Dicky V's Top 5 Coaches?

[Gurleyman]

If we're going to open up the list to Geno, why can't we include high school coaches, too? That's not a shot at women's basketball, as I don't think men's college basketball coaches should be compared to professional coaches, either. That's why these sort of exercises, while maybe fun, never really amount to any type of meaningful conclusion. I would argue that anybody who thinks Geno is a better basketball coach than Pop is on crack, but then again, we've never seen Pop coach women's basketball, so I can't be sure. Every great coach has gifts that translate particularly well to their sport.

If we're keeping it to strictly professional basketball, the four that stand out to me are Riley, Pop, Phil, and Red. And to briefly defend Phil, if you think it's easy to coach Kobe, I would suggest you ask some of his former teammates. Managing personalities is arguably as important to success as anything else.

Pop coached in college - only had one winning season in eight years. Isn't that right @jleves ?

 

[TheChamps990411]

All of you calling Phil Jackson overrated are DELUSIONAL! Why didnt doug collins win with jordan if it was so easy? getting past teams like the celtics,pistons,knicks and lakers wasnt a walk in the park by any stretch. Btw the bulls are one bad call from going to the finals without MJ against a damn good knicks team. Hands down Phil Jackson is #1. Please give me another name and i guarantee you the resume dont match up.

 

[Husky25]

All of you calling Phil Jackson overrated are DELUSIONAL! Why didnt doug collins win with jordan if it was so easy? getting past teams like the celtics,pistons,knicks and lakers wasnt a walk in the park by any stretch. Btw the bulls are one bad call from going to the finals without MJ against a damn good knicks team. Hands down Phil Jackson is #1. Please give me another name and i guarantee you the resume dont match up.

In basketball, Aurbach is in the conversation only because he was Coach, GM, and President, and traveling secretary. Russell, Cousy and Hondo didn't hurt either.

 

[tentoes4rings]

If it's so easy to do it why doesn't everyone do it? You don't have to be a fan of women's basketball to recognize that any list of the best coaches has to have him featured prominently. You just can't ignore a resume that ridiculously impressive.

Plus he's almost a dead ringer for Tucker from There's Something About Mary. So he's got that going for him, which is nice.

 

[jleves]

Pop coached in college - only had one winning season in eight years. Isn't that right @jleves ?

Wow - I had no idea he coached the Sagehens - and while I was there so I've actually watched him at some point. Which year did they win it? I also had no idea that we were in the same league as UCLA in the 1920s. That's pretty cool. How come we didn't keep up?

 

[Gurleyman]

Wow - I had no idea he coached the Sagehens - and while I was there so I've actually watched him at some point. Which year did they win it? I also had no idea that we were in the same league as UCLA in the 1920s. That's pretty cool. How come we didn't keep up?

Pop led the Sagehens to the SCIAC title in 1986 - then took a sabbatical year to hold the clipboard for Larry Brown at Kansas in 1987. When Brown left Kansas for the Spurs, he called Pop to be his assistant.

As the story goes, he really wanted to stay and asked the administration to provide him with on campus housing and was told no, so he decided to leave for the NBA (on good terms). His assistant is still coaching there, and Pop still drops Sagehen references to the media on occasion.

 

[Onions]

you are right - Geno is a good coach but he doesn't belong on this list
add Phil Jackson and take off Geno
I would think Calhoun would make the top 10..

This list is obviously for active coaches, Calhoun and Jackson are ineligible.

 

[jleves]

Pop led the Sagehens to the SCIAC title in 1986 - then took a sabbatical year to hold the clipboard for Larry Brown at Kansas in 1987. When Brown left Kansas for the Spurs, he called Pop to be his assistant.

As the story goes, he really wanted to stay and asked the administration to provide him with on campus housing and was told no, so he decided to leave for the NBA (on good terms). His assistant is still coaching there, and Pop still drops Sagehen references to the media on occasion.

Hmmm - I was a junior in 86 and I remember a lot of people suddenly wanting to go to a game on campus so I went. But I have no recollection of winning the SCIAC title.

 

[Gurleyman]

Hmmm - I was a junior in 86 and I remember a lot of people suddenly wanting to go to a game on campus so I went. But I have no recollection of winning the SCIAC title.

