Best coaches

[GGGG]

IMO Pitino is the best all around coach and has been for quite some time. Bo is a great coach and think he is top 10 for sure. I would put Cal, Coach K, Donovan and Izzo in my top five with Pitino. Self and Williams are great coaches because of where they are and not by overall success.

So Self and Williams are downgraded because of "where they are," but Calipari and Pitino aren't?  Bill Self won a national championship at Kansas five years after Williams left.  (And lost another 3 years after that.)

Williams was coming off the end of the Guthridge and Doherty regimes and built the program back up.

[GGGG]

I thought about Larry Brown.   He has won almost everywhere he has gone.   For me, his vagabond nature as well as going 25 years between college coaching gigs eliminates him. 

And left his last two stops on probation.

[tower912]

And left his last two stops on probation.

Yeah, that too.   However, doesn't tossing that into the equation impact Calipari's ranking?

[GGGG]

Yeah, that too.   However, doesn't tossing that into the equation impact Calipari's ranking?

If he leaves Kentucky in the same boat, yes...

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

OK. I don't argue with any of the other 6 being ahead of Bo. But you said he doesn't crack the top 10. Your words, not mine.

Maybe you're right. All I'd like is for you to back up your very confident statement that he's on the outside looking in. Please provide your top-10, Bo-free list.

Here you go... order could be debated for a few of these but Bo doesn't crack into this group.

1. Coach K
2. Pitino
3. Izzo
4. Donovan
5. Calipari
6. R. Williams
7. Bill Self
8. Larry Brown
9. Jim Boeheim
10. Bob Huggins

In addition I am docking Bo to at least 12th place for raising such a loser daughter. That's poor player development.

[MUMonster03]

No one has mentioned Ollie yet either, or are we calling his NC Calhoun's 4th?

[Goose]

Larry Brown can flat out coach and I have always watched his college gigs closely. He is high on my list of all time great coaches.

[MUMonster03]

Larry Brown can flat out coach and I have always watched his college gigs closely. He is high on my list of all time great coaches.

I also think Steve Fisher is highly underrated. Granted there were some violations at Michigan but he has completely rebuilt the San Diego St Program, only 3 NCAA appearances before he arrived and no wins, 8 since he has been there and 2 sweet 16's.

[MU82]

Here you go... order could be debated for a few of these but Bo doesn't crack into this group.

1. Coach K
2. Pitino
3. Izzo
4. Donovan
5. Calipari
6. R. Williams
7. Bill Self
8. Larry Brown
9. Jim Boeheim
10. Bob Huggins

In addition I am docking Bo to at least 12th place for raising such a loser daughter. That's poor player development.

Oooh ... so close.

Even if I give you Brown and Boeheim on a list of current top-10 coaches, and I'm not sure I do, on what do you base Huggy Bear being ranked higher than Bo?

In both 2013 and 2014, Huggy missed the Dance entirely. He has made 2 Final Fours, but one was 23 years ago.

In the 14 years since Bo became a high-major coach ...

BO: 2 FF, 1 E8, 4 S16, 14 NCAA tourney appearances, 4 conf titles.
HUGGY: 1 FF, 0 E8, 2 S16, 10 NCAA tourneys, 2 conf titles (last in 2004).

Truly a reach to try to back up your claim.

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

Oooh ... so close.

Even if I give you Brown and Boeheim on a list of current top-10 coaches, and I'm not sure I do, on what do you base Huggy Bear being ranked higher than Bo?

In both 2013 and 2014, Huggy missed the Dance entirely. He has made 2 Final Fours, but one was 23 years ago.

In the 14 years since Bo became a high-major coach ...

BO: 2 FF, 1 E8, 4 S16, 14 NCAA tourney appearances, 4 conf titles.
HUGGY: 1 FF, 0 E8, 2 S16, 10 NCAA tourneys, 2 conf titles (last in 2004).

Truly a reach to try to back up your claim.

In my opinion Huggy > Bo because of his success at multiple programs and in multiple conferences. He's reached FFs both early and late in his career. Bo's Final Fours both come during the era of Fast & Furious 6.

Not sure how Brown & Boeheim aren't current top tens? Brown has an NC and rebuilt a crap SMU program. Boeheim was in the Final Four less than four years ago.

EDIT: I'll add Howland ahead of Bo once he lands his next job.

[Badgerhater]

Brad Stevens was well on his way to getting included in that conversation with two title game appearances by a Horizon League team but bolted for the NBA too early.

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

By the way, I'm not a Bo hater. He is an excellent coach. But similar to how UW's being a good school doesn't mean it's in line with Harvard, let's not get carried away.

[MUMonster03]

By the way, I'm not a Bo hater. He is an excellent coach. But similar to how UW's being a good school doesn't mean it's in line with Harvard, let's not get carried away.

The real question is would Bo still be as successful if Bennett hadn't already put in all the leg work in rebuilding the program. Bo has done a great job running with that momentum from the 2000 Final Four but could of he actually built the program up himself as Pitino did in his rebuilds at Louisville and Kentucky, Coach K at Duke, and Donovan at Florida.

