College Basketball Coaches

[UDPat]

While everyone is involved in the Transfer Portal,

I ask this question of the board: Who are the 2 BEST Coaches in NCAA College Hoops today??

Promise to reveal my 2 today but wanted to see some answers first. Hope there are many replies.

Jay Wright who would be in my 2 is NOT eligible because it's as of Today!

Thanks,

There are no wrong answers, I'm just curious. We had this discussion last Friday night at our game.

Heading to Turning Stone this weekend, never been. Playing in my 1st ever official WSOP events. Little more than $$$$ involved, winner gets $$$$. gold WSOP Ring and a free seat in the 10K buy in WSOP Tourny of Champions this summer. I tell you only because it proves Mrs. UDPat is a Saint!!!!!!!!

[jd of de]

Mrs Pat is a saint, but we knew that. You married up my friend!

Good luck getting your WSOP entry.

John Calipari
Sleeper Pick - Brad Underwood

[Cluck U]

1) Monte Ross
2) Everybody else

[Hen90]

Tom Izzo and Bill Self are probably the obvious choices. Izzo always seems to exceed expectations in March - when it matters most.

There is an increasing argument for Dan Hurley. I may revise my vote after the tournament!

Two best Hens coaches? That's easy. Mike Brey and Steve Steinwedel. Steve deserves a ton of respect for truly bringing this program out of the dark ages, getting our first ever tournament bid(s) and being the driving force behind the Bob. And arguably, in my opinion, he fielded our all time best team.

[UDPat]

1) Monte Ross
2) Everybody else

Please don't hijack the thread, if you can't think of an intelligent response, please don't post

Thank you

[jcaruch]

Tom Izzo
Danny Hurley

Two who have never won a championship, but some day for both of them.
Scott Drew
Shaka Smart

[hensfan40yrs]

Tom Izzo
Danny Hurley

Two who have never won a championship, but some day for both of them.
Scott Drew
Shaka Smart

good choices, i would add Todd Golden in the coaches of the future category, turned around Florida quickly

[UDPat]

Tom Izzo
Danny Hurley

Two who have never won a championship, but some day for both of them.
Scott Drew
Shaka Smart

Didn't Scott Drew win a NC?

[Cluck U]

1) Monte Ross
2) Everybody else

Please don't hijack the thread, if you can't think of an intelligent response, please don't post

Thank you

1) Monte Ross
2) Everybody else

Please don't hijack the thread, if you can't think of an intelligent response, please don't post

Thank you

Yes, ma’am.

Too, subtle, I guess.

Plenty of discussions about “greatest coaches” involve the argument about whether the coach can actually coach (as in an Xs and Os guy) or whether he can recruit talent (a Jimmies and Joes guy) and just roll out a ball. We had Ross defenders on here (hilarious, the guy was awful…and still is) and detractors, so I figured it was relevant to the discussion, although I can understand that some folks don’t have a sense of humor or a sliver of introspection.

When weighing in on the top coaches in basketball today, it seems appropriate to remember those Ross discussions in order to put things into perspective.

Other factors:

1) Can a coach take a job at a blah location and win…or does he have to be at a basketball blue blood school to help recruiting in order to succeed
2) Longevity/consistency - we can probably ignore the recent or flash in the pan guys, which, for the most part, since the haven’t built a resume
3) Flexibility - can the coach adapt to the game as it changes. Great if a guy has a lot of wins…but is he still winning as the game has developed

For my money, Calipari is the man. The guy wins wherever he goes in college basketball…and has done it over a long period of time. The guy can recruit and coach. Heck, UMass = Final Four, Memphis = Runner Up and Kentucky = National Champion plus some Final Fours. He just keeps winning. Adaptable. Struggled in the NBA, but we are talking about college coaches. Relates to the players and gets them to win. Winner, winner, winner.

Number 2? I’m going to throw out a name that will make people cringe. Oh well.

Rick Petino.

Another winner…at several schools (Boston U, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville, Iona and now, St. John’s). Great Xs and Os, great recruiter, flexible, innovator. NBA coach, coached a couple national teams and coached overseas as well. Successful just about everywhere. And, the guy helped change the entire game of college basketball with his use of the 3-point shot. Simply a great basketball mind.

