Why 15? Because once you go back further than 1994-1995, we start discussing Dean Smith, John Thompson and Bobby Knight. Those individuals are no longer coaching these days. You could make the case that Steve Fisher is still around from that era, but he hasn’t mattered since Chris Webber called the TO that Michigan didn’t have. 10 years would be too short a period and we would really be limiting legitimate choices.
The following list is purely opinion with not a whole lot of research done.
1. Roy Williams (5 Final Fours, 2 National Titles)
2. Tom Izzo (5 Final Fours, 1 Championship)
3. Billy Donovan (Only repeat champ in 15 year period)
4. Jim Calhoun (2 National Titles, 3 Final Four Appearances)
5. Rick Pitino (1 National Title, 2 Different teams in the Final Four)
6. Mike Krzyzewski (1 National Title, 3 Final Fours)
7. Bill Self (resurrected Illinois basketball, 1 National Title with Kansas,2009 COY, )
8. Gary Williams (Damn it)
9. Jim Boheim (Thanks Melo).
10. Ben Howland (3 Consecutive Final Fours, Pitt has a bball program?)
Honorable Mention: Lute Olsen, John Calipari (should have fouled Chalmers), Rick Majerus, Bruce Weber, Tubby Smith
Popularity: 11% [?]
Izzo rules here.
how about mark few?
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one could throw Mark Few on the Honorable Mention list.
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So if (I said if) UNC wins tonight, does Williams claim the top spot?
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speaking of izzo? is patphish out of shock yet?
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Roy vaults Izzo after tonight’s win, right?
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where is he?
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clown- if he wins. yes.
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Pat Summit and Geno Auriema (sp?) are probably up there if you are just talking basketball coaches in general. No I don’t watch women’s hoops but it is amazing how dominant those teams are.
In UConn’s worst game this year, the women won by 10 points. Sick.
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John Calipari is a pretty good coach, too.
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Rick Barnes not on that list?
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I just want Carolina to win so I don’t have to hear this stupid Roy won with Doherty’s players argument anymore.
Doherty really killed with those players didn’t he?
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DOH!
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If we are talking coaching itself, not recruiting, Gary Williams is the #1 coach.
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@GITC.
No. That would be Pitino or Izzo, and not even close after those two.
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lol
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Not enough Kelvin Sampson.
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Here’s the bottom line: Gary Williams has had ONE McDonald’s All American EVER. And that guy didn’t even pan out. Gary has coached up his talent year in and year out and led a team from NCAA Tournament bans to a National Championship. Nobody else was recruiting Juan Dixon and Gary turned him into a star. Should I look up the number of McDAA’s the rest of these guys had? Only two have more titles and Donovan’s are with the exact same team.
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so that lessens the achievement?
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No, just distinguishing between different efforts. It’s not like he had to do much to win the second except convince them to stay and if we believe the stories, they did that themselves.
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so you are lessening the achievement.
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The 2006 National Championship team had one McDonald’s All American GITC. Corey Brewer.
To even use the McDonald’s All American teams as a basis for coaching is in itself stupid.
There are 24 guys, and until 3 years ago, 5-6 of them went pro.
Also, let’s not act like Maryland has been bringing in rec leaguers…guys like Travis Garrison, Mike Jones, Hassan Fofana, Ekene Ibekwe were just the tip of the top recruits that were headed to or spent some time in College Park…
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PS – Mike Jones was a McD’s All American.
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Anxious for this game to end so I can stop hearing about how MSU is giving people hope for Michigan’s economy or whatever spin they are doing now.
Also, my friend just wrote me to brag that he got tickets for the game tonight.
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if anyone is saying that, they are stupid. Izzo said that it is just a distraction for them.
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If Izzo can fix the economy in Michigan, I’m going to vote for him for President in a few years.
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if i have one guy to motivate a team for a game, he would be on my short list.
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izzo just saved my soul from the devil. all praise izzo!
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If Williams wins tonight you would have to have him over Izzo would you not? He isn’t like Tubby Smith at UK where it became obvious that he couldn’t recruit so his best shot at winning a title was with Petino’s players. It is pretty safe to say Roy would have landed most, if not all of those players he won with anyway.
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what? No jeff ruland?
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To exclude John Chaney = fail miserably. Temple was always a good team in the 90’s and they had shit for talent.
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If you don’t include recruiting, wins and losses, tournament appearances, conference standings, and success of their players at the next level, Gary Williams is #1.
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I would move Donovan and Izzo down a bit and Calhoun and Pitino up but that is just my opinion.
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Calhoun missing the tourney after his title wins is what cost him spots. Pitino took a few years away.
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So if Gary can’t get the McDonalds AA its his General Managers fault right? No. He is responsible for recuriting his own guys, this is part of the whole coaching deal ya know.
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Shhh Jason…you might kill GITC’s spirit.
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“one could throw Mark Few on the Honorable Mention list.”
Let’s at least make him get out of the sweet 16 first.
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so jamie dixon falls on that list alongside few. ditto with sean miller
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I think with Lute’s era at the u of a, he is a top ten, with a title, 2 nat’l games, 4 final fours, and several sweet 16’s.
Also, look at the players he’s made into stars: Bibby,Terry,Iguodala,Jefferson,Arenas, and soon to be Bayless, Hill, and Budinger…
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