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Best Men's BB Coaches

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Cagey_Tee

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Hi All from Sarasota Fl.

To pass the time, some UCONN BB fans have tried to list (in order) the top 10 Men's BB coaches of all time.

We did reach a concensus on the first 5 - although as noted, we thought Dean Smith was vulnerable. We did debate the relative position of JC vs. Knight - but gave the nod to JC because of his 3 and half champtionships.

First Tier:

Wooden
Mike K.
Calhoun
Knight

Smith – might eventually drop out if someone below escalates – say if J Wright wins 2-3 more titles.

No such consensus on the next 5 - so we would love to get the Board's views. Note that the following were not necessarily listed in order - we just threw out the names we felt should get consideration - and I'm sure we probably forget one or two deserving others.

Candidates For Next Tier:

Izzo
Boheim
Calipari
Wright
Williams
Pitino
Donovan
Few
Huggins
Bennett
Thompson
 
I think its important to establish a criteria and then apply it. First impulse is that consistency and longevity are the base criteria.

Secondary considerations when coaches are "close" would be time lost to program building (i.e. did they inherit a winning program or not?) and then an evaluation of success at all levels (national and conference).

If you agree with that it's mostly a matter of pulling that data together and adding some qualifying commentary. I'm too lazy to do that. So I'll stop here.
 
It's so hard to compare the old generation with the new.
Look when those coaches inherited their positions:
Bobby Knight - Indiana - 31 yrs old
Dean Smith - UNC - 30 yrs old
K - Duke - 33 yrs old

Top teams don't give present-day millennials these jobs. Different scale. Jay Wright got a middling Villanova, took over for Steve Lappas at 38 years old, and he build that thing from the ground up.
 
LIuconn said:
It's so hard to compare the old generation with the new.
Look when those coaches inherited their positions:
Bobby Knight - Indiana - 31 yrs old
Dean Smith - UNC - 30 yrs old
K - Duke - 33 yrs old

Top teams don't give present-day millennials these jobs. Different scale. Jay Wright got a middling Villanova, took over for Steve Lappas at 38 years old, and he build that thing from the ground up.
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Really. Villanova had already won a NC in the modern era when Wright took over. He did NOT build it from the ground up. He may have re-built it.
 
.-.
Thompson
Wright
Few
Izzo
Altman
N. Richardson
 
OkaForPrez said:
I think its important to establish a criteria and then apply it. First impulse is that consistency and longevity are the base criteria.

Secondary considerations when coaches are "close" would be time lost to program building (i.e. did they inherit a winning program or not?) and then an evaluation of success at all levels (national and conference).

If you agree with that it's mostly a matter of pulling that data together and adding some qualifying commentary. I'm too lazy to do that. So I'll stop here.
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If not for longevity:

Valvano
 
Vuce said:
Modern era meaning when the tournament expanded to 64 teams as opposed to when Wooden or Rupp was coaching. OK, back to your basement son
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68 now
 
.-.
brasssbonanzaa said:
please justify this
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no thanks, shouldnt have to
NEforceUConn said:
Referring to Rupp:

Bad politics. A hater.
Expand ...
am i the "hater" here lol? definitely a misuse of that term. a rupp supporter is an apologist and "hater" of integration, but a critic like myself is more akin to a realist than a hater.
 
Last edited:
bendm said:
no thanks, shouldnt have to

am i the "hater" here lol? definitely a misuse of that term. a rupp supporter is an apologist and "hater" of integration, but a critic like myself is more akin to a realist than a hater.
Expand ...
I agree his societal and political views were abhorrent but the criteria for this evaluation are related to coaching ability and success.
 
.-.
brasssbonanzaa said:
I agree his societal and political views were abhorrent but the criteria for this evaluation are related to coaching ability and success.
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and if you think only coaching/playing against white guys isnt disqualifying then agree to disagree
 
The dook coach shouldn’t be top 100. He’s done less with more talent, than any other coach in the history of basketball.
 
bendm said:
and if you think only coaching/playing against white guys isnt disqualifying then agree to disagree
Expand ...
Should all pre-Jackie Robinson baseball players and managers be removed from Cooperstown?
 
brasssbonanzaa said:
Should all pre-Jackie Robinson baseball players and managers be removed from Cooperstown?
Expand ...
No of course not, but their careers and accomplishments should be talked about with the appropriate context of the league they played in. Just like is happening with Rupp in this thread
 
navery12 said:
No of course not, but their careers and accomplishments should be talked about with the appropriate context of the league they played in. Just like is happening with Rupp in this thread
Expand ...
That's fair. But if we're listing the greatest coaches of all time, to leave him off is statistically indefensible. Now, if you want to put an asterisk next to his name - that makes sense.
 
.-.
brasssbonanzaa said:
That's fair. But if we're listing the greatest coaches of all time, to leave him off is statistically indefensible. Now, if you want to put an asterisk next to his name - that makes sense.
Expand ...
He probably belongs to be in the conversation in the group listed, but I wouldn't have him in the top 10 personally. But it's borderline impossible to compare across eras in sports so it's tough
 
Cagey_Tee said:
Hi All from Sarasota Fl.

To pass the time, some UCONN BB fans have tried to list (in order) the top 10 Men's BB coaches of all time.

We did reach a concensus on the first 5 - although as noted, we thought Dean Smith was vulnerable. We did debate the relative position of JC vs. Knight - but gave the nod to JC because of his 3 and half champtionships.

First Tier:

Wooden
Mike K.
Calhoun
Knight

Smith – might eventually drop out if someone below escalates – say if J Wright wins 2-3 more titles.

No such consensus on the next 5 - so we would love to get the Board's views. Note that the following were not necessarily listed in order - we just threw out the names we felt should get consideration - and I'm sure we probably forget one or two deserving others.

Candidates For Next Tier:

Izzo
Boheim
Calipari
Wright
Williams
Pitino
Donovan
Few
Huggins
Bennett
Thompson
Expand ...

Good list, but I think Lute Olson has to be in that next tier group.
 
navery12 said:
He probably belongs to be in the conversation in the group listed, but I wouldn't have him in the top 10 personally. But it's borderline impossible to compare across eras in sports so it's tough
Expand ...
Agree completely that comparing era is really difficult. That said, 876 wins and four titles is....876 wins and four titles. Only two other coaches can say they've done that.
 
.-.
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