SI.com’s Stewart Mandel listed his top 10 coaches in college basketball today. His criteria for the list was winning championships, getting to Final Fours, and being head coach for at least 3 years. Of course I disagree and decided to create my own list of CBB's top 10 coaches using the following criteria as my guidelines;
1. Player Development – Are they better when they leave than when the first arrived?
2. Game Adjustments – Finding a way to win when things aren’t going your way.
3. Recruiting – Its all about the players.
4. Big Game Success – Preparation is so underrated - the bigger the game, the better the performance.
5. Control – There should be no doubt who is in charge. Who is the dominate figure throughout the program?
BG’s TOP TEN
10. Tubby Smith, Minnesota – Surprise, surprise surprise!! Yes, Tubby makes my top 10 list. He scores high on each of the criteria except for recruiting. However, he is a better recruiter than people might think. Prince, Bogans, Hayes, Azubuike and the nation’s number 1 class a few years ago, rates him much better than advertised.
9. Billy Gillispie, Kentucky – Gillispie is a rising star! UK got the real deal that can do it all. He just needs time to prove it at the highest level. Coach Gillispie will be a top 3 candidate in a couple of years.
8. Tom Izzo, Michigan St. – Izzo is very solid in all aspects. His teams can be a little boring at times but always mentally tough. Coach Izzo is very similar to Tubby Smith…just a good solid basketball coach.
7. Jim Calhoun, Connecticut – Calhoun is a great recruiter and “big game” coach. He has built a monster program at UCONN. Occasionally he loses games he shouldn’t but overall a big time coach.
6. Ben Howland, UCLA – Howland is bringing Westwood back to the top. He has a great defensive mind and the ability to adapt players to his style very quickly. One tough coach!
5. Billy Donovan, Florida – Here is the best young coach in the U.S.A. Donovan ranks high in all the criteria. He has built Florida into the equal of Kentucky. That says it all. (I can hear Rev screaming from here!)
4. Roy Williams, North Carolina – Recruits, communicates and pushes his program at the highest level. His teams are fun to watch. No one runs the floor like the Tar Heels! This will be a championship program for a long time.
3. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke – Coach K does everything the right way and successfully. He is very good at teaching the fundamentals at the highest level. He is as good as it gets.
2. Rick Pitino, Louisville – Choosing between Williams, Coach K and Pitino is almost impossible! Pitino’s ability to develop his players ranks him slightly ahead. He is extremely driven.
Drum roll please…….AND THE NUMBER 1 CBB COACH ON BG’S LIST IS….
1. Bobby Knight, Texas Tech – With much respect to Coach Wooden, the best teacher the game has ever known is Bobby Knight. He can takes his and beat yours and then take yours and beat his! It is beautiful watching his players run their motion offenses. Coach Knight set the standard of modern greatness. Whether you like him or not, he is the best.
Alright, I showed you mine, now show me yours! Who would make your top 10 and why?
bluegrasslady .......... Each of the names mentioned deserve the utmost respect. And when it's all said and done each of them in their own way is a great coach. That being said I don't know that I'd put Knight up at the top of the heap. There's no denying though that he's a supremely gifted coach who's able to get the best out of very little. But I do now believe that he's basically getting by on his past reputation. But that's not to say that his teams aren't always competitive.
I'm still sickened by what took place today in Blacksburg , Virginia. And my heart goes out to those who lost a loved one in this tragic incident. If this doesn't make us yet again address the situation with regard guns and gun control. Then I certainly don't know what will ! It's becoming akin to a pestelance everytime we hear of such a tragedy. And what now makes it all the more unbearable is the fact that there'd been a breakdown in communications. Which no doubt could've saved a helluva' lot more lives !
It saddens me that so many innocent lives lost to such a needless crime.
rampant/tophatal ...........
Last edited by rampantfanatic on April 16th at 9:07 PM.
Believe me Ramp!!! It hurt me to put Knight at the top!! I am not a fan but have to give him kudo's.