No tournament back then - just the regular season winner earned it. So there probably wasn't a memorable championship game or anything.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Dick Vitale is in my top 5 douchenozzles list behind boheim and calipari

That's sad. Annoying or not, Vitale should be a million miles away from those two. At least the guy's a class act and has done a lot for the game many of us love.

 

[scotty0330]

Take away MJ, Pippen
Take away Kobe and Shaq
Phil Jackson wins nothing - his importance is one of the most over rated in sports - my opinion
Some will say he had to meld that talent - he didn't meld Kobe/Shaq or MJ
I draw a parallel with Jackson and Geno
The football coaches are different - more players and working parts.
Pop is deserving and in many respects K is, but not number one - K has had the pick of the litter and loses too many he should win
Must not be a baseball fan (while he claims to be a huge Rays follower) but there has to be a few you could throw in there.

We are on same page in terms of phil jackson. Always had a top 10 all
Time player on his team and his number two guy was at least a top 40 player and even higher when you take a young Kobe as the number two player. Phil should be no where near this list. Geno and wooden are hurt by almost their dominance if that makes sense. When you have the greatest roster by a country mile and you win with it is it because of great coaching or the roster so loaded you just overwhelmed the other teams.

I am not a k fan but his consistent greatness is hard to argue with. Yes has had
Some bad tourney losses but duke is top 10
If not too five every year. And has won with role players and not just studs see 2010 national title team.

 

[Confident Carl]

Yeah Geno is definitely not even close to that list. He's great and easily the best in his world but that does not equate to Top 5. His "building of the program" would probably be 2nd to Jim Calhoun for top 5 in that category, or close at least. But not overall, all sports coaching. I'm ok with K being on or near the top also. Pop? Maybe. Bill B? There's an argument but Bill Walsh and Vince probably should be ahead. Nick Saban? - close but nope. The thing is everyone but Geno has an argument - I mean I respect that Dicky V likes what he's done but he's being a little too political on that one. Nice gesture but c'mon really?

I can see why folks would not include Geno on the list for some of the reasons already stated. I say take it and keep quiet. UCONN needs all the positive PR it can get in order to move up to the bigger money. Even if the women's program helps just a little to get into a P5 conference, we should take advantage of it. If the B1G comes after UCONN they can boast that they have the best women's bball program and coach of all time! If the ACC invites UCONN they can boast not only the best Men and Women's conference but also the two winningest coaches in history.
Women's Basketball and Geno are a big plus on UCONN's resume. Our Men's basketball program is refilling and should stay viable. Hopefully Diaco with his recruits will get UCONN football back in the green sooner than later.

 

[HuskyNan]

Geno is a great basketball coach, no doubt, certainly the best active women's basketball coach but I agree with CL that there should be separate list for women's sports. The sports are subtly different, but different enough that the comparisons aren't equal. That way, the list could properly include Anson Dorrance who may actually belong at the top of a list of Best Women's Coaches followed by Béla Károlyi. Russ Rose, Penn State volleyball coach, should be on the women's list too.

 

[mauconnfan]

Geno is a great basketball coach, no doubt, certainly the best active women's basketball coach but I agree with CL that there should be separate list for women's sports. The sports are subtly different, but different enough that the comparisons aren't equal. That way, the list could properly include Anson Dorrance who may actually belong at the top of a list of Best Women's Coaches followed by Béla Károlyi. Russ Rose, Penn State volleyball coach, should be on the women's list too.

But I also agree with the many posters here Geno is more than likely the only one you could list who could have an argument to be in on a men's list, whether it is Top 5,10, 20 etc etc., present or all time. Although the women's soccer coach at UNC has had an amazing run too? Oh yeah that's up there already. They seem to be a lot the same in they built a power and in turn are able to have the best players in the country/world want to play for them.

 

[HuskyNan]

But I also agree with the many posters here Geno is more than likely the only one you could list who could have an argument to be in on a men's list, whether it is Top 5,10, 20 etc etc., present or all time. Although the women's soccer coach at UNC has had an amazing run too? Oh yeah that's up there already. They seem to be a lot the same in they built a power and in turn are able to have the best players in the country/world want to play for them.

Russ Rose lives in obscurity but the guy wins and wins and wins.

 

[champs99and04]

I love the folks that will discredit Phil Jackson and then turn around and call coach K the greatest college coach ever, as if he isn't working with a decided talent advantage 99% of the time.