After another weekend of scintillating college hoops action in which several big-name coaches scored big victories, I thought it might be fun to take stock of the sport’s coaching elite. Here are my top five, plus the most underrated and overrated coaches.
1. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke— Coach K is in his 32nd season at Duke, and he still shows no signs of slowing down. He has won a staggering 79% of his games during his time in Durham, and he holds the record for most Division One wins in college basketball history (921 and counting.) The Blue Devils have won four national championships and been to 11 Final Fours during Krzyzewski’s tenure. All of this at a school that is best known for its high academic standards. Krzyzewski tops my list for not only adapting to his talent on a yearly basis and winning at a tremendous clip but also because his players succeed off the court.
2. Tom Izzo, Michigan State— Since taking over at State in 1996, Izzo has guided the Spartans to six Final Fours and a national title. His best stretch was from 1999-2001 when State appeared in three Final Fours and won the national championship in the 1999-2000 season. Izzo’s teams always reflect his tough demeanor, and his willingness to schedule elite non-conference opponents demonstrates his competitive nature.
3. Bo Ryan, Wisconsin— Though Ryan hasn’t won a national championship or been to the Final Four, his success in Madison is simply incredible. In his first ten seasons at Wisconsin, Ryan has reached the NCAA Tournament and won at least 19 games in every season. If this resume belonged to the coach of Kentucky or North Carolina, it wouldn’t be all that impressive, but Ryan’s ability to squeeze every ounce of ability out of his perennially under-recruited squad is unparalleled in coaching.
4. John Calipari, Kentucky— Coach Cal is the most polarizing figure in the sport because of his unethical behavior. Calipari vacated Final Fours at Massachusetts and Memphis before arriving in Lexington, the most basketball-crazed city in the country. I don’t give Calipari a pass for his immorality, and he is still searching for his first national championship, but I am of the opinion that both his recruiting and schematic tactics are in the upper echelon of college basketball. At this point, it seems unlikely that Calipari is cheating to get recruits to Lexington due to the program’s prestige and Calipari’s ability to prepare players for the NBA.
5. Jim Calhoun, UConn— UConn’s recent struggles on and off the court have cast a negative light on Calhoun, but the coach has still led the Huskies to four Final Fours and three national championships. He gets the nod over Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim because he has two more national titles and one more final four appearance.
Most Overrated: Rick Barnes, Texas— Barnes is a phenomenal recruiter, but his talent never seems to pan out in Austin.
Most Underrated: Mike Brey, Notre Dame— The Irish always find a way to stay near the top of the Big East despite lacking the resources that some of the conference’s other programs boast.