Who are your top 3?
add me to your favorites when you get a chance.
My heart is so heavy right now. All I have thought about are those poor parents. I'm not sure I could live through losing one of my girls. I told my oldest to come home just so I can hug her. I haven't let my youngest out of my sight today and dread letting her go to school tomorrow. All we can do is pray for them and for each other.
Last edited by bluegrassLady on April 17th at 1:38 PM.
I honored to be added to your list, and you've made mine as well. I'm another kind of Wildcat fan. I like your list and I agree with you and Ramp; they all deserve honors. I'm going to admit heavy sobbing at not seeing Lute Olsen near the top, never mind not being on the list,(dabs eye with tissue). Lute has put awesome players in the NBA every year and his NCAA record is incredible. His biggest problem to me has been early departure of players for green paper. It's amazing that he does as well as he does every year. They're supposed to lose three early again this year including rookie great Budinger. Nice write:)
Tough for me to argue because I don't follow the college game like I used to, certainly not like I do the pro game. But I do know a little sumpin-sumpin.
Here goes:
1. John Wooden - UCLA
2. The Late Coach Ray Meyer - DePaul
3. Dean Smith - North Carolina
4. Larry Brown - Kansas
5. Bobby Knight - Indiana
6. Coach K - Duke
7. Rick Pitino - Kentucky
8. Roy Williams
9. Jim Calhoun
10. Tubby Smith
Well, this is my list, from 1 - 10. It might not fit your fancy, but it is honest nevertheless.
Okay...your list is not to my liking but you are so I am going to let you off easy ;)
Why is it when I see Coach K or Duke I feel like I have been punched in the stomach?? Oh yeah..THE Duke vs KY game that will forever be replayed on ESPN's college basketball tease for March Madness. I think I need therapy!! lol
I'm taking Izzo and Howland off your list, and I know you're all high and mighty about your, ahem, top choice for coach, but there's no way I can list Gillespie as one of the top ten active coaches in college basketball.
So if I take off Izzo and Howland, who I can't put on there after we've handled his team so easily in big games the last two years, I'd have to add Jim Boeheim and Lute Olson.
Sure that's old school, but let's take a look:
Boeheim has 720+ career victories and Syracuse consistently wins 75% of their games every season. He always gets the most of out of his players when it matters the most. And if they don't make the tourney, it's an uproar. They're a mainstay.
Similarly, Lute Olson is another coaching icon. Look at the players this guy has recruited that are now playing in the Association.
I'll tell you what. I won't put Calipari or Huggins on the list and I'll put Izzo back on.
Wow! I'm really disturbed at the lack of love for Lute. When you get into the top three, there can be endless argumants as to who should be where. But for Olsen not to be considered is sad. He had been in the Tourney every year since 1979 minus one. His overall record is 761-269 as Div I coach(.739 avg,). If I named all the great players he's put in the NBA that became great contributors, it would fill the blog. Even just today, think of all the names. It's a huge list. I wouldn't fight for top three, but at least in the top ten. He has the longest consecutive NCAA Tourney appearance streak at 23, just under NC's 27 for overall. More Pac-10 Championships than Wooden. One of eight coaches to go to the Final Four 5 or more times. Take a look at Wikipedia and check it out. I promise he belongs.
Interesting top 10, but I'm not sure if I can put Billy G. in there quite yet, nor do I agree with Knight. He's riding on his past reputation and hasn't proven anything to me since he's been at Texas Tech. With that being said, here is my Top 10 of current coaches. Mean D went with an all-time list and no one should be able to argue too much with his top 10--except for the failure to mention a certain guy who coached at UK for 40+ seasons and was the winningest coach of all time until Dean Smith overstayed his welcome at UNC to take that honor from him. No, I'm not bitter about that am I?
1) Mike Krzyzewski--It HURTS to say it, but he's the best. I still hate Laettner for his shot and for intentionally stepping on Andre Riddick in THAT game.
