Week of College Basketball Lists: 50 Best Coaches in the Country This Year
Lists – they are a helluva thing. It’s the easiest thing to argue over. Why isn’t my team ranked higher? Why is this player better than that? It’s completely subjective yet you’ll use stats and numbers to prove someone wrong or right. It’s a beautiful thing.
So that’s what we’re doing this week. This is the college basketball preview using lists. We’ll look at the top-50 players in the country, the best coaches currently in the game, what non-conference games you need to pay attention to, among some other things. Going to try and break up the previews this season a little differently by adding things like this, if you want something specific, let me know @barstoolreags.
Today we’re going to focus on coaches and look at the 50 best coaches in the game right now. The premise for these rankings isn’t a career or anything along those lines, it’s simply who do I want as a coach in 2017-18. Think of it as you started your own make believe university and can pick whoever you want to run the basketball program for this year. We’re taking everything into consideration in terms of in-game coaching, strategies and recruiting. Remember there are 351 Division I programs, so being top-50 is really damn good. It’d probably be more fair to break these into tiers, but listing is more fun. This also might be a hot take, but there are so many damn good coaches in the game right now. It was truly tough to come up with this list and who to cut.
1. Mike Krzyzewski – Duke
I mean it’s the clear choice here. He’s the best coach in the history of college basketball, he’s changed his recruiting and style of play to fit today’s game and continues to win. He’s in a tier by himself still to this day.
2. John Calipari – Kentucky
People will knock his in-game coaching and that’s fair. However, there’s no one better in the country at recruiting and getting players to buy into his system. I’ve talked to former players who have told me how stubborn he is when it comes to running a certain set, even if it’s not working, because he trusts them to figure out as the season goes on. Really the next 5 guys you can put in any order.
3. Tom Izzo – Michigan State
Another guy who is starting to adapt to today’s game better and better. He’s continuing to get back on the recruiting trail and bring in McDonald’s All-Americans all while drawing up hundreds of plays. He knows how to take advantage of a mismatch and when it comes to getting players to improve during their four years, you can make a case of Izzo being the best in the country.
4. Bill Self – Kansas
People will knock him for getting upset in the NCAA Tournament, however look at what he’s built at Kansas. He changed his hi-lo offense to now a two-point guard offense and continues to adapt to today’s game. He’s recruiting more and more guys who can step out and play multiple positions while still being tough defensively.
5. Roy Williams – UNC
I’ll be honest, I was never super high on Roy as an in-game coach. I thought he cost his team from time to time with his Andy Reid-esque timeouts and would get lost at times. That changed last year when he did, what I think, was the best coaching job of his career. He’s not recruiting at the level of the four guys above him, but he continues to get guys to play his system and win.
6. Jay Wright – Villanova
Talk about a guy who absolutely changed the way the public views him. A few years ago he was someone who everyone expected on CBS for the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Since then he’s turned Villanova into an absolute national power. He’s upped his recruiting and is continuing to bring in guys that will be rotation players as freshmen and stars as juniors.
7. Mark Few – Gonzaga
He finally got the Final Four monkey off his back this year and what he’s done turning Gonzaga from a fun midmajor to a legit program pretty absurd. He’s one of the best at in-game adjustments, constantly looking to find a mismatch. I love watching his work with guards and letting them post up.
8. John Beilein – Michigan
There’s a legit argument that Beilein is the best developer of talent in the country. He’s constantly sending guys to the pros and turning 3-star recruits into pros and All-Conference type players. His two-guard offense is one of the most fun things to watch in the country.
9. Chris Mack – Xavier
When you talk to guys across the country in terms of just game strategy and in-game adjustments, many agree that Mack is on the short list for best in the country at that. He’ll adjust his lineups accordingly and is one of the best at drawing up set plays for a particular player.
10. Mike Brey – Notre Dame
Mike Brey deserves to make a Final Four. He’s constantly getting guys to buy into the offensive system and we’ve seen him change Notre Dame from a slower-paced, grind it out team to one of the most efficient and fun offenses in the country. He’s beating you with a pace and space offense and knows how to find a weakness in almost any defense.
11. Bob Huggins – West Virginia
Huggy Bear is a fan favorite without a doubt. But, what he’s done defensively and changing the culture of ‘Press Virginia’ is something else. When you can get a guy like Nathan Adrian to become a pretty good college player, you’re a damn good coach.
12. Sean Miller – Arizona
I know, it’s easy to make fun of Sean Miller. He hasn’t made a Final Four and the last time we saw him he got absolutely out-coached by Chris Mack. However, he’s one of the best recruiters in the game and one of the best defensive minds in the game. Also, watch how he draws up pick and roll plays with his two bigs. It’s a beautiful sight, especially when he has a pick and pop option.
13. Randy Bennett – St. Mary’s
The head coach of arguably the most efficient offense in the country is Randy Bennett. He often doesn’t get a ton of national love because he’s out in California playing in the WCC, but he’s a genius on the offensive side of the ball. He runs a heavy pick-and-roll offense and has a little Lute Olson type coaching style.
