SI's 17 most decorated coaches list

[DevilHorns]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mul...content.1.html

1. John Wooden
2. Vince Lombardi
3. Phil Jackson
4. Bear Bryant
5. Red Auerbach
6. Knute Rockne
7. Casey Stengel
8. Scotty Bowman
9. Pat Summitt
10. Joe McCarthy
11. Adolph Rupp
12. Paul Brown
13. Pat Riley
14. Mike Krzyzewski
15. Don Shula
16. Bob Knight
17. Chuck Noll

Interesting to see that Dean-o and Roy didn't make it... though technically the list is for most "decorated" and 2 championships each frankly doesn't cut it or you would have to adjust the list to include many more (though Don Shula makes it with only two championships, but he also has the only undefeated season and is top-dog in wins for the U.S.'s most popular league, the NFL) . Still can't believe Dean-o only managed 2 championships with all that talent over so many years.

Notable exceptions that come to mind: Geno Auriemma, Joe Paterno, Joe Torre, Tom Landry.

[brevity]

14. Mike Krzyzewski
15. Don Shula

That's impressive for Coach K. Don Shula, like Kobayashi and the late Rue McClanahan, were all champions, and all loved.

Notable exceptions that come to mind: Geno Auriemma, Joe Paterno, Joe Torre, Tom Landry.

Where's Rick Pitino and his white suit?

Seriously, "decorated" is a ridiculous way to put a spin on yet another Best Coaches list. You put Bob Knight ahead of Geno Auriemma because you think he's a better or more influential coach, not because his 3 men's titles are objectively superior to Geno's 7 women's titles (and objectively inferior to Pat Summitt's 8 women's titles).

It's a stupid criterion, and most likely meant to timely rectify a previous SI list where John Wooden didn't end up #1.

[theAlaskanBear]

At this point, I really question the wisdom that places A Rupp over Coach K. Coach K now has tied him in NCAA championships and has nearly tied him in conference championships 12 vs 13. Not to take anything away from the man, but Rupp coached in a much less competitive era.

At this point in his career, Coach K is way more decorated than Rupp, particularly if you factor in the Olympics.

[NashvilleDevil]

Hard to believe Tom Osborne is not on the list. 60-3 his last 5 years, 255 career wins, 3 national titles in 4 years and he coached the greatest college football team ever in 1995.

[sagegrouse]

Odd list, if you ask me.

The coaches selected span the last 90 years. The SI list included only two college football coaches and two baseball managers. Hunh? Until the 1960s baseball and college football were clearly the dominant sports in America. At the same time, they list four college basketball coaches -- which, of course, is just fine, given their selections.

In baseball, I would add Walt Alston and Joe Torre to the list and maybe old-timer John McCarthy. And I really think current managers Tony LaRussa and Bobby cox merit consideration.

In football I would add Bud Wilkinson and John McKay (and I don't care how badly they did as NFL coaches) with some consideration to Darrell Royal (who built a dynasty), Frank Leahy (who preserved a dynasty at ND), and Woody Hayes (yuck). The tough-as-nails Leahy was essentially fired after going undefeated (one tie), finishing #2, and coaching the Heisman Trophy winner. Woody Hayes is best remembered for his unfortunate exit from coaching.

sagegrouse

[miramar]

UCLA volleyball coach Al Scates has won 19 NCAA championships.

[Indoor66]

UCLA volleyball coach Al Scates has won 19 NCAA championships.

The unfortunate reality about this is that no one cares.

[hurleyfor3]

UCLA volleyball coach Al Scates has won 19 NCAA championships.

I guess this is where someone has to mention Anson Dorrance.

[DevilWolf]

I guess this is where someone has to mention Anson Dorrance.

Save that for when Chris Hanson from Dateline puts out a list

[NashvilleDevil]

I guess this is where someone has to mention Anson Dorrance.

What about Doc Counsilman if we are going to hit up the 2nd tier sports? 6 straight swimming titles in from 68-73. As Olympic coach in '64 and '76 his swimmers won 21 golds plus he was the college coach of Mark Spitz.

No I did not have to look this up my Dad has been telling me about how great Doc Cousilman was since I could walk.

[Olympic Fan]

I agree -- a strange list.

I understand the problem of trying to match the coaches in the "big" (meaning widespread popularity) sports with "minor" (meaning limited popularity) sports. Is winning four NCAA men's basketball titles a bigger deal than winning seven or eight NCAA women's titles? or all those swimming or women's lacrosse.

Even if you argue that it is (and I would agree that its more significant to win an NFL title or a NCAA men's basketball title than a non-revenue sport), the list still doesn't make sense. Casey Stengel makes the list but John McGraw (easily the most significant baseball coach in the first half of the 20th Century) and Joe McCarthy doesn't? Knute Rockne makes the list but Bud Wilkinson and Bob Neyland don't?