2) Billy Donavan--He did an awesome job at Florida and I have as much respect for him as a coach and as a man than anyone in basketball.
3) Roy Williams--Whether at Kansas or UNC, he always delivers great recruits and wins.
4) Rick Pitino--Louisville went on an amazing run to finish the regular season after they got everyone healthy this season. His greatest accomplishment was turning the UK program around after Sutton and his staff dragged us into scandal and probation. He's still my favorite coach.
5) Jim Calhoun--He turned UConn into a Big East powerhouse. Forget this past season, they will be back in the Top 10 next season.
6) Jim Boeheim--Rev brought up a good point with him. He's a winner. I don't like him much, but he can coach and that's what this post is about.
Last edited by FishElkhornCreek on April 17th at 5:32 AM.
GOOD GRIEF!! I didn't realize my post was too long and got cut off. Here's my 7-10.
7) Ben Howland--A great coach and recruiter. Has brought a level of excitement back to UCLA that hasn't been seen in a while.
8) Lute Olsen--This one's for Steeler! When you think about it and look at the numbers, he should be in the top 10. I enjoyed watching a few of his early exits from the NCAA's until 97 when they beat UK. That was a great AZ team.
9) Bobby Knight--The General did great things at IU. That's where his greatness ends. He has been insignificant in college basketball since he left IU for Texas tech.
10) Mark Few--He has taken a "mid-major" program and made them a winner by bringing in players like Adam Morrison and Dan Dickau. His downside is that he can't win the big games yet. Hopefully that'll change for him.
Honorable Mention: Rick Barnes, Billy Gillispie, Tom Izzo, Tubby Smith, Jaime Dixon
By the way sweetie, I'm glad to see you didn't get swept downstream with all the flooding in your neck of the woods over the weekend. I saw that 50 foot stretch of 460 that collapsed from the flooding. Not a pretty sight.
Bluegrass: I don't understand how in the world you can put Bob Knight at the top of the list! For starters, he fails at your #1 criteria! How many great NBA players has he produced in all his years of whining? Exactly 1, ONE, that's it! And that one turned out to be a jerk just like Knight (I'm referring to Isaiah Thomas in case you don't know). If you based part of your criteria on how well they are prepared to play at the next level, then the nod has to go to the Dean. He produced more NBA players during his tenure than any one else. UNC players were highly respected and sought after because of their development as team players and their understanding of the game related to the "team" concept! UNC has consistently led all schools in the number of former players still in the NBA.
In my opinion, the #1 coach of all time is the Wizard of Westwood, followed by Smith and, as much as I hate to admit it, Krzyewski and then Roy. Knight would be 5th on my list. So if you take my top 2 picks from the list, as they aren't coaching, you'd see who my top 3 current picks are.
But I will give you credit for him on your #5 criteria, being a control freak! Thanks for lettimg me post (vent), and good thought provoking post on your part!
Fishelkhorn: The Dean didn't overstay his welcome at UNC, he left about 5 years too soon! He had another 5 good years left, but we'll never know exactly why he made his decision. If he would have stayed, Knight would NEVER have touched his record...
Heels: If it was an all-time list I would have probably had Dean at 3 behind Wooden and Rupp because I'm a homer and I'm still bitter about Smith passing Rupp. However, I'd MUCH rather have Dean ahead of Rupp than the egotistical, irrational SOB Knight.
Okay BlueGrass, my list will be sure to upset a few, but here goes:
10. Pat Summit, that woman can coach as well as any man.
9. Nolan Richardson
8. Roy Williams
7. Eddie Sutton
6. Lute Olsen
5. Bobby Knight
4. Billy Donovan
3. Coach K
2. Dean Smith
1. John Wooden
Last edited by socalsportsfan on April 17th at 8:16 AM.
Lute, even more than Bobby Knight, is time for him to retire.
Control was part of my criteria. Lute could not control the egos on the court.