[MU82]

In my opinion Huggy > Bo because of his success at multiple programs and in multiple conferences. He's reached FFs both early and late in his career. Bo's Final Fours both come during the era of Fast & Furious 6.

Not sure how Brown & Boeheim aren't current top tens? Brown has an NC and rebuilt a crap SMU program. Boeheim was in the Final Four less than four years ago.

EDIT: I'll add Howland ahead of Bo once he lands his next job.

So Bo gets penalized for staying where he is while Huggy gets extra points for wandering? Whatevs. We will have to disagree. I don't even like Bo but I believe in giving credit where it's due.

[Galway Eagle]

The real question is would Bo still be as successful if Bennett hadn't already put in all the leg work in rebuilding the program. Bo has done a great job running with that momentum from the 2000 Final Four but could of he actually built the program up himself as Pitino did in his rebuilds at Louisville and Kentucky, Coach K at Duke, and Donovan at Florida.

For the record Coach K inherited a program two years removed from the championship game and had made the tournament the year before.  It's not like he rebuilt anything. Not taking away his accomplishments but Duke was already a strong program. 

[Fullodds]

I did forget about Pitino.  Personally,   I don't know that I would put Bo in the top 5, but he might be 6.  And I couldn't blame anyone who did put him in their top 5.

1. K
1a. Dave Leitao
2. Izzo
3. Cal
4. Pitino
5. Self
6. Bo
7. Donovan

[mu03eng]

For the record Coach K inherited a program two years removed from the championship game and had made the tournament the year before.  It's not like he rebuilt anything. Not taking away his accomplishments but Duke was already a strong program. 

To be fair, the only program that has been built "from nothing or almost nothing" run by a coach on the list is Florida (I think can't recall them being any good).  Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Duke and Wisconsin had either current momentum or legacy momentum to build from.  Hell even Michigan State was something before Izzo (Judd).  If Brad Stevens were still in college, he would have to be top 3 on this list because he built something out of nothing, and it's still going.

A lot of credit goes to the coach, but if he has a platform it is much easier to get to the promised land.  Which is why Bo can't be top 10.  He can coach, but either can't or won't recruit forcing him to HAVE to coach well to be successful.  Let's also note that the native basketball talent in Wisconsin has exploded in the last 4 years which has allowed Bo to get more talent with the same amount of recruiting effort...hence why he has his best two teams to date.

[mattyv1908]

Izzo's the best current coach in the country today.  Seven final fours since 1999 while having a more difficult recruiting situation (although still good) than Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and a few others.

Were Calhoun still active they'd be my top two.  After that it's Pitino, K and Cal in any order.

If we rephrased the question to be best coaches based on results compared to resources/status/talent it'd be a much different list.


How is Gregg Marshall not on this list somewhere???

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

So Bo gets penalized for staying where he is while Huggy gets extra points for wandering? Whatevs. We will have to disagree. I don't even like Bo but I believe in giving credit where it's due.

Nobody is penalized. It's just more impressive do it at multiple schools. All those listed make millions per year. Nobody is penalized. No offense, but you are sporting quite a BOner right now.

[brewcity77]

If Brad Stevens were still in college, he would have to be top 3 on this list because he built something out of nothing, and it's still going.

Stevens improved on their tradition, but they did have 6 NCAA appearances in the decade before he took over and 2 Sweet 16s. Barry Collier, Thad Matta, and Todd Lickliter all had moderate success there before Stevens took over.

[mu03eng]

Stevens improved on their tradition, but they did have 6 NCAA appearances in the decade before he took over and 2 Sweet 16s. Barry Collier, Thad Matta, and Todd Lickliter all had moderate success there before Stevens took over.

Brew, fair point, I just forgot those guys were there.  I can't know the in depth history of every D1 basketball program, who am I?  Ners!?!?!   

[brewcity77]

Brew, fair point, I just forgot those guys were there.  I can't know the in depth history of every D1 basketball program, who am I?  Ners!?!?!   

No, Ners I believe was coach there before Collier. Without him, Butler would have been a nothing and Stevens would still be a high school assistant.

[mu03eng]

No, Ners I believe was coach there before Collier. Without him, Butler would have been a nothing and Stevens would still be a high school assistant.

We all know Stevens never dunked on anybody.

[Tugg Speedman]

You can name 10 other coaches who are 14-for-14 in making it to the NCAAs, capped off by two straight Final Four appearances? OK.

Jeesh ... I can't believe I'm lobbying for the Grinch ... but fair is fair.

Mark Few of Gonzaga is 16 for 16 on tourney bids.  And he doesn't have a power conference or state school money to help his program.

He is a younger version(by 16 years) of Bo.

[MU82]

Mark Few of Gonzaga is 16 for 16 on tourney bids.  And he doesn't have a power conference or state school money to help his program.

He is a younger version(by 16 years) of Bo.

Few has zero Final Fours and I think only a couple of Elite Eights. He also has a conference he can dominate, one that rarely includes even 2 other decent teams. And he, like a few others on these lists, inherited a very good situation.

Still, 16-for-16 is extremely impressive and he has helped make Gonzaga a national basketball brand, no easy feat for a small private school in the middle of nowhere.