I agree that the Rupp/Krzyzewski ranking is curious -- four titles each and Krzyzewski won his in a tougher era and over a wider span of years (each won with two titles with the same core group, so they each won four titles with three basic core groups) -- plus K had a LOT more final four appearances (and will pass him in overall wins early next season). Throw in the 2008 Olympic Gold (also both Rupp in '48 and K in '92 were assistants on Olympic gold medal winning teams) and it would seem that K should have the edge there.

Right now, I'd argue that ONLY Wooden ranks ahead of K in (men's) college basketball. I'm not saying that K would have to match the Wizard's 10 titles to catch him -- Wooden won in a different era with a few advantages (less NCAA games, an unbalanced field) ... but still a 10-4 edge is too much to erase with those arguments. Maybe if it were to get to 10-7 or 8, I'd try to make the case. But right now, I'd rank NCAA men:

1. John Wooden
2. Mike Krzyzewski
3. Adolph Rupp
4. Bob Knight
5. Dean Smith
6. Hank Iba
7. Branch McCracken
8. Phog Allen
9. Denny Crum
10. Roy Williams or Jim Calhoun

If Tom Izzo or Rick Pitino would ever win a second title, either one could crack the list. Billy Donovan won two titles with the same team. So did Phil Woolpert and Ed Jucker (I give more credit for winning two titles with distinctly different teams). Actually, so did Iba , but he was a great, influencial coach for a long time and added an Olympic gold 18 years after his last title. The only one-title winner on the list is Allen, but with his stature I can't leave him off.

Hey, it's just my list ... I could give you one for Major Legue baseball, NCAA football or NFl coaches too, but how to mix and match the sports, I just don't know.

[left_hook_lacey]

UCLA volleyball coach Al Scates has won 19 NCAA championships.

UNC women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance has won 20 of the 28 NCAA championships for women's soccer.

He has been named women's coach of the year 7 times, and also was named the men's coach of the year once in 1987.

How many coach's in any sport have been named coach of the year of women's and men's team in consecutive years?

Personally, I don't care for him. He also has been fighting a 10 year sexual harrasment case brought against him by a former player that was recently settled. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/01/15/unc

But if you're going to make a list of the most decorated coaches, then how does this guy not make the list? Ommissions such as this, as well as others mentioned in this thread, are the reason that lists like this look silly, and "thrown" together. Obviously, this list is just a reason to put John Wooden's name on something to get site traffic after the news of his death was announced. Lists like this are silly and usually not researched well. They're almost always bound together with a reactive story of something that has recently happened in the sports world.

That being said, I can't argue with the insertion of coach K and coach Robert Montgomery Knight.

[CameronBlue]

Personally, I don't care for him. He also has been fighting a 10 year sexual harrasment case brought against him by a former player that was recently settled. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/01/15/unc

My favorite part of Dorrance's plea barg...uh, out of court settlement:

Craig Jennings said that the most important part of the settlement from his daughter's perspective -- though it went unmentioned in the university's news release about the agreement -- is the provision that will require the university's Sexual Harassment Advisory Committee to hire Nancy Hogshead-Makar, a professor of law at Florida Coastal School of Law, to review and "propose appropriate changes to" the university's sexual harassment policy and procedures by March, and to adopt a revised policy by next fall.

It must irk the Carolina bluebloods that a Duke grad will effectively lecture them on the finer legal points of appropriate sexual conduct. It's a completely unsubstantiated rumor that Dorrance had recommended John Edwards for the task.

[3rd Dukie]

Odd list, if you ask me.

The coaches selected span the last 90 years. The SI list included only two college football coaches and two baseball managers. Hunh? Until the 1960s baseball and college football were clearly the dominant sports in America. At the same time, they list four college basketball coaches -- which, of course, is just fine, given their selections.

In baseball, I would add Walt Alston and Joe Torre to the list and maybe old-timer John McCarthy. And I really think current managers Tony LaRussa and Bobby cox merit consideration.

In football I would add Bud Wilkinson and John McKay (and I don't care how badly they did as NFL coaches) with some consideration to Darrell Royal (who built a dynasty), Frank Leahy (who preserved a dynasty at ND), and Woody Hayes (yuck). The tough-as-nails Leahy was essentially fired after going undefeated (one tie), finishing #2, and coaching the Heisman Trophy winner. Woody Hayes is best remembered for his unfortunate exit from coaching.

sagegrouse

I often think that the most interesting thing about lists like these are the exclusions, as opposed to the inclusions.
I agree completely with you that there are MANY rational alternatives.

(Who is Scotty Bowman?)

[Tom B.]

(Who is Scotty Bowman?)

