to the Sweet Sixteen in the last 15 years, and he’s stuck in Lubbock. With his son Patrick lined up to succeed him, my guess is Coach Knight will soon be ending his long, illustrious, controversial career, but he’ll go on a quiet note (maybe not literally, but figuratively).
11. John Thompson III, Georgetown
overall record 140-72 (.660); 1 Final Four
Is it too early to place JTIII so high on this list? Perhaps, especially when you see the luminaries who soon follow. However, I see JTIII putting Georgetown at the top of the Big East and in the top ten polls for as long as he remains Georgetown’s coach. He’s a star disciple of the Princeton offense and he has quickly rejuvenated the proud tradition of Hoyas basketball quicker than anyone could have expected after the severe mediocrity Craig Esherick brought to campus. While most associate the Princeton offense as a system geared towards smart, athletically challenged players, JTIII has established a pipeline of elite prep talent onto his Georgetown squads (two McD’s All American guards join the team this year). Expect Georgetown to once again be a consistent presence among the nation’s elite for years to come.
12. Bruce Pearl, Tennessee
overall record 132-57 (.698); 2 Sweet Sixteens
Alright, if you have issues with Thompson at #11, you’ll surely have issues with Pearl at #12. Here’s the thing though-is there a coach out there who seems to be enjoying himself as much as Pearl? And why shouldn’t he-he has shown himself to be able to make his stamp as a head coach in a minimal amount of time. The turnaround at Tennessee under Pearl has been nothing short of astounding, and he has this team poised as a national championship contender this year. He has mixed in a dash of the theatrical all along the way, stirring controversy with opposing universities and coaches, and he was behind the scenes of one of college basketball’s best moments last season-the painting of his chest and face and presence in the student section at a UT women’s game, which was reciprocated by Pat Summitt dressing and performing as a cheerleader at a UT-Florida game later in the season (a blowout for Tennessee by the way). You’ll be getting to know Pearl quite well over the next few years, as the gregarious coach likely leads the Volunteers to heights not seen since Ray Mears prowled the sidelines.
13. Billy Gillispie, Kentucky
overall record 100-52 (.633); 1 Sweet Sixteen
Gillispie’s profile and body of work doesn’t look that different from Pearl’s at #12, but I’m giving the nod to Pearl for now, as he has proven to be successful at his current university. With Gillispie, it’s a leap of faith to say he’ll be a success at Kentucky, but it seems to be a pretty safe bet. He has played the resurrector at his two previous stints as a head coach, returning UTEP to relevance and introducing Texas A&M to men’s basketball. His marriage to Kentucky seems to be a perfect match-an intense, driven, focused coach joined with an equally intense, driven, and focused fan base. He’s been recruiting up a storm and he appears to have won the hearts of the Kentucky contingent already.
Looking at Gillispie, I am given to pause a bit, however. While he seems to have landed one of the dream jobs in college basketball, it can also take a wicked turn if expectations fall short. What occurs when a myopic workaholic such as Gillispie doesn’t measure up to the standards set by the demanding fan base? He’s previously coached at two universities with a dormant or non-existant basketball tradition and I imagine he was treated as an unquestioned deity in those parts. His cushion for missteps has shrunk and that could cause the best laid plans to veer off course.
14. Lute Olson, Arizona
overall record 781-280 (.736); 1 national title
Has anyone built a program as well as Lute Olson at Arizona? Before Lute arrived, Arizona had made three NCAA appearances in its history-after Olson’s first season, the Wildcats have run off a string of 23 consecutive appearances, the longest active streak in men’s basketball. During this streak Arizona won a national title and have appeared in three other Final Fours. He has accomplished all this without much of a local recruiting base, but has been able to go national and convince a bevy of skilled, NBA bound talent to come to Tucson.
So why isn’t Olson higher? Well, it seems over the past couple seasons, the team has been slipping a bit. The Wildcats have been one of the last at-large selections for the tournament the past two years, despite not losing a step in the recruiting game. There have been recent concerns with team chemistry (Chris Rodgers, Marcus Williams, Hassan Adams), issues of defense and toughness, and the rebirth of the Pac-10. Olson has attempted to stem this tide by hiring former fiery assistant Kevin O’Neill and purging longtime assistant Jim Rosborough from his staff. Lute’s days to retirement is a worthy question (he’s the oldest on this list at age 72), but with the talent at Arizona, he could certainly vault up this list over the next couple years and perhaps orchestrate an Al McGuire type exit.
15. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
overall record 750-264 (.740); 1 national title
Do you think Boeheim ever misses sending a Christmas, birthday, or anniversary card to Carmelo Anthony? What would Boeheim’s legacy be without that title in 2003? I have a pretty good idea-he would wear the moniker of “best coach never to win a national championship” like a 500 pound anvil around his neck. Boeheim has fashioned an incredibly successful career at Syracuse, presiding over the ascension of college basketball in the ESPN era with one of the crown jewels, a flashy program that appealed to kids from all over, bringing the likes of Pearl Washington, Derrick Coleman, Sherman Douglas, Billy Owens, and Rony Seikaly to the vast, always filled Carrier Dome. His consistency over his coaching career is incredible, having fielded 29 twenty win teams in his 31 years as a head coach, which puts him second on the all-time list in coaches with twenty win seasons.
Like with Lute Olson, you could have a good argument for placing Boeheim higher. But as with Olson, recent history has indicated that Boeheim’s peak has passed. Boeheim has spent an inordinate amount of time lately lobbying for the expansion of the NCAA tournament, which a cynic could say is because his Syracuse squads have been firmly on the bubble this past two seasons. The Orange still get plenty of face time on ESPN, but watching them scuffle through the Big East regular seasons makes one realize that they are no longer at the top echelon of the conference. However, like Olson, Boeheim has the chance to vault up this list when evaluated a year or two from now. He’s brought in an outstanding recruiting class again, and his 2-3 zone could cause enough confusion once in the tournament to create a deep run or two. Time, which is ticking on Boeheim also, will tell.
16. Tubby Smith, Minnesota
overall record 387-145 (.733); 1 national title
The most interesting case on this list, and I’m not saying that because he’s our new head coach. If Tubby had accepted the head coaching job at say, Providence, the situation would be fascinating. While some say he was one step ahead of getting forced out with another mediocre (by Kentucky standards) season, Smith left UK on his own volition to take a major conference position with a program that is irrrefutably in rebuilding mode. His critics say he’s never built his own program and that he can’t recruit; it seems undeniable that the man can coach on the sidelines though, as shown by his stellar winning percentage (a good chunk fashioned at schools other than Kentucky).
Smith is one of only two coaches on this list whose teams are in rebuilding mode, so it may take awhile to sense where Tubby fits alongside his peers in the college game. His runs at Tulsa and Georgia were so short, you can’t really get a feel for his program building, and his run at Kentucky was skewed (both positively and negatively) because it is Kentucky. One thing seems certain-the new coach is a decided upgrade over the old coach at the “U”.
17. Jay Wright, Villanova
overall record, 126-70 (.643); 1 Elite Eight
If this was a ranking of the top GQ coaches in the nation, Wright would route the field, leaving Rick Pitino and others in the dust. However, Wright is much more than a pretty face and a nice suit. Much like John Thompson III at Georgetown, Wright inherited a mediocre mess at a once proud college basketball program and quickly vaulted Villanova back into national prominence. Wright scored big points on my chart over the past two seasons, with adjusting on the fly when Curtis Sumpter blew out a knee to feature a four guard lineup lead by Randy Foye, Allan Ray, and Kyle Lowery that peaked with an Elite Eight loss to Florida, and then following that up this past year by taking his team back to the NCAA’s despite the loss of the aforementioned players from the year before. Even with his considerable skills on the sidelines, he may exceed that aspect of the game in his ability to recruit. McDonald’s All Americans and other highly regarded prospects are flocking to the Villanova campus.
What’s the biggest reason to hedge your bets on Wright? I’d say it’s the chance he may one day be lured by the siren call of the NBA. His name seems to be getting bandied about in those circles these days, and as he continues to succeed at ‘Nova and if the hometown ’76ers continue to flounder, expect the whispers to get much louder. Wright would be advised to talk with Pitino or Calipari before making that leap.