Like him or not, and I don't, Bobby Knight wins 20+ wins every year.
This is how I based it...if you give Bobby Knight equal talent and give Billy D equal talent...who do you think will win? In my most humble opinion, Knight would win.
I am not bitter at Lute..not me..I wouldn't hold any ill will toward someone that ROBBED US OF A BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP...NOT MEEEEEEEEEE...AHHHHHHHHHHH
Hi tere Bluegrasslady, I'm from the "Useless Nut State" above you. I like Bobby Knight too. I coach in his style, but I move it around some depending on the age, and I'm better looking.
I've never heard of you before, bur I've only been here 4 months and I have had a great time hear. Come check out two new blogs if you want.
I don't question Bobby Knight's basketball knowledge, but I would have a hard time putting him at the top of any list in this day and age. His last years at Indiana weren't spectacular, and his Texas Tech teams have been overrated (in my opinion). More importantly, I think his disrespecting style of coaching no longer has any place in our world. Yes, he's incredibly funny...and incredibly knowledgeable...but I would prefer someone that is disciplined, and still shows respect for other humans. In my opinion, Bobby Knight does not.
I'm also wondering if young players are becoming hesitant to play for him. Shouldn't he be recruiting bigger talent? Just a theory.
I think one of the guys you will see very soon on a list like this is Mr. Reggie Theus. He turned around New Mexico State in just 2 years...and was named as one of the top recruiters in the nation. And he did that without having a shot at big name blue-chippers. He is intense...and gets the very most out of his players. He should be at a major program very soon (though I wish he would stay at NMSU forever).
Lot of great coaches in the college game...nice topic, and good job highlighting these guys.
1. Coach K
2. Roy Williams
3. Bobby Knight
4. Pat Summit
5. Billy Donavan
6. Jim Boeheim
7. Rick Pitino
8. Jim Calhoun
9. Billy Gillespie
10. Lute Olsen
10 Pat Summit
9. Ben Howland
8. Billy Gillespie
7. John Calipari
6. Bill Self
5. Jim Calhoun
4. Bob Huggins
3. Roy Williams
2. Coach K
1. Billy Donovan
Heels, it is about developing players. Are they better their senior year than what they were their freshman? 900+ wins answers that question. Glad you dropped by!!
Socal…shame on me for leaving Pat off my list!!
Hi Marty!! I am a newby as well. Watch out for rev! He is a meanie!! ;) I am a huge defensive coach. My girls can play offense if set up but most of our points came off of our press or steals in a set defense. ThadMatta has been in the final game 2 years running. But I would still rank the others above him. As for the Reds, once their young pitchers come into their own, they will be back in the playoffs.
Hi Shooter! Theus is a terrific coach but will have to have more than 2 years coaching. I would never let my child play for Knight!!
Good list Pipsy!
Socal…I think Self is one of the most overrated coaches out there! He has yet to win the BIG games. He always has talented teams but gets beat out way before he should. I know he made it to the elite 8 but he should have won. Bob Huggins?
Theus does have quite a way to go before becoming an elite coach, no doubt. He would probably be better suited for a list of "rising stars".
Other than the way that Gillispie handled both of his job-hopping situations, I really like him as a coach. The thing is, he rose through the ranks so quickly...he won't have much of a margin for error at Kentucky (not that anyone else would either). But I anticipate he'll be successful, and will establish himself as an elite coach.
If I had to pick 5, they would probably be (in no particular order) - Coach K, Billy Donovan, Pitino, Roy Williams, Calipari.
Two others that may not be top 10, but still deserve some recognition, are Tom Crean from Marquette & Ernie Kent of Oregon.
