The Dean of ACC coaches

[Olympic Fan]

Coach K has been the Dean of ACC coaches (the one with the longest longevity at his school in the ACC) since Dean Smith retired in 1997.

However, with Gary Williams' departure Thusday, Coach K has achieved something that has never before happened in the ACC -- and I suspect never will again: As of this moment, he has more years at Duke (31) than his 11 ACC rivals have at their schools COMBINED (30).

Add it up: Leonard Hamilton 9, Roy Williams 8, Seth Greenburg 8, Tony Bennett 2, Brad Brownell 1, Jeff Bzdelik 1, Steve Donahue 1. That's 30 seasons combined. Four of next year's coaches will be starting their first season -- Brian Gregory, Mark Gottfriend, Jim Larranaga and whoever Maryland hires to replace Gary. At the moment, they have zero years.

I guess the Terps could spoil my factoid if they were to hire Bobby Cremins or bring Lefty out of retirement ... Sidney Lowe is available!

[Jderf]

Wow. That really puts into perspective the conference's current state of coaching upheaval. It really is bizarre to see so many coaching changes, all in a span of a couple years. Hopefully it's a sign of good things of the conference.

[roywhite]

Great bit of information, Olympic Fan.

Frankly, I'm also struck that Coach K at 64 is now the oldest coach in the league. Larranaga is not too far behind at 61, but I don't think another ACC coach is 60 or over.

For quite a while, I've thought Coach K would coach at Duke for approx. 10 more years; that may be the case (hey, Joe Paterno is 20 years past that age now), but it could be less. Just a thought that his retirement day will come.

To your good health, Coach K, and many more years!

[Jderf]

Frankly, I'm also struck that Coach K at 64 is now the oldest coach in the league. Larranaga is not too far behind at 61, but I don't think another ACC coach is 60 or over.

Forgot about Ol' Roy. He's about as ol' as they get.

[devildeac]

Great bit of information, Olympic Fan.

Frankly, I'm also struck that Coach K at 64 is now the oldest coach in the league. Larranaga is not too far behind at 61, but I don't think another ACC coach is 60 or over.

For quite a while, I've thought Coach K would coach at Duke for approx. 10 more years; that may be the case (hey, Joe Paterno is 20 years past that age now), but it could be less. Just a thought that his retirement day will come.

To your good health, Coach K, and many more years!

Roy Williams will be 61 on August 1. (I feel dirty looking that up.)

[Duvall]

Coach K has been the Dean of ACC coaches (the one with the longest longevity at his school in the ACC) since Dean Smith retired in 1997.

However, with Gary Williams' departure Thusday, Coach K has achieved something that has never before happened in the ACC -- and I suspect never will again: As of this moment, he has more years at Duke (31) than his 11 ACC rivals have at their schools COMBINED (30).

Add it up: Leonard Hamilton 9