Mark Story column

 

This should be good. :popcorn:

My first thought would be that Coach K has been very successful in an era where wins were harder to come by. Coach K is also recruiting top talent in a time with many more rules and regulations.

My first thought would be that Coach K has been very successful in an era where wins were harder to come by. Coach K is also recruiting top talent in a time with many more rules and regulations.

 

And for this reason here, I give Coach K the nod.

 

I guess Coach K has had A LITTLE success as well as far as W's and L's.

My first thought would be that Coach K has been very successful in an era where wins were harder to come by. Coach K is also recruiting top talent in a time with many more rules and regulations.

 

Coach K has the added luxury of planes, $$$$$, past player success for recruiting tools, basically an unlimited amount of resources for recruits. Rupp didn't have those luxuries.

 

I'm not saying either is better, because I honestly think that the time frame between the two are just too distant to have an unbiased argument for who is better. There are so many variables between the 1940's to the 2000's.

 

Both are the best at their game in their respective times.

 

For every thing you can say good about Coach K, you could say that Rupp didn't have that oportunity.

 

For everything you can say good about Rupp you can argue that Coach K didn't have the chance to do it first.

I think it's an interesting argument. My intuition would say Coach K, although I think the two are very difficult, if not impossible, to compare.

 

With that said, I would love to see a statistical breakdown of each coach's career & compare the objective numbers. But not enough time now.

It's a different era. I think it would be about like comparing Auerbach and Phil Jackson, Bear Bryant to a modern coach who could win 3 or 4 titles (maybe Saban or Meyer in the future), or Lambardi and Bellicheck. For many reasons it cannot be done IMO.

 

If forced to pick, I'll take Coach K. He coaches in an era when there are alot more big time programs, meaning more competition on the court and in recruiting. He runs a clean program. The tourney has more teams it than in Rupp's era as well. I say they are both great, but if I have to pick give me coach K.

Impossible to compare for me...I never watched Rupp coach. I've never been able to compare anyone I didn't watch firsthand and anyone that says they can can obviously do something I can't.

It's a different era. I think it would be about like comparing Auerbach and Phil Jackson, Bear Bryant to a modern coach who could win 3 or 4 titles (maybe Saban or Meyer in the future), or Lambardi and Bellicheck. For many reasons it cannot be done IMO.

 

If forced to pick, I'll take Coach K. He coaches in an era when there are alot more big time programs, meaning more competition on the court and in recruiting. He runs a clean program. The tourney has more teams it than in Rupp's era as well. I say they are both great, but if I have to pick give me coach K.

 

:thumb:

I have a hard time choosing between them. 4 titles for both. Coach K's are probably more impressive since you have to win more games than Rupp did early on. But Rupp also did not participate in the tourney a few times when they could have / probably would have won it. Chose not to go one year and had an undefeated squad.

 

While it would be hard to do, I would probably begrudgingly give the edge to Coach K.

I really respect Coach Ks accomplishments , but I really think there is no comparison . I say Rupp won with a whole lot less talent . I really think Rupp would have been a scary coach in the present time because of what he expected and demanded from his players . If he had the athletic players of today in his time , How good would he have been ? As stated in other :cool:posters response this is just my opinion .

I really respect Coach Ks accomplishments , but I really think there is no comparison . I say Rupp won with a whole lot less talent . I really think Rupp would have been a scary coach in the present time because of what he expected and demanded from his players . If he had the athletic players of today in his time , How good would he have been ? As stated in other :cool:posters response this is just my opinion .

 

On the flip side, would today's athlete have responded well to Rupp's "military" tactics of coaching?

 

The athletes from back then not only physically but also mentally are nothing like today's. Too hard to use that comparison, IMO.

 

Today's coaches are much more laid back and more personable than the coaches of Rupp's era.

 

See Coach K when he first started coaching and look at him now. He is almost a completely different person mentally.

It would be interesting to see how Coach K would do in the past and Rupp in the present. I agree with Walter, how would players respond to Rupp as their coach?

As far as numbers go: (not that it matters, IMO)

 

Coach Rupp:

Overall Record: 876-190 (.822 win percentage in 42 years)

National Championships: 4 (48, 49, 51, 58)

National Championship Appearances: 5

Final Four Appearances: 6

Elita 8 Appearances: 9

Sweet 16 Appearances: 5

 

Coach Krzyzewski

Overall Record: 868-279 (.757 win percentage in 35 years)

National Championships: 4 (91, 92, 01, 10)

National Championship Appearances: 8

Final Four Appearances: 11

Elite 8 Appearances: 12

Sweet 16 Appearances: 19

 

If you're going by the numbers, it's not even close.

I am going with the guy who won his championships after the longstanding 'gentleman's agreement' was rendered obsolete...... Coach K.

 

Basketball is at a much different level these days. I don't think it's even close.

It would be interesting to see how Coach K would do in the past and Rupp in the present. I agree with Walter, how would players respond to Rupp as their coach?

 

I'd love to see Rupp trying to woo Brandon Knight to be a Wildcat.:lol: