Coaches who have recently built excellent programs

[UConn82]

Hi,

I am impressed by those coaches who have relatively recently built excellent programs (in no particular order):

1. South Carolina (DawnS)
2. Louisville (JeffW)
3. Oregon (KellyG)
4. Oregon State (ScottR)
5. Syracuse (Coach Q)
6. Mississippi State (VicS)

Two questions for all:
1. Whom am I missing? (CourtneyB left Princeton; therefore, I don't count her, etc.)
2. What are the qualities (besides the obvious of being very knowledgeable about basketball, being an excellent recruiter, etc.) that enable these to do this, when so many others haven't?

Thank you all in advance.

 

[oldude]

I’m not sure how you define “relatively recently” but I would point out that 3 of the coaches you list have been at their current job for over 10 years each: Dawn (11), Jeff (12), Q (13 + several years as SU Ast).

 

[UConn82]

Good point. By "relatively recent" I mean about 10 years or so, go or take. I.e., Muffet, Tara, and Kim don't count, but the three you mention do.

 

[Magy Cannon]

Vic and Dawn come to mind. Also Kelly Graves.

 

[Moose]

Hi,

I am impressed by those coaches who have relatively recently built excellent programs (in no particular order):

1. South Carolina (DawnS)
2. Louisville (JeffW)
3. Oregon (KellyG)
4. Oregon State (ScottR)
5. Syracuse (Coach Q)
6. Mississippi State (VicS)

Two questions for all:
1. Whom am I missing? (CourtneyB left Princeton; therefore, I don't count her, etc.)
2. What are the qualities (besides the obvious of being very knowledgeable about basketball, being an excellent recruiter, etc.) that enable these to do this, when so many others haven't?

Thank you all in advance.

Quinnipiac coached by Tricia Fabbri??

 

[UConn82]

Hi Moose,

Good one.

Her first year coaching there, she was 2-23. Yikes!

She has made the NCAA tournament four of the last five years, including, as we know, the Sweet Sixteen in 2016-17. That, methinks, is real progress.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Good point. By "relatively recent" I mean about 10 years or so, go or take. I.e., Muffet, Tara, and Kim don't count, but the three you mention do.

Appropriate to choose 10 years. Coach Geno took a decade to win his first NC. His won-loss record rose over time. So coaches who are doing very well after a decade could be considered "new" coaches.

Don't think that Q qualifies as one of that top group. He's been around for a long time, and hasn't seemed to break through to the top ranks.

I am surprised by how the Pac 12 has morphed into the new version of the old Big East. For years and years and years, Stanford was the giant among midgets in the Pac-12. Only in the past few years have Oregon and Oregon State emerged as national powers, while UCLA and Berkeley have also emerged as strong programs. Even USC has been competitive nationally of late.

So big surprise that at least in terms of the college-eve, the West Coast has "emerged"!

 

[Cuango]

Appropriate to choose 10 years. Coach Geno took a decade to win his first NC. His won-loss record rose over time. So coaches who are doing very well after a decade could be considered "new" coaches.

Don't think that Q qualifies as one of that top group. He's been around for a long time, and hasn't seemed to break through to the top ranks.

I am surprised by how the Pac 12 has morphed into the new version of the old Big East. For years and years and years, Stanford was the giant among midgets in the Pac-12. Only in the past few years have Oregon and Oregon State emerged as national powers, while UCLA and Berkeley have also emerged as strong programs. Even USC has been competitive nationally of late.

So big surprise that at least in terms of the college-eve, the West Coast has "emerged"!

keep an eye on Adia Barnes at Arizona! She is changing the culture of that program!

 

[UcMiami]

Interesting thread. I also question coach Q as I am not sure how 'good' he is - but he should certainly be in the conversation.

Seems to me there are three distinct areas for a coach: Recruiting, Player Development, and In-game Coaching. Hard to win a championship without players, without developing the players you get, and without being able to manage the team during games.

For new coaches the hardest part of building a program is achieving enough success to be able to recruit nationally. We think Geno is a genius but he was also very lucky that the NE was producing some pretty incredible talent during the 1980s and 1990s Bascom from NH, Lobo and Wolters from Mass, Rizzotti and Sales from CT. That 1991 FF team was a miracle and his first 'national level' recruit from outside the NE was probably Shea in 1996.

Of those listed above, Jeff took a long time to land top 5 talent and Angel was a gift to his early success. Dawn hit her home run with Wilson having won and then lost Kelsi Bone.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Appropriate to choose 10 years. Coach Geno took a decade to win his first NC. His won-loss record rose over time. So coaches who are doing very well after a decade could be considered "new" coaches.

Don't think that Q qualifies as one of that top group. He's been around for a long time, and hasn't seemed to break through to the top ranks.

I am surprised by how the Pac 12 has morphed into the new version of the old Big East. For years and years and years, Stanford was the giant among midgets in the Pac-12. Only in the past few years have Oregon and Oregon State emerged as national powers, while UCLA and Berkeley have also emerged as strong programs. Even USC has been competitive nationally of late.

So big surprise that at least in terms of the college-eve, the West Coast has "emerged"!

Got mangled in spell check. I meant at the "college level"; no reference to "Eve."