Who is currently the best men's college basketball coach?

[GooooMarquette]

K has 5 titles and 12 Final Fours
Roy has 3 titles and 9 Final Fours
If Jay wins, he'll have 2 titles and 3 Final Fours.

I like the guy,  but Wright has a long way to go before being considered right up there with K and Roy IMHO

I agree with the K argument, but Roy? Here's my thinking:

Duke had a solid program before K got there (4 Final Fours), but K took it to a totally new level with 12 and 5 titles. Same with Wright at Nova. They had been to 2 Final Fours and won 1 title in several decades before he got there, and he has 3 Final Fours and 1-2 titles since 2009. They've gone from "pretty solid program" to the cusp of Blue Blood status.

As for Roy, he got to two Blue Bloods, and maintained their Blue Blood status. UNC had 15 Final Fours before Roy ever stepped on campus and Roy got them there 5 more times. KU had 8 before he ever got there, and another 3 after he left. Kudos to Roy for not mucking it up, but he certainly didn't take either to completely new levels....

[LAZER]

I suppose. But the "best" could be some guy at Presbyterian or N.C. Central or a Division III program. He just hasn't had a chance to prove it on the national stage.

How will he get that chance? By accomplishing stuff.

"Best" is subjective, and requires the person making the call to use his/her own set of criteria.

Is "best" based purely on X's and O's during games? Ego management? Ability to prepare a team in practice? Recruiting? History of success? Probability of future success?

All of the above.  If the Marquette job opened tomorrow and you had your pick of any coach, who would it be?  For me, only a couple names in front of Wright.

[barfolomew]

All of the above.  If the Marquette job opened tomorrow and you had your pick of any coach, who would it be?  For me, only a couple names in front of Wright.

Jay Wright may or may not be the "best" active coach, but he is far and away my favorite.
He also has the best commercials.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dArYvXruhiQ

[Lennys Tap]

All of the above.  If the Marquette job opened tomorrow and you had your pick of any coach, who would it be?  For me, only a couple names in front of Wright.

Wojo and who else?

[Lennys Tap]

Bennett isn't there yet. No tourney success.   

This is true only if the guys who think the tournament is a crapshoot (i.e., all luck) are full of it. They are, by the way

[mu03eng]

This is true only if the guys who think the tournament is a crapshoot (i.e., all luck) are full of it. They are, by the way

[Golden Avalanche]

This is true only if the guys who think the tournament is a crapshoot (i.e., all luck) are full of it. They are, by the way

The UMBC loss will be an anchor around Bennett's neck for years, whether deserved or not.

Took GQ 14 seasons before the narrative of "can't win in March" was lifted and that was after he achieved a Final Four in his eighth season.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

This is true only if the guys who think the tournament is a crapshoot (i.e., all luck) are full of it. They are, by the way

Not true. The tournament is a crapshoot in that is a terrible way to solely judge the quality of a season. Losing one game in March doesn't negate the other 31 wins that Virginia posted this season. They were still one of the top 10 teams in college basketball this season. Similar to how Loyola isn't one of the top 4 teams in college basketball this season.

However, once you start to look at a coach's career overall it's no longer one data point. Tony Bennett has played 18 NCAA tournament games and is 10-8. All 10 of his wins were against teams seeded lower than his. 5 of his losses  were also to teams seeded lower than his. So he has yet to led a team to an upset victory in March but has been upset 5 times....including one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport. Those 18 data points are valuable when judging a coach overall.

Tony Bennett still gets credit for the great regular seasons he's collected, but that alone isn't enough to be considered a great coach. He has a dismal record in March and that is holding him back.

[MUBigDance]

Best BB coach ever...K over any College, NBA, women's coach...Not just college wins and success, but USA basketball...how he handled NBA greats.

Best BB college coach ever...K over Wooden.

Best Current coach (this is the original question): Jay Wright. finds really good players...molds into great team...gets most out of everyone on team. In-game adjustments great.  K and Boeheim and Roy are a bit worn out...their great recruits and assistants cover for them a bit. 

So many really good coaches. But Jay Wright wears "Best Current Coach" like a $2,000 suit. Sharp!

[GGGG]

IMO you can't be considered the "best coach ever" if you haven't coached in the NBA.

[Seashells]

Jay has to be in the top couple.  It's a lot easier to get recruits at Duke, Kentucky, NC and Kansas.  Those schools are dream programs for HS kids.  For Wright to compete with them is impressive.

And, he seems to be a guy.  I loved hatingt Huggins and Pitino, but I actually like Wright.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Wow, i have somehow never seen that, pretty incredible calling that shot with a preternatural calm given the stakes

[brewcity77]

Jay Wright has transformed how teams are approaching the game. This year's Kansas looked like Villanova light. That Self seems to have followed Wright's lead puts him at the top for me.

[barfolomew]

Wow, i have somehow never seen that, pretty incredible calling that shot with a preternatural calm given the stakes

Word. And check Tracy Wolfson in the background.

[GGGG]

Wow, i have somehow never seen that, pretty incredible calling that shot with a preternatural calm given the stakes

Ever seen this one of Larry Bird when he was coaching the Pacers?  I believe this was after Reggie Miller hit a game winner over the Bulls in the ECF.

[MU82]

Wojo and who else?

I suppose I wouldn't mind Wojo hiring Wright as an assistant.

[willie warrior]

Wee willie warrior.

Damn straight. Now I have 2 votes.

[GooooMarquette]

I suppose I wouldn't mind Wojo hiring Wright as an assistant.

Would that restart the clock on the five years we have to judge Wojo?

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Tower asked for best coaches,  not legendary ones

Based on ESPN NIT announcers Dana Altman should be listed as one of the best.

[WarriorFan]

Wright and Bennet both have systems that win.  I don't like Bennet's as much as Wrights but they both win.  Cal, Self and lately K because of the one and done guys don't have systems, they just run.  The focus is more on recruiting and less on the game.  Boeheim also has a great system and has won with it.

so here's the way I see it today:

Best System coach:  Wright
Best recruiting coach: K
Best game coach:  Boeheim

Best overall coach TODAY:  Wright

[GGGG]

Bennett's doesn't win when it matters though.  Maybe in the future it will.

[MU82]

Not sure how anybody could answer the OP's question with anybody but Wright.

He wins his conference, which is one of the best in the nation. He wins non-conference games against top competition. He wins NCAA tournament games. He wins with class. He gets talented, hard-working kids who fit his system and buy into it.

Oh, and "currently" - as the question poses - he wins NCAA championships, barely breaking a sweat in winning the second one (in three years).

Frankly, by any measurable metric, I don't see how it's even all that close between him and the next guy.

Remember, the question asks "currently."

Currently, the better question would be:

"Who is currently the second-best men's college basketball coach?"

[wadesworld]

In my opinion Jay Wright is the third best basketball coach in the world at any level right now.

Definitely the top college coach at the moment in my opinion.  Bennett and Beilein are both very underrated.

[warriorchick]

Bielein? Not past any of them. Wright? I think he is right up there with Izzo and Boeheim. K and Roy are on different levels.

This guy knows what he is talking about.

[Jockey]

Where do Wright and Bielein rank?  Have they passed Izzo, K, Boeheim, Roy?  I think both have put themselves in the conversation.

Depends whether you are talking coaching, recruiting, or both. All inclusive, it would have to be K, Self Cal, and Roy. Then maybe Wright.

Coaching alone - Wright and Bielein are as good as anyone in the country, period.