Dean Smith won less titles with more talent than anyone on this list.

Bobby Knight could be thrown into the mix with the Smith and them.

 

This generation...

 

Roy Willams

Coach K

Pitino

Calhoun

Tom Izzo

 

 

Probably my "final five" as well.

I like Boeheim and think he is a really good coach. I don't think this exhibition loss does anything to him though. He has some bad losses, but come on, its Syracuse...lol, who wants to go up there and play? He is fantastic I think.

 

He is a great coach, but since Carmello Anthony and his national title Syracuse hasn't really been a final 4 contender. They did have a great Big East tournament with McNamara playing amazing. Hes a great coach, but his program seems to have fallen off just a bit.

By that lists standards (multiple championships, not just Final Fours), I'd say Coach K, Roy Williams and Jim Calhoun.

 

Billy Donovan has two titles, but I'm sorry, I just can't include among a list of coaches like that right now.

 

The one thing Donovan lacks that other coaches have is consistency. He did a great job building up the program and made it to the championship game. Then they went like 5 years without a Sweet 16. Now after 2 championships, they have fallen off again. Hes a great coach, but his program sure has been up and down.

Coach K

Dean Smith won less titles with more talent than anyone on this list.

BINGO !!!!!:thumb: Loaded with future NBA talent in most years.

 

Slightly overrated IMO.

 

2 Titles in 30+ years of coaching UNC, and both could very well be considered gifts from Georgetown's Sleepy Floyd and Michigan's Chris Webber, or Ol' Dean would have been completely shut out.

Coach K

Ditto.

BINGO !!!!!:thumb: Loaded with future NBA talent in most years.

 

Slightly overrated IMO.

 

2 Titles in 30+ years of coaching UNC, and both could very well be considered gifts from Georgetown's Sleepy Floyd and Michigan's Chris Webber, or Ol' Dean would have been completely shut out.

 

I agree except for the gifts part. When both those plays happened UNC had the lead. So give credit where credit is do. They earned those championships.

I agree except for the gifts part. When both those plays happened UNC had the lead. So give credit where credit is do. They earned those championships.

 

Okay. But it pains me to do so.:taz:

 

I suppose my dislike of UNC overcame my better judgement.

 

But I stand by the part about him not getting enough titles from the NBA caliber teams he coached over his tenure.

He is a great coach, but since Carmello Anthony and his national title Syracuse hasn't really been a final 4 contender. They did have a great Big East tournament with McNamara playing amazing. Hes a great coach, but his program seems to have fallen off just a bit.

 

He also has only been to the Final Four in '87, '96 and title in 2003 if my memory serves correctly. Donovan has been to that many with better results. :thumb:

Okay. But it pains me to do so.:taz:

 

I suppose my dislike of UNC overcame my better judgement.

 

But I stand by the part about him not getting enough titles from the NBA caliber teams he coached over his tenure.

 

I'm certainly no Dean Smith apologist but I wonder how much timing has had to do with his unsuccessful Final Four campaigns.

 

For example:

 

1967-69 he made 3 straight Final Fours but face it, he wasn't going to be UCLA and Lew Alcindor. However he was upset in two of those by Dayton and Purdue.

 

1972 he had Bob McAdoo and still got upset by Florida State. But he wasn't going to beat Bill Walton and Company.

 

1977 he lost to upstart Marquette. This one showed Dean's best and worst coaching. He exploited his quickness and 4 corners to upset UK, UNLV but against Marquette he went to the delay too early, lost momentum and lost the game. UNC was much more talented. Walter Davis, John Kuester, a young Mike O'Koren and Phil Ford anyone?

 

1981 he lost to an IU team that caught fire at the end of the year. Isaiah Thomas was not going to be stopped by anyone in that tourney. But UNC did have James Worthy, Al Wood, and a young Sam Perkins.

 

1983-85 he lost in Regionals with the likes of Kenny Smith, Michael Jordan, Brad Daugherty, Sam Perkins, Jeff Lebo among others. (BTW the losses were to Georgia, a down IU team, Cinderella Villanova)

 

1990 upset by Kansas in Final Four after winning the ACC tourney.

 

1995 made it to the Final Four with Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace but lost to defending champ Arkansas (Where did Williamson and Thurman end up?)

 

1997 was rung up by a hot Arizona team despite the youthful talents of Vince Carter, Jamison, among others.

 

Probably worthy of its own thread but I'm bored and under the influence of cold medicine. :lol:

Bob Knight and Coach K will always be rememebered like those mentioned.

 

 

Still a work in progress.

 

Izzo

Williams

calhoun

Pitino

Calipari

How bout Bill Self