Who Is The Best Men's College Basketball Coach of All Time ?

[IAmAFan]

Anyone know where Wooden's coaching career started? It's in his book and it's pretty interesting.

 

I'll go with the "Big IV"

 

1. Dean Smith

2. Rupp (recruit black kids a little earlier and he's 1)

3. Knight

4. Wooden (In today's world he would have lost his job at UCLA before they ever won a title.)

[PutMeInCoach]

Rupp.

[Green Kittie]

I go with Rupp. His teams played defense. Did not have as many name pro players as many of the other famed programs.

[oldrambler]

I go with Rupp. His teams played defense. Did not have as many name pro players as many of the other famed programs.

:thumb: Rupp also did it with homegrown Ky. kids from the mountains. I would go with:

 

1. Rupp

2. Wooden (very close between those two)

 

.3 on -Carrill and any number of a few names that include Smith and Knight that imo are far below Rupp and Wooden.

[Log Mountain Boy]

I think its sad because Rupp has got such a bad rap. Hes an amazing coach who did an amazing job. He was easily the best coach of his era. Wooden was the best coach of his era. Then Bob Knight and Dean Smith had their time on top. All of them were great coaches and have made their respective programs special.

[DragonFire]

Anyone know where Wooden's coaching career started? It's in his book and it's pretty interesting.

 

I'll go with the "Big IV"

 

1. Dean Smith

2. Rupp (recruit black kids a little earlier and he's 1)

3. Knight

4. Wooden (In today's world he would have lost his job at UCLA before they ever won a title.)

 

I see zero, and I mean zero reason to rank Dean Smith #1. He had 2 national championships, 8 less than John Wooden. And who cares what would have happened in today's world with Wooden. The fact is that he had one losing record ever, and that came when he was at Dayton High School. Dean Smith had a losing record in his first year at UNC, a .500 record in his third, and failed to make the tournament in his first four. If Wooden was gone before winning a title, Dean Smith would be gone before making the tourney. Should also mention that it took Smith 20 years at UNC to win his first title. Wooden had four by his twentieth.

 

Smith managed to get more wins than Rupp (three), but needed 67 more games to do it, which translates into a worse winning percentage. Smith has two less championships than Rupp. As you argue that if Rupp recruits black kids sooner he's #1, if he does that, he may have annihilated Smith in this argument. As it is, Rupp is already ahead.

 

Dean Smith is #3 to me, and I'd be interested in you going further into why Smith should be #1.

[oldrambler]

I agree - and the opposite side of that coin is Pete Carrill. He took Princeton to unheard of heights, without ever having had a "loaded" team. If he had one or two good players in a given season, that was a lot for Princeton.

 

I shudder to think what he could have done with some of the talent that Kentucky has had over the course of my lifetime (50 years).

 

Obviously, Wooden, Rupp, Smith, and Knight all have tremendous records. Of that group, Knight probably got the most out of the least talent, but even the Indiana teams were far more talented than anything Carrill ever had.

 

 

Frances

:thumb: I agree Frances , Carrill woud definately be high on my list. His brand of b.b. was basketball in it's purest form. JMO

[NEXT]

:laugh:

 

Indiana State record: 47-14

Led Indiana State to the conference title (1947)

Led Indiana State to the finals of the NAIA invitation (1948)

UCLA record: 620-147

Led Bruins to four 30-0 seasons (1963-64, 1966-67, 1971-72, 1972-73)

Led Bruins to 88 consecutive victories

Led Bruins to 38 straight NCAA tournament victories

Led Bruins to 149-2 record at Pauley Pavilion

Led Bruins to 19 PAC 10 championships

Led Bruins to 10 national championships, including seven in a row (1966-73)

NCAA College Basketball Coach of the Year six times (1964, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973)

The Sporting News Sports Man of the Year (1970)

Sports Illustrated Sports Man of the Year (1973)

During 40 years of coaching, compiled a 885-203 (.813) record

One of only Three individuals enshrined in the Hall of Fame as a player and as a coach

 

 

 

Do a comparison of his allstars/all-americans/future NBA players like someone did against Knight and Dean Smith and then get back to me............

 

What did he do that changed the game?

 

There is a huge difference between a BASKETBALL COACH and a manager of talent.

[T-CAT4LIFE]

John Wooden gets my vote.. What he did at UCLA will never happen again, at any level of any sport.

[The Professor]

You have to let it go, Professor. Just let it go.

 

 

Taking my blood pressure medicine,

Frances

I know, I know.....but it's not easy.:cry:

I mean, it's only been 31 years.

[IAmAFan]

Do a comparison of his allstars/all-americans/future NBA players like someone did against Knight and Dean Smith and then get back to me............

 

What did he do that changed the game?

 

There is a huge difference between a BASKETBALL COACH and a manager of talent.

 

 

Is recruiting a part of college basketball? Hmmmmmm.....

[IAmAFan]

I see zero, and I mean zero reason to rank Dean Smith #1. He had 2 national championships, 8 less than John Wooden. And who cares what would have happened in today's world with Wooden. The fact is that he had one losing record ever, and that came when he was at Dayton High School. Dean Smith had a losing record in his first year at UNC, a .500 record in his third, and failed to make the tournament in his first four. If Wooden was gone before winning a title, Dean Smith would be gone before making the tourney. Should also mention that it took Smith 20 years at UNC to win his first title. Wooden had four by his twentieth.

 

Smith managed to get more wins than Rupp (three), but needed 67 more games to do it, which translates into a worse winning percentage. Smith has two less championships than Rupp. As you argue that if Rupp recruits black kids sooner he's #1, if he does that, he may have annihilated Smith in this argument. As it is, Rupp is already ahead.

 

Dean Smith is #3 to me, and I'd be interested in you going further into why Smith should be #1.

 

 

Dean Smith is the best I've seen.

[DragonFire]

Dean Smith is the best I've seen.

 

That's hardly any reason. I see in your profile that you weren't alive for either Wooden or Rupp. All-time happens to include a few more years than the last 27.

[The Red Rambler]

1. John Wooden

2. Phog Allen (if it were not for him there would be no Rupp or Smith)

3. Adolph Rupp

4. Clarence "Big House" Gaines

5. Pete Carril (guy has an entire style of play that he invented)

6. Jim Phelan

7. Dean Smith

8. Hank Iba

9. Robert Montgomery Knight

10. That guy at the school-who-should-be-named. Lord VoldeK

[IAmAFan]

That's hardly any reason. I see in your profile that you weren't alive for either Wooden or Rupp. All-time happens to include a few more years than the last 27.

 

 

As mentioned earlier, he had superior talent and wasn't regulated like the NCAA is now. His players were paid before players were paid. If there was a McDonalds All American team when he coached, he would have recruited the best 10. Recruiting is part, but it isn't the only part. There are arguement for any of the coaches, and Wooden's is very strong.