Here's my take on all this. If Coach K was not so over-hyped by ESPN and the Media and we didn't hate dook so much, I don't think any or at least many of us would even question his greatness as a coach.
It's when you get something shoved down your throat year after year especially during some stretches where K's teams weren't so dominant and/or were suspect and/or over-rated and over-hyped, you begin to devalue his coaching abilities and achievements.
Consider this. We all hate the way he coached his kids to take charges under the basket, but the rules allowed it and they usually executed it well. We hate the way he coaches his kids to flop when taking 3pters but they get a lot of calls that way. It's ugly basketball, somewhat cheapens the game IMO, but when you don't have the athletes to block shots and prevent players from getting to the rim, you coach them to do other things to prevent the opponent from scoring. These are just a couple examples. He's very good at teaching team defense, spread half-court offense, self-confidence, etc.
Now I'm happy with the guy we have. As good a K has been, I would never have wanted him as a coach here. I don't like watching that brand of basketball. There are many reasons why a lot of college hoops fans hate dook, and it's not all because their jealous about their success. A lot has to do with how they achieve that success and how much the media, especially ESPN has pimped them as the greatest program ever.
Getting to our coach, JC is very well respected by the media, but simply isn't liked very much. He's often his worst enemy. He's not warm and fuzzy like Awe Shucks Roy Williams, who only has a candy coating of sweetness. UConn is not a storied program like UK, UNC, KU and UCLA. Although under JC, he has established UConn as a force in college hoops for over 2 decades and a dominant one the past 12 years (3 NCs and 4 trips to -4), he and the program is perceived by many as the bad-boys or maybe better put the tough-guys of college hoops. Of our 3 NCs, only our 2004 team was perceived as the dominating team. Usually UConn's image is a talented team that beats you by out-willing and outworking you, not necessarily by beating you with superior talent you.
Like it or not, the way he has verbally berated his players over the years hasn't won many fans outside of CT. He's mellowed some over the years. The way he's combative at times with the media hasn't helped either. His fast talking Bostonian English doesn't come across as eloquent as some coaches such as Coach K. The illegal recruiting accusations over the years, most unwarranted, have not shed a positive light on JC and our program. Rudy Gay and the Beltway Ballers (well w/in the rules) and the rag-tag all-star team that was put together by Brandon Bass's AAU program (also w/in the rules) didn't help his cause. The Nate Miles fiasco, which I still think to some degree the facts were incorrectly interpreted, ruled upon and sentenced, has given many haters the "see, I told you so!" fuel for all the suspected past but unfounded cheating. Many haters look at little our little state and humble Storrs, CT, and assume someone must be cheating to get the talent we get. Now if they just looked closely and saw that most of our players have been low to moderately ranked and how few burger AAs we get compared to other top programs, they'd realize how silly they sound. If JC has cheated over the years, he sure s*cks at it. You'd think he'd hit on most of his plan-A recruits and highly rated ones. He rarely gets the top rated players. Most of his greatest were moderately ranked at best, J Lamb case in point.
So much has to do with perception. Like it or not, JC doesn't have a media friendly persona. For example the Squid is Mohamed Ali while JC is Joe Frazer. One has the image (though Ali was as great fighter so the analogy has its holes, but go with me here) the other is the put-his-head-down and drive-you-into-the-corner fighter. Which do you think is the media darling? As for the resume, JC deserves better. His name should roll off the tongues of all college hoops analysts as one of the best current coaches and of the past couple decades.
No coach is perfect. JC has some outstanding coaching qualities, but has made his share of mistakes. Going 3-1 in -4, standing atop the field twice with under-dog teams says a lot about his big game coaching abilities. Before and even during the run of NCs, he's had his share of losses when the team was the favorite. Not saying it was due to coaching mistakes, but let's not ignore those missteps. Many IMO were due to unfortunate (unfair?) seeds locations wise, some due to untimely injuries or simply facing teams that outplayed our Huskies.
Few coaches instill their toughness better than JC. Few coaches teach better man-to-man help D better than JC. Few coaches coach every ounce of talent out of their players like JC. Few coaches consistently spot untapped talent (recruiting) as JC. Few coaches recruit for their system as well as JC. Few coaches consistently get their team playing their best hoops in March as JC. Few coaches are beloved by their past players as JC. Few coaches instil their will to win better than JC. I could go on and on.
I wish he could coach UConn forever. I just hope whoever succeeds him as head coach can continue his legacy though that's a lot to expect.