Retired hockey coach. Holds the records for most career wins (1,467) and most Stanley Cups (nine, with three different teams -- Montreal (5), Pittsburgh (1) and Detroit(3)) won by a coach in the NHL.

[devildeac]

I agree -- a strange list.

I understand the problem of trying to match the coaches in the "big" (meaning widespread popularity) sports with "minor" (meaning limited popularity) sports. Is winning four NCAA men's basketball titles a bigger deal than winning seven or eight NCAA women's titles? or all those swimming or women's lacrosse.

Even if you argue that it is (and I would agree that its more significant to win an NFL title or a NCAA men's basketball title than a non-revenue sport), the list still doesn't make sense. Casey Stengel makes the list but John McGraw (easily the most significant baseball coach in the first half of the 20th Century) and Joe McCarthy doesn't? Knute Rockne makes the list but Bud Wilkinson and Bob Neyland don't?

I agree that the Rupp/Krzyzewski ranking is curious -- four titles each and Krzyzewski won his in a tougher era and over a wider span of years (each won with two titles with the same core group, so they each won four titles with three basic core groups) -- plus K had a LOT more final four appearances (and will pass him in overall wins early next season). Throw in the 2008 Olympic Gold (also both Rupp in '48 and K in '92 were assistants on Olympic gold medal winning teams) and it would seem that K should have the edge there.

Right now, I'd argue that ONLY Wooden ranks ahead of K in (men's) college basketball. I'm not saying that K would have to match the Wizard's 10 titles to catch him -- Wooden won in a different era with a few advantages (less NCAA games, an unbalanced field) ... but still a 10-4 edge is too much to erase with those arguments. Maybe if it were to get to 10-7 or 8, I'd try to make the case. But right now, I'd rank NCAA men:

1. John Wooden
2. Mike Krzyzewski
3. Adolph Rupp
4. Bob Knight
5. Dean Smith
6. Hank Iba
7. Branch McCracken
8. Phog Allen
9. Denny Crum
10. Roy Williams or Jim Calhoun

If Tom Izzo or Rick Pitino would ever win a second title, either one could crack the list. Billy Donovan won two titles with the same team. So did Phil Woolpert and Ed Jucker (I give more credit for winning two titles with distinctly different teams). Actually, so did Iba , but he was a great, influencial coach for a long time and added an Olympic gold 18 years after his last title. The only one-title winner on the list is Allen, but with his stature I can't leave him off.

Hey, it's just my list ... I could give you one for Major Legue baseball, NCAA football or NFl coaches too, but how to mix and match the sports, I just don't know.

I'd slide in Jim Boeheim at #10. Yea, he's "only" got one MBB NC but he's got an Olympic gold as an assistant, "convinced" K he needed to play more zone (LOL), more overall W's than your current 2 "nominees" and I just can't have a Top Ten with either of those 2 jokers on it (wink).

[devildeac]

My favorite part of Dorrance's plea barg...uh, out of court settlement:

Craig Jennings said that the most important part of the settlement from his daughter's perspective -- though it went unmentioned in the university's news release about the agreement -- is the provision that will require the university's Sexual Harassment Advisory Committee to hire Nancy Hogshead-Makar, a professor of law at Florida Coastal School of Law, to review and "propose appropriate changes to" the university's sexual harassment policy and procedures by March, and to adopt a revised policy by next fall.

It must irk the Carolina bluebloods that a Duke grad will effectively lecture them on the finer legal points of appropriate sexual conduct. It's a completely unsubstantiated rumor that Dorrance had recommended John Edwards for the task.

Heh-heh. John Edwards and appropriate sexual conduct in the same paragraph.

[strawbs]

i hate lists like this because they leave coaches from less mainstream sports off the lists even if they are far more "decorated". There have been a couple that have already been said that needed to be acknowledged, but as someone who is from Iowa, I need to mention the great Dan Gable in this thread.
Gable coached the iowa hawkeye wrestling team to successes that few other teams in any sport have ever achieved.

His credentials:
15 national championships/including 9 straight from 1978-86
21 straight big ten championships
dual record of 355-21-5

I don't know how you can be any more decorated than that.

[jimsumner]

"1. John Wooden
2. Mike Krzyzewski
3. Adolph Rupp
4. Bob Knight
5. Dean Smith
6. Hank Iba
7. Branch McCracken
8. Phog Allen
9. Denny Crum
10. Roy Williams or Jim Calhoun"

Good list. As a fellow-fan of the oldtimers, can we get some love for Clair Bee? The Chip Hilton series should get him some bonus credit.

[AZLA]

Hard to believe Tom Osborne is not on the list. 60-3 his last 5 years, 255 career wins, 3 national titles in 4 years and he coached the greatest college football team ever in 1995.

Two words: Lawrence Phillips