Lute Olsen still belongs in the top ten. Look at the recent players in and going into the NBA. He has been, and is a stepping stone for NBA talent. That can not be denied....I'm sorry. Three early departures expected this year. As one teenage girl said to another......"Like......hellooooooo oooo?"
bluegrasslady .......... If we're going on current coaches ? Then my top three would have to be in no particular order
Billy Donovan, Mike Kryzewski and Tom Izzo. The others lower on that list would also include Rick Pitino, Jim Boeheim , Roy Williams, Knight himself and Tubby Smith. There are a number of others but I chose these coaches because of their consistency over the years. But I also have great respect the man himself John Wooden. As he's the epitome of what being a great coach is all about !
I don't know that you're a lover of baseball but I've got a post up about uber agent to the stars Scott Boras. It's titled Bada Bing Bada Boom I'm The Real Don Not The Consigliari. I strive to find what it is that makes Boras even more powerful than even Steinbrenner and Selig combined !
And that's saying something ! As he wields uncanny and an ungodly power right across baseball as we know it.
Self is the same as Roy Williams who could not win at Kansas, but he will. He did a great job with Illinois before leaving and has been excellent at Kansas.
Roy won with Deans recruited talent and has not won since. With the blue chippers at UNC, he should always be in contention.
As for Huggins, you have forgotten about his Cincy teams and he did a good job at K-State. I think he will be great at WV.
I am not a Huggins fan. I guess he made it worse when he went to WV. No doubt he will do well there though. There must be something in the water at Kansas!! I had Williams speech he gave to his players after an early exit from the tourney memorized!! lol
Just meant that Crean is often overlooked as one of the top coaches. Not sure exactly where he would fit in exactly, but he's been doing his thing for a while...and doing it well.
Ernie Kent did a great job this year...I don't think people realize how much he got out of his players. Oregon had less talent, injury problems, and all kinds of adversity...and he still pulled it together for a great run. Don't know where he fits in the discussion either, just thought he deserved to mentioned.
Tom Crean probably wouldn't have been a good fit. Honestly, I think Gillispie is exactly who Kentucky needed.
I have to agree with ShooterB about Coach Knight. There's no disputing his place in the game. It's his overall style that I disagree with. I find that too often he holds others to conduct standards that he himself has no interest in being accountable to.
That said, I absolutely agree with you on nearly all of your other choices. Billy the Kid is the king right now. Back to back titles. Very impressive.
Coach K always has the Devils making noise even whne the talent level dips a little.
Roy Williams' overall body of work at UNC and Kansas speaks for itself.
Tom Izzo always puts together a team that will fight you all the way to the buzzer.
Shooter, I read one of your pieces and thought it one of the best on the Fox Blogs. I look forward to more.
Gillispie seems perfect for UK. I am looking forward to the season to restart!!
bayou....I think Summit one of the best, if not the best and am ashamed of myself for forgetting and not having her on the list. This is an active coaches list. Otherwise, Wooden would have been on mine as well as Rupp. Who are your top 3 active coaches?
Thank you very much, Nooch! I am no fan of Bobby Knight's and had I been a mother of one of the players he has abused over the years he would be no fan of mine either!! I do respect his knowledge and his ability to get the most (and more) out of his players.
I also have to second Shooter's mention of Ernie Kent. (Shooter, thanks for the nod to Coach Kent!) However, as an Oregon alum, I'll admit to being a bit biased with regard to U of Oregon sports!
However, Kent has done a rather remarkable job in his 10 years as Oregon's hoops coach. He's taken a program long known to be a Pac-10 cellar dweller to a pair of Elite 8 runs in the NCAA's and has been able to put a consistently competitive team on the floor during his tenure.
This season may have been has best so far as the Ducks make it to the Elite 8 with basically a four-guard rotation and 6'8" small forward playing center.
Granted, Kent is not among the elite in the game right now, but he's a solid coach who's done a lot for his program.
I've agreed with this post more than I usually agree with your posts, with one major exception.
Bobby Knight is not the greatest coach of all time, nor within the top 5.
I also don't think Pitino should be above some of those other coaches. Since you opened up the issue of all-time coaches, here's how I'd rank them:
11. Roy Williams
10. Pat Summit
9. John Thompson
8. Ray Meyer
7. Larry Brown
6. Bobby Knight
5. Don Haskins
4. Mike Krzyzewski
3. Dean Smith
2. (vacant - no one close enough to Wooden)
1. John Wooden
Wooden - all class and the penultimate teacher of basketball and good living. Smith - consistency with honor, passion, respect, and also a great teacher of basketball. Coach K - May move to #2 before his career is over. Don Haskins - Courageous, dedictated, achieved perfect season with the world against him and his team. Bobby Knight - also a brilliant teacher of the game, but boorish, crude, and the opposite of Wooden when it came to setting an example as to how to treat players with respect yet still achieve great things as players and men.
There is just no way Bob Knight should be at the top of anyone's list of basketball coaches, particularly when you have the likes of Wooden, Smith, Krzyzewski, Haskins, et al who bring the added dimension of humanity to the way about which they comport themselves as coaches/leaders of men.
"I've agreed with this post more than I usually agree with your posts," I had to laugh when I read that!!
This isn't an all-time list, it is a current coaches list....coaches who are coaching in the here and now.
Like I said, I think once the coach is in the top 10 it is a matter of one's taste where they will or should be ranked.
I can't stand Knight but he can take his and beat yours, then take yours and beat his. He gets the most out of his players. If he were not a jerk, his teams would be unreal year in and year out.
Hey Nooch...sorry, especially since you are an alum but I really gotta disagree with you. Kent has had 2 or 3 good seasons and had he not had a good season this year, his job would have most likely been in jeopardy.
Hey All! I am a sports nut....especi ally college hoops!! You have to be if you are from Kentucky. Basketball is a religion here in The Blue Grass. We love our WildCats and can be tough on them at times. However, you will never find more loyal or passionate fans! I am a Steeler fan, I am a Reds fan but, I am a WildCat!!
BLEED BLUE!!
10. Tubby Smith, Minnesota – Surprise, surprise surprise!! Yes, Tubby makes my top 10 list. He scores high on each of the criteria except for recruiting. However, he is a better recruiter than people might think. Prince, Bogans, Hayes, Azubuike and the nation’s number 1 class a few years ago, rates him much better than advertised.
9. Billy Gillispie, Kentucky – Gillispie is a rising star! UK got the real deal that can do it all. He just needs time to prove it at the highest level. Coach Gillispie will be a top 3 candidate in a couple of years.
8. Tom Izzo, Michigan St. – Izzo is very solid in all aspects. His teams can be a little boring at times but always mentally tough. Coach Izzo is very similar to Tubby Smith…just a good solid basketball coach.
7. Jim Calhoun, Connecticut – Calhoun is a great recruiter and “big game” coach. He has built a monster program at UCONN. Occasionally he loses games he shouldn’t but overall a big time coach.
6. Ben Howland, UCLA – Howland is bringing Westwood back to the top. He has a great defensive mind and the ability to adapt players to his style very quickly. One tough coach!
5. Billy Donovan, Florida – Here is the best young coach in the U.S.A. Donovan ranks high in all the criteria. He has built Florida into the equal of Kentucky. That says it all. (I can hear Rev screaming from here!)
4. Roy Williams, North Carolina – Recruits, communicates and pushes his program at the highest level. His teams are fun to watch. No one runs the floor like the Tar Heels! This will be a championship program for a long time.
3. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke – Coach K does everything the right way and successfully. He is very good at teaching the fundamentals at the highest level. He is as good as it gets.
2. Rick Pitino, Louisville – Choosing between Williams, Coach K and Pitino is almost impossible! Pitino’s ability to develop his players ranks him slightly ahead. He is extremely driven.
1. Bobby Knight, Texas Tech – With much respect to Coach Wooden, the best teacher the game has ever known is Bobby Knight. He can takes his and beat yours and then take yours and beat his! It is beautiful watching his players run their motion offenses. Coach Knight set the standard of modern greatness. Whether you like him or not, he is the best.
