Who are the 5 best coaches in college basketball?

[Buffnik]

I think it's hard to go with only 5.

Here are mine, though:

1. Rick Pitino
2. Tom Izzo
3. Billy Donovan
4. Mike Kryzewski
5. Larry Brown (just because I can't do a list of best basketball coaches and not include him - apologies to Bill Self)

 

[SECOBuffsFan]

Tom Izzo, Rick Pitino, Coach K, Bill Self, Billy Donovan

 

[Goose]

Izzo, K, Self, Brown (damn you Nik) and Donovan.

 

[RollTad21]

1. Izzo
2. Donovan
3. Kryzewski
4. Pitino
5. Boeheim

 

[Buffnik]

Waiting for the first Calipari. I wanted to include him, too, but just couldn't justify bumping one of the others for him. Roy Williams, Thad Matta and Mark Few probably deserve some attention, too.

 

[Goose]

Waiting for the first Calipari. I wanted to include him, too, but just couldn't justify bumping one of the others for him. Roy Williams, Thad Matta and Mark Few probably deserve some attention, too.

Calipari and Pitino both were close on my list, but couldn't justify it. Honestly, I may go Cal over Pitino.

Roy Williams is a phenomenal recruiter and a horrible coach. Name that I really wish I could find room for? Bo Ryan. What he does at Wisconsin is damn impressive.

 

[CVilleBuff]

Give it a decade and Tony Bennett may be on this list.

Krzyzewski
Izzo
Pitino
Donovan
Boeheim

 

[RollTad21]

Calipari and Pitino both were close on my list, but couldn't justify it. Honestly, I may go Cal over Pitino.

Roy Williams is a phenomenal recruiter and a horrible coach. Name that I really wish I could find room for? Bo Ryan. What he does at Wisconsin is damn impressive.

Forgot about him. Those games are usually miserable to watch if you like points, but Wisconsin wins a lot of games against teams far more athletic than they are every year.

 

[Buffnik]

Calipari and Pitino both were close on my list, but couldn't justify it. Honestly, I may go Cal over Pitino.

Roy Williams is a phenomenal recruiter and a horrible coach. Name that I really wish I could find room for? Bo Ryan. What he does at Wisconsin is damn impressive.

I thought about Bo Ryan. Amazing coach. (Very underrated as an offensive mind because of their pace of play, too.) But like with Few, I didn't want to reward consistent excellence over guys who have been able to grab the ring. That's all that Matta's missing, too.

 

[SECOBuffsFan]

If he ever goes to a big school and has the kind of success he had at VCU....Shaka Smart will be on the list some day as well

 

[tante]

Tad
Tad
Tad
Tad
Tad

 

[CVilleBuff]

Also if this was a few years ago Gary Williams would be on this list for me in a heartbeat. People don't realize how excellent of a coach Gary was. A true mastermind doing more with less.

 

[cubuffs85]

Also if this was a few years ago Gary Williams would be on this list for me in a heartbeat. People don't realize how excellent of a coach Gary was. A true mastermind doing more with less.

He's might be on top in the "did more with less" category. Only coach to ever win a national championship I believe without any McDonald's AA's. I do think his approach caught up to him in the latter years, where in some ways he was a victim of his own success. Also, can't discount the job he did rebuilding that program in the post-Len Bias/Bob Wade era, not just bringing it back to what it once was, but raising it to new heights.

 

[cubuffs85]

I have a hard time putting Larry Brown on this list, I'm not saying he's not a good coach because he clearly is, but he's been away from college for a longtime and it's only been a year of success. I would like to wait a little longer before we can include him. That said, hell of a job he's done at SMU.

 

[torero]

My list always starts with Izzo. I think he is the best all around coach there is.

Name that hasn't been listed that I'd consider is Mike Montgomery.

 

[Goose]

My list always starts with Izzo. I think he is the best all around coach there is.

Name that hasn't been listed that I'd consider is Mike Montgomery.

Good call. The thing that I was most nervous about playing Cal yesterday was that Monty had an extra day to scheme for us.

 

[cubuffs85]

My list always starts with Izzo. I think he is the best all around coach there is.

Name that hasn't been listed that I'd consider is Mike Montgomery.

He's the best coach in March, he might as well take a vacation the rest of the year(half-kidding there).

 

[tante]

my list is going to be a bit different because I don't thinking winning with a bench of all americans is that special.

Izzo (Michigan State)
Bo Ryan (Wisconsin)
Gregg Marshall (Wichita State)
Shaka Smart (VCU)
Rick Pitino (Louisville)