Who is the best coach?

[Cuse House]

Duke won the national title in 2010, and they did it entirely with 4-year program guys like Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith, the Plumlees, etc.

Kyle singler top 5 recruit. Jon Scheyer, top 40. Nolan Smith #6.

You made my point.

 

[orange79]

Not true. From Merriam-Webster the definition of coach is "one who instructs or trains <an acting coach> <a birth coach>; especially : one who instructs players in the fundamentals of a sport and directs team strategy <a football coach> <a pitching coach> <a gymnastics coach>."

Recruiting is a separate thing from the X's and O's and in game management.

It is true. I don't care what a dictionary says. These days, a D1 basketball coach is the de facto leader of the program. The coach must not only win games, but replenish talent that will allow the coach to win games.

Asking who the best X's and O's guy is a different question than what was asked, IMO.

 

[Brooky03]

Duke won the national title in 2010, and they did it entirely with 4-year program guys like Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith, the Plumlees, etc.

National Titles against Butler don't count.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Duke won the national title in 2010, and they did it entirely with 4-year program guys like Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith, the Plumlees, etc.

They were all burger boys. If you think recruiting is worth that much why wasn't Bill Self as dominant at Illinois or Urban Meyer as dominant as Utah. Some schools have clear advantages no matter who the coach is.

 

[Cuse House]

It is true. I don't care what a dictionary says. These days, a D1 basketball coach is the de facto leader of the program. The coach must not only win games, but replenish talent that will allow the coach to win games.

Asking who the best X's and O's guy is a different question than what was asked, IMO.

To me, "Best coach" implies who gets the most out of their talent. This is all subjective anyway, but I don't think getting the best players makes you the best coach. It makes you the best recruiter, which I think is a separate thing. But we can agree to disagree.

 

[Eric15]

Urban Meyer as dominant as Utah.

Urban went 22-2 at Utah, and Self went to the Sweet 16 and won a share of the Big Ten in two out of his three seasons at Illinois.

 

[djorange1989]

Weak, but also entirely avoidable on our part.

Agree Scooch

 

[SWC75]

View attachment 89913

I've been looking all over for those glasses! Thanks for finding them.

 

[Eric15]

Kyle singler top 5 recruit. Jon Scheyer, top 40. Nolan Smith #6.

You made my point.

For the purposes of consistency, do you not consider Nick Saban to be the best coach in college football, if not ever?

 

[HOFCeluck]

"K only wins because he gets the best players."

"K's recruits all get a bump in the rankings the second they commit to Duke."

 

[HOFCeluck]

BTW does anyone REALLY think Bruce f$#@ing Weber was the brains behind that filthy Illinois team that went to the title game in 2005?

 

[Bayside44]

Were these things that were uncovered being done by the other schools? I say absolutely beyond a shadow of a doubt. So why were SU and JB singled out?

Because we had a media class in Syracuse in those days interesting in making a story. So in hushed tones ballplayers got free pasta.

 

[Cuse House]

For the purposes of consistency, do you not consider Nick Saban to be the best coach in college football, if not ever?

Apples to Oranges. In basketball two or three of the best players in the nation are able to win you championships. Not true in football. What makes Saban remarkable is he wins with average QB's. The best he's ever had was probably McCarron who's ceiling is probably long term NFL backup.

I'm not disagreeing that K is one of the greatest of all time. I just don't think he is the best or even the best right now. He is top 3. By your logic, Calipari is without a doubt going to end up the best coach of all time. He gets the best players every year and will certainly win some more titles.

 

[Madbiker]

Geno.

(K if we are excluding women's hoops)

How could you not say K? He has 5 rings.

The Duke basketball report site had interesting article on who they would consider for the NC State job. Made a compelling case for Geno.
As to this question...Pitino teams are consistently really good without many (or any) top 10 elite recruits. While K's teams are loaded with them. IMO Pitino does more with less.

 

[Bayside44]

K built the institutional advantage for Duke. End of the day it's a small stone campus in the woods behind a town that's a hole, with not a lot of attractive co-eds, while down the street at UNC is basically a college shangri-la. He built a place where kids want to play.

X and Os JB is is as good as they get, no matter what our talent level we are always in the mix. His teams have flubbed some end of games buy over 40 years that will happen.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Urban went 22-2 at Utah, and Self went to the Sweet 16 and won a share of the Big Ten in two out of his three seasons at Illinois.

My point being is who hasn't won at Kansas?

 

[Col. Bleep]

William Rhoden said that if he had to have a coach fro an under-talented team he'd choose Coach K. if he had to have a coach for a really talented team he'd choose Pitino. (I'd choose the opposite.)

I don't know who the best coach is.
But I'm with you on this.
No one gets more out of the talent he has than Rick Pitino.
(On the college level).
He's always done it...starting with the '87 Final Four team where he basically had a great shooting point guard in Billy Donovan, a decent backcourt mate in Delray Brooks and a bunch of bangers.

 

[Cuse House]

K built the institutional advantage for Duke. End of the day it's a small stone campus in the woods behind a town that's a hole, with not a lot of attractive co-eds, while down the street at UNC is basically a college shangri-la. He built a place where kids want to play.

X and Os JB is is as good as they get, no matter what our talent level we are always in the mix. His teams have flubbed some end of games buy over 40 years that will happen.

Ehh, Duke is a beautiful campus and a top school. Plus it's close enough to other cities that being in Durham isn't that big of an issue.

 

[HOFCeluck]

K built the institutional advantage for Duke. End of the day it's a small stone campus in the woods behind a town that's a hole, with not a lot of attractive co-eds, while down the street at UNC is basically a college shangri-la. He built a place where kids want to play.

X and Os JB is is as good as they get, no matter what our talent level we are always in the mix. His teams have flubbed some end of games buy over 40 years that will happen.

Not to say he's not great coach because obviously he is.

But I don't think I've ever heard JB called a great X's and O's coach.

 

[Cuse9292]

Brad Stevens

 

[Cuse House]

Not to say he's not great coach because obviously he is.

But I don't think I've ever heard JB called a great X's and O's coach.

JB is great at adjusting the zone to what the other team is doing. He is also great at drawing a set late in games or out of timeouts. Where he lacks is in overall offensive sets. He looks great when we have guards who are good at getting in the lane and in PnR. He looks not so great when we don't have that ala this year.

 

[Bayside44]

Not to say he's not great coach because obviously he is.

But I don't think I've ever heard JB called a great X's and O's coach.

When the ball goes up in the air JB is as good as it gets. He has the scalp of every major coach ever on display. We've had some pretty meh teams in the day as well, and those teams were always in or knocking on the door of the tourney.

 

[Bayside44]

Ehh, Duke is a beautiful campus and a top school. Plus it's close enough to other cities that being in Durham isn't that big of an issue.

Close enough to what, Raleigh? As far as college life its no UNC or UVa or places like that.

In thinking about this thread as much as I hate to say it Pitino is a damn great coach too.

 

[Cuse House]

Close enough to what, Raleigh? As far as college life its no UNC or UVa or places like that.

In thinking about this thread as much as I hate to say it Pitino is a damn great coach too.

Pitino is a fantastic coach and so is Izzo. I'm interested in how you will answer this question. Do you think what JB has done in Syracuse, NY is less or more impressive than what K has done in Durham?

 

[jncuse]

Since recruiting is part of coaching it would have to be Ratface. In terms of what he does with his players, Pitino is better than K.

In terms of the best tournament coach, which is a big part of college basketball, I have to go with Tom Izzo.