Bonus: both could draw up an inbounds play.

Like I posted…there is Ross, then everyone else that could be on the list.






Attention school marms…not all posts need to meet your standards, as silly as they might be (the standards, and the posts).

[UDPat]

1) Monte Ross
2) Everybody else

Please don't hijack the thread, if you can't think of an intelligent response, please don't post

Thank you

1) Monte Ross
2) Everybody else

Please don't hijack the thread, if you can't think of an intelligent response, please don't post

Thank you

Yes, ma’am.

Too, subtle, I guess.

Plenty of discussions about “greatest coaches” involve the argument about whether the coach can actually coach (as in an Xs and Os guy) or whether he can recruit talent (a Jimmies and Joes guy) and just roll out a ball. We had Ross defenders on here (hilarious, the guy was awful…and still is) and detractors, so I figured it was relevant to the discussion, although I can understand that some folks don’t have a sense of humor or a sliver of introspection.

When weighing in on the top coaches in basketball today, it seems appropriate to remember those Ross discussions in order to put things into perspective.

Other factors:

1) Can a coach take a job at a blah location and win…or does he have to be at a basketball blue blood school to help recruiting in order to succeed
2) Longevity/consistency - we can probably ignore the recent or flash in the pan guys, which, for the most part, since the haven’t built a resume
3) Flexibility - can the coach adapt to the game as it changes. Great if a guy has a lot of wins…but is he still winning as the game has developed

For my money, Calipari is the man. The guy wins wherever he goes in college basketball…and has done it over a long period of time. The guy can recruit and coach. Heck, UMass = Final Four, Memphis = Runner Up and Kentucky = National Champion plus some Final Fours. He just keeps winning. Adaptable. Struggled in the NBA, but we are talking about college coaches. Relates to the players and gets them to win. Winner, winner, winner.

Number 2? I’m going to throw out a name that will make people cringe. Oh well.

Rick Petino.

Another winner…at several schools (Boston U, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville, Iona and now, St. John’s). Great Xs and Os, great recruiter, flexible, innovator. NBA coach, coached a couple national teams and coached overseas as well. Successful just about everywhere. And, the guy helped change the entire game of college basketball with his use of the 3-point shot. Simply a great basketball mind.

Bonus: both could draw up an inbounds play.

Like I posted…there is Ross, then everyone else that could be on the list.






Attention school marms…not all posts need to meet your standards, as silly as they might be (the standards, and the posts).

It was a thread not meant to jabs at folks. That's all. I still support Monte but he won't make my list.

No standards or rules, just decency that's all.

[jcaruch]

Pat - you are correct! Baylor won in 2021! Getting old sucks!!

[UDPat]

All good answers,

My 2


Dan Hurley
Dawn Staley

[HENJOHN]

BEST-

Bruce Pearl
Danny Hurley

Good but Most Overrated -

Tony Bennett
John Calipari

[Caribbean Hen]

Warning not college
1984 NBA Finals
Game 4 at the Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles
and we’re in OT
Lakers up 2-1 trying desperately to put the Celtics away in what was a brawl of a game … possibly the greatest game in NBA history

The coach was KC (not our KC) Jones and as he was trying to diagram the winning play and Larry Bird was glaring at his Coach and finally Larry had heard enough… Bird said we’re going to win this game…. just get me the ball and everybody clear out … KC Jones and nobody disagreed with Bird….

Great call by the coach…. Check out the play

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sEZKAHJ_Yvk

[Hens79]

How about Mark Few at Gonzaga? His record is
714–142 (.834) and he has 41 NCAA tournament wins. All at a school of 5000 out in the middle of nowhere.

And this debate of “who can coach” versus only recruit is really meaningless. Winning is what matters. At UD, it is really all about getting to the NCAA tournament.

And talk about a “sliver of introspection”. I remember Cluck saying Ross only went to the NCAA tourney because he got lucky that Usher came to UD. On its own it was a silly argument. But you have to come up with something when a coach you constantly bashed had an end-to-end regular season and CAA tournament championship with likely the most talented team in UD history. But the hypocrisy was staggering as Cluck would defend KC from his true haters who said he was only a CEO and got lucky with transfers and only won with Tubby’s guys.

Finally, nice thread Pat.