14. Tony Bennett – Virginia
The man who has helped make the pack line defense a household thing, continues to be one of the best coaches in the country. He continues to develop talent and is recruiting at a higher level than a few years ago.
15. Dana Altman – Oregon
When it comes to recruiting, Altman is starting to turn Oregon into a real power. He’s going after – and getting – McDonald’s All-Americans, one-and-dones and guys that can play. Throw in his schemes and you have a top-15 coach.
16. Brad Underwood – Illinois
One of the best guard coaches in the country, Underwood has been successful everywhere he’s been at. Offensively he’ll figure out lineups to give his guards the most space to create and adapt his style to them. Watch how he recruits at Illinois now.
17. Mike White – Florida
Another coach who excels with developing point guards. Look at what White did last year with Kasey Hill and now what he’s doing on recruiting trail – getting a guy like Andrew Nembhard. White’s coming off a year where turned Florida into a top-5 defensive team in the country.
18. Mick Cronin – Cincinnati
One of the most consistent coaches in the country, you know what you’re getting from Cronin-coached teams. They are going to defend the hell out of you, rebound well and dictate the tempo of the game. It’ll be interesting to see this year how Cronin does with a team that’s better suited for uptempo.
19. Ed Cooley – Providence
I talked about coaches that can develop guards. Ed Cooley is that guy. Look at what he’s done with Bryce Cotton and Kris Dunn and now what he’s doing recruiting the likes of Ashton-Langford and Duke. His flex offense has consistently been in the top-100 in the country since he got to Providence. He doesn’t get talked about enough.
20. Gregg Marshall – Wichita State
Marshall really came on to the scene with his Final Four trip, but look at what he’s done since then. He’s bringing in the best recruits we’ve seen Wichita State get. He’s consistently one of the best defensive coaches as Wichita has ranked in the top-26 the last six years.
21. Archie Miller – Indiana
There may not be anyone in the country who either a) gets his guys to buy into their roles or b) recruits guys for specific roles better than Archie. That’s what made him great at Dayton along with his defensive-minded coaching. Go back and watch how detailed he is defending pick-and-rolls, it’s wonderful.
22. Jim Larranaga – Miami
Larranaga is a guy who doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He’s someone who again, can develop guards and gets creative with his offense when he has strong guards. To me that’s the mark of a great college coach. Guard play is so important at that level and if you can excel at that, you’re solid in my book.
23. Jim Boeheim – Syracuse
I know this ranking will get people in arms, but again, it’s not about your entire career. Boeheim’s schemes and in-game adjustments have fallen off lately. He hasn’t been able to develop talent though starting next year his recruiting is back where it should be. He has adjusted the zone to sit higher up and extend, but offensively I’m not impressed with him lately. Career wise he’s a lot higher.
24. Shaka Smart – Texas
He’s an excellent recruiter who is a great defensive-mind when he has his team. Last year he was still trying to run two bigs, which doesn’t work. This year with Bamba at center, look for Smart to remind people as to why he was such a sought after coach at VCU.
25. Jamie Dixon – TCU
Pretty simple theory here for Jamie Dixon. Look at where TCU was before him. Look at where they are now. Look at where Pitt was with him. Look at where Pitt is now.
26. Scott Drew – Baylor
‘Is Scott Drew elite?” A question that has become a running joke in college basketball, yet people seem to forget what he’s done from a coaching standpoint. He turned Baylor from the worst program in America and a disaster into a perennial NCAA Tournament team.
27. Bob McKillop – Davidson
If you haven’t seen Davidson play since Steph Curry left, I advise you go watch them. McKillop is one of the best offensive minds in the country. His 5-out motion offense is one of the best sets in the nation.
28. Frank Martin – South Carolina
Frank Martin is a culture-changer type of guy. He’s upped the recruiting at South Carolina and continues to be a dominant defensive coach. He gets guy to buy into the defensive and rebounding schemes and gets wins that way. Unique in that sense.
29. Larry Krystkowiak – Utah
There are few coaches in the country who players enjoy playing for more than Larry K at Utah. He’s a tough, defensive-minded guy, but offensively he gets him team into the right spots. They tend to be extremely efficient shooting the ball and we’ve seen him develop the likes of Delon Wright and Kyle Kuzma.
30. Andy Enfield – USC
Here’s a guy who knows how to recruit. He now has an absolutely loaded roster at USC in his short amount of time there and is a strong offensive mind. I do wonder about his in-game adjustments, but in terms of getting the guys in place and in rotation, he’s fine.
31. Tad Boyle – Colorado
Another guy who doesn’t get enough credit nationally. I love watching his defensive scheme of trapping ball screens and forcing college guards to make quick decisions.
32. Lon Kruger – Oklahoma
Kruger has been all over the country as a head basketball coach and the one thing is certain. His teams will be disciplined and defensive-minded. He’ll let his guys run, but they know to slow it down if an open shot isn’t there. He continues to recruit well at Oklahoma now, getting a guy like Trae Young to stay close to home.
33. Greg Gard – Wisconsin
We’ve seen Gard for just a short amount of time, but you can see the Bo Ryan coaching style still in him. There’s not a lot to say about him as he’s holding status quo at Wisconsin – that’s a good thing.
34. Tim Jankovich – SMU
Jankovich is going to be a household name at some point. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him leave SMU for a bigger job in the next couple of years as he’s really shown what he can do there. He ran a positionless team last year and can spread you out offensively.
35. Greg McDermott – Creighton
He’s shown he’s more than just successful with Doug. I’ve talked about his pick and roll sets before and they are a thing of beauty. He’ll get creative with them to find mismatches and run guards off double ball screens with two pops or a guy rolling and one popping. I love watching his teams on offense.
36. Matt Painter – Purdue
Similar to Cronin, he’s just a consistent coach. You know what you’re getting with him. He’s going to slow the tempo down and just try to beat you up with solid defense and post play. However, we did see him adjust to his strengths last year when he would run four guards/wings around Swanigan to keep the floor spread.
37. Chris Holtmann – Ohio State
He continued the ‘Butler Way’ during his time in Indianapolis and that will move with him to Ohio State. He likes to run an offense where guys attack, something that is worth nothing. He’ll let his guys make mistakes as long as they are being aggressive.
38. John Becker – Vermont
He’s one of the best defensive coaches in the game. I’ve gotten to watch him work his way up from an assistant to now head coach and his defensive scheme is absolutely magnificent. It’s also no joke what he’s doing recruiting at a school like Vermont. He’s a midmajor head coach to keep an eye on in the coming years.
39. Will Brown – Albany
Another America East coach, Will Brown has turned Albany into one of the best midmajor programs in the country. He’s a great X and O’s guy and it shows with his team consistently taking care of the ball and shooting a high percentage from three. Albany should be lucky that Brown is still there.
40. Mark Turgeon – Maryland
Turgeon will get knocked for not developing guys or teams as the season goes on. That’s fair. But, he’s also turned Maryland’s recruiting around and is starting to become more consistent on that side of coaching. He’s doing a better job of making in-game adjustments and will mismatch lineups so he can find where to attack. He wants to space you out on offense, something he’ll be able to do this year.
41. Greg Kampe – Oakland
There might not be a better dude in coaching than Greg Kampe. He also happens to be a pretty successful coach. He likes to run the dribble-drive offense but looks to use his post guy in that set as well. He’s developed talent and has shown he can send a guy to the pros.
42. Tommy Amaker – Harvard
Amaker is turning Harvard into your non-traditional Ivy League team. He’s recruiting guys that we don’t typically see in the Ivy League. Offensively he’s been relatively consistent as a top-100 coach because of the freedom he gives his players. They like to set a lot of ball screens, but he teaches the picker to learn how to read whether to turn toward or away from the ball.
43. Buzz Williams – Virginia Tech
Buzz is a lunatic and I love that about him. He turned Marquette into a regular NCAA Tournament team and now he’s turned Virginia Tech into something. He’s one of the best in the country at adapting to his roster year after year.
44. Steve Prohm – Iowa State
Another guy who excels with point guards, whether it was at Murray State or Iowa State, Prohm has been great with them. He stresses an uptempo offense with plenty of ball movement. In today’s game that’s what you need to have.
45. Kevin Willard – Seton Hall
He was supposed to be fired a few years ago. All he’s done since then is turn Seton Hall into a top-15 team this year. He’s a defensive-minded coach, but offensively it’s unique to watch him set up the offense with Delgado and Sonogo in different pick and roll settings.
46. Eric Musselman – Nevada
Musselman has reinvented himself as a college coach at Nevada. He’s adapted his NBA-style of offense letting his guys get up and down the court and looking for shots. As for recruiting? There’s no one better right now at getting transfers and meshing them with current players than Nevada.
47. Kevin Keatts – North Carolina State
I love what Keatts did at UNC-Wilmington and love what he’s capable of doing at NC State. He’s another uptempo guy that is defensive-minded. He got his start learning under Pitino at Louisville, so he likes to press and dictate tempo.
48. Mitch Henderson – Princeton
Henderson has continued the Princeton offense. He’s methodical and very slow on offense. The one difference though is he wants his guys shooting threes instead of layups. The Tigers were 11th in the country last year in 3pt attempt percentage.
49. Pat Kelsey – Winthrop
I wanted to see Kelsey at UMass just because it’s a step up. He’s a Skip Prosser guy and you can see the similarities in coaching schemes. He runs a fun and gun type style of offense at Winthrop, looking to get the ball down the court fast and up in a hurry. While an assistant he recruited very well at Wake Forest, obviously at Winthrop hasn’t had the chance to recruit that high.
50. Billy Kennedy – Texas A&M
Billy Kennedy is one of the better defensive coaches in the country. Since he took over Texas A&M in 2011, they’ve finished in the top-100 every year. He’s developed NBA talent in Danuel House and Khris Middleton.