18. Rick Barnes, Texas
overall record 418-221 (.654); 1 Final Four
Barnes’ coaching arc has taken an interesting turn since he began back in 1987 at George Mason. He began as a gritty underachiever taking on the luminaries of his conferences while at Providence and Clemson, fighting and scrapping for every win and every player. Then he got hired on at Texas, a football school with a limited basketball history, but unlimited resources and a fertile recruiting base and a national profile. Within the past five years he has had two Wooden Award winners in his program (T.J. Ford and Kevin Durant), two transcedent college talents which have brought the questions-shouldn’t Barnes be doing more with his talent than one Final Four appearance? The criticism about his sideline coaching grew stronger last year, when several national pundits turned their eyes to Austin and asked why Barnes wasn’t putting more of the game into Durant’s hands.
One thing seems certain-the talent will continue to flow into Austin and Barnes will continue to have magnificent regular seasons for Texas. It should be an interesting race between Barnes and his conference rival in Lawrence to see who can shed the “can recruit, but can’t win the big one” label quicker.
19. Bo Ryan, Wisconsin
overall record 172-82 (.677); 1 Elite Eight
When Ryan was hired as Wisconsin’s head coach, few here or anywhere seemed too worried. If memory serves, he was looked about as a fall back option when Rick Majerus stepped away from Sconny’s courting. Six years later, we can see that the Wisconsin AD before Barry Alvarez made a very astute hire. Ryan has taken the Badger program and lifted it into the top echelon of the Big Ten along with Illinois and Michigan State, rarefied air for a mostly middling program historically. Ryan’s flex offense has drawn national attention and his teams are as well schooled in offense and defense as any in the nation.
I do think the next few years will be pretty interesting for Bo (and the rest of the Big Ten). Over the past few years, mediocrity has reigned at several of the Big Ten programs either because of overmatched coaches or coaches at the end of the string. With the recent turnover at Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Purdue, and Iowa, the competition within conference promises to become much more difficult. Will Ryan, who has never relied upon the highly ranked recruits, be able to keep the Badgers at the top of the league with the influx of coaching and player talent coming into the league?
20. Bill Self, Kansas
overall record 312-134 (.700); 4 Elite Eights
If I was ranking the best coaches at recruiting, Self would definitely be in top three, if not #1. He harvests talent to the various campuses he’s coached at like few others, and being able to recruit to Kansas has seemingly allowed him to bring in an entire roster of McDonald’s All Americans.
Where the questions arise is when gameday coaching comes into play. In the Big 12, he’s been able to overwhelm the competition (which has been particularly down in the Big 12 North the past few years) especially at home, but once they step into March, the Jayhawks have fallen well short of expectations. I mentioned earlier that it would be an interesting race to see who wins a title between Rick Barnes and Self first, but it will also be interesting to see how long the Jayhawks faithful will be patient with Self if disappointment continues to reign in March.
21. Lon Kruger, UNLV
overall record 382-267 (.596); 1 Final Four
Kruger might have a much larger national profile if not for his peripatetic ways, which have taken him to four different major programs and an ill-fated stint with the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. On the college scene, Kruger has spun gold wherever he’s been and in a variety of situations-at universities trying to reclaim previous glory (Illinois, Kansas State, UNLV), at a school where basketball was previously unnoticed (Florida), and at a school barely on the map (Texas-Pan American). He’s done his coaching in an understated way, never courting a major profile, but he just keeps winning. It appears that he has returned some glory to UNLV, in a decidedly un-Running Rebels sort of way. The question is, will he stick around long enough to see the fruit of his seeds?
22. Bruce Weber, Illinois
overall record 215-82 (.724); 1 Final Four
There have been few teams I have enjoyed watching play over the past few years than Weber’s Illinois squads. They are a whirling dervish of excellent offensive execution and they clamp down on defense with similar efficiency. The ’05 Illini were a joy to watch with Deron Williams, Dee Brown, and Luther Head leading one of the most unselfish squads I’ve had the pleasure of watching to the brink of a national title.
All that being said, I didn’t feel like I could rank Weber any higher than this spot, as he has struggled on the recruiting trail and it appears the Illini are moving towards the middle of the pack in the Big Ten. I believe it was NateDawg who said that Kansas and Illinois should just rotate Weber and Bill Self between their respective universities every few years and they’d be sure to reap great success come March. Weber will have the chance to prove his ability to bring his own talent to campus that can compete for national titles, but he’ll be doing it in a much more competitive conference than he stepped into just four years ago.
23. Mark Few, Gonzaga
overall record 211-52 (.802); 3 Sweet Sixteens
It’s one thing for a mid-major program to make a magical tourney run and capture the attention of the nation for a couple weeks in March. It’s an entirely different thing for a mid-major to emerge from a small, tucked away city in a small conference and make themselves a national presence, year after year. Gonzaga has done that and Few has presided over this ascension. Sure, Dan Monson was there for the first run to the Elite Eight, but Few has sustained that one tournament run and fueled a program that now competes for national recruits and is producing NBA prospects. He’s doing this at a school that largely becomes invisible once conference play begins in January and doesn’t appear again until March.
Of course, the challenge for Few to remain relevant at Gonzaga is constant. When you don’t play in a major conference, you need to make yourself known in the preseason and the post-season. Gonzaga has done a masterful job in the preseasons lately, but has not been advancing too far recently in the NCAA tournament, and came close to missing the tournament last year. If they are overcome by other teams in their conference or continue to have early round exits in the tourney, their star, and Few’s by extension, will be looked upon nostalgically as a cute run by an upstart program around the turn of this century.
24. Kelvin Sampson, Indiana
overall record 476-268 (.640); 1 Final Four
Once Sampson caught wind I was doing this ranking, I was inundated with text messages from him asking me to bump him up a few spots-old habits die hard, I guess. Seriously, you can question Sampson’s methods, but he looks to be quickly elevating Indiana back to national prominence, and adding Eric Gordon to his veteran team might have the Hoosiers’ faithful thinking national title this year. Sampson’s NCAA post-season record is spotty, but there is little doubt the man can coach and the way his team plays defense could be likened to a plastic bag over one’s head. Can he reach the height of his profession doing it clean? Can he do it dirty? Will he sully the proud IU program the way Eddie Sutton did so at Kentucky? Many questions swirling around Mr. Sampson’s program.
25. John Beilein, Michigan
overall record 293-175 (.626); 1 Elite Eight
Sliced bread, meet Mr. Beilein. Over the last couple years, Beilein’s inventive offensive sets and 1-3-1 zone defense has caused college basketball fans to go ga-ga (myself included). Watching Beilein’s West Virginia teams has been particularly enjoyable in the preseason and postseason, when teams are forced to match up with a squad whose style they haven’t seen in conference play.
I read lots of commentary after Michigan hired Beilein that asked, “what heights will he reach recruiting at Michigan?” Personally, Michigan doesn’t scare me that much in conference play. West Virginia wasn’t exactly playing in a small conference in a region devoid of talent. Beilein’s system requires a specialized sort of player, and in looking at conference play, his teams don’t blow away the competition. It’s when they step into post-season competition where they have made their mark, and I’d be quite alright with Michigan bringing the Big Ten some glory in the post-season.
Next 5
Gary Williams, Maryland-Along with Steve Fisher, the only active D-1 coach who has won a national title not in my top 25. I haven’t been too wowed with Maryland over the past several years, and you would expect more of a carryover effect from the national title for a tradition rich program in a major conference and a rich recruiting base.
Bob Huggins, West Virginia-I like Huggy Bear more than most, but you wonder if he’s worth all the trouble that these athletic directors and college presidents bring when they invite him to campus. He wins lots of games during the regular season, but seems to always fall short in the post-season, and the negative publicity that surrounds him makes you wonder how much trouble he’s worth.
Jamie Dixon, Pitt-A good candidate to make the leap into the Top 25, but I need to see him do more with his own talent before I vault him to that level. I think he’s done more than ride the coattails of Howland’s success, but I do think Pitt needs to start doing more in the post-season.
Tom Crean, Marquette-I waver on Crean quite often-he goes from the surprise Final Four with Dwayne Wade, to having several players transfer out, to bringing in a potential Final Four core in Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Wes Matthews. I’m not sure if Crean is a wizard, a maniac, overrated, or underrated. But I do know he’s done some