How much does coaching matter?

[willie99]

College basketball is on 6 on 6 game. I've been saying that since Jim Calhoun came to town

And I might be understating a great coach's influence

 

[RuffRuff]

If you want to know how much coaching matters, take a look at Louisville. They’ve won more games in half a season under Kelsey than they won in two seasons under Payne.

Here is a thought experiment. Take the 10 best Kentucky players from 2010 to 2020, and put them on one NBA team, and that team would win 70 games every season for the next 5 years. Calipari has likely coached more future NBA Hall of Famers during any 10 year stretch of his time at Kentucky than any other coach in college basketball history has during any 10 year stretch in their time coaching. The amount of supreme talent that he coached is staggering, and a lot of the Kentucky guys that never made it big in the NBA were really, really good too. And he has one title.

There is a reason no radio or cable talk show host or podcaster ever asks the question: "who is the worst college basketball coach to win a title". The answer is too obvious.

All part of what took him down, as it became his only angle. To the point he put more stock into being the godfather of pros than winning.

 

[HooperScooper]

They are thrilled with Pope, to the point they think the portal is now the way to go vs OADs. While simultaneously laughing butts off at what is going on in Fayetville.

Who wouldn't want to play for this guy?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Who wouldn't want to play for this guy?

So we already have a thread that is effectively a love letter to Duke. Should we start one that is a love letter to Kentucky too?

 

[HooperScooper]

So we already have a thread that is effectively a love letter to Duke. Should we start one that is a love letter to Kentucky too?

 

[RuffRuff]

Better than a love letter to PC

 

[JohnFSilver]

There needs to be some level of athletic ability among players. With that being said, how much does coaching matter?

Given the same players that we had last year and the year before do you think there is another staff in the country that would've accomplished the same thing? That being 12 consecutive wins by double digits?

If we are the best, how much of an advantage is that? Is it better to have a cooper flagg with Duke's staff? Or our guys with our staff?

(I'll say it before anyone states the obvious. It's better to have our staff and the best players. But that's not reality)

Have fun

Critical when talent is equal.

 

[FlippinCrazy!]

Who was the last lousy coach to win a tittle. And don't say Ollie. He had that team playing at a very high level.

It’s a good point. Last non big name coach was Gary Williams from Maryland? Idk maybe he was big but just before my time. Besides Ollie of course but that was more a fluke than anything. Coaching obviously means something, even if it’s just confidence from your players

 

[uconnfan68]

I think there are a lot of good coaches out there, but I think the best coaches build a plan around the talent they have, and build their talent around their plan. The best coaches know those two things are symbiotic.

Hurley/Murray's offense is revolutionary, and exploits huge holes in modern, analytics-oriented defenses. Hurley and the staff put together the perfect team to maximize this new offense.

You look at a lot of old time coaches, and they basically played pickup offenses, with the goal of getting their stars as many shots as possible. They would win if they had the best players, and would lose if they didn't. Calipari is an extreme example of someone that was abysmal as a coach despite potentially having as many future NBA Hall of Famers over the last 15 years as the rest of the colleges combined. Boeheim is a better example of a coach that basically didn't have an offense, had a well-executed but unoriginal defense, and was very successful with this style when he had players that liked that.

Those offenses have not aged well though. The better coaches focus on the type of shot rather than who takes it, and scoring is balancing out within teams as offenses become more efficient. Analytics offenses are good at eliminating the 5-10 worst shots a game that teams used to take. As they continue to refine, you are seeing a return of post play because some coaches are better understanding the continuous probability nature of measuring shot efficiency.

It always helps when you dominate inside, and outside.

 

[husky429]

Talent matters more. When talent is close, coaching is vital.

Calhoun couldn't coach Mississippi Valley to a natty. But neither could there coach have won it all with our roster last year.

First team that comes to mind as an example is Ville. Tons of talent last 2 years... won nothing because of bad coaching vs similar talent.

 

[QDOG5]

Some college coaches I think are very good and possibly do more with less talent. Brian Dutcher, TJ Otzelberger, Kelvin Sampson,Greg Gard, Jamie Dixon, Porter Moser. Although I don’t like him I think Rick Pitino is one of the best college basketball coaches of all time no matter his teams talent level. We can start a list of coaches who do less with more. I’m not going the Scheyer route because it’s too early for him. I’d put Hubert Davis in that category. Bruce Pearl, Obviously Calipari is the poster boy for that category.

 

[Travelman6]

That team had 2 great coaches named Napier and Boatright.

Didn't they say so themselves?

 

[freshler40]

While, if winning the National Championship is the standard, only one of 400 Div 1 teams can do that. Not good odds even with the best coaching. Hiding injuries, incorporating a weak bench, scheduling, playing in the "right conference and alike are the in the mix.

Perhaps the standard should be more realistic, a successful season that develops teenagers into men with degrees, purpose and improving society. I, for one loved the recent Hartford Courant article about a walk-on for the Huskies that is now a PHD/Dr. That is winning!

 

[Umami Zen]

IMO. Coaches need talent and talent needs to be coached. If the coach and talent on the roster match up in a particular year. Great results are possible. Being able to recruit talent to your Program is paramount for those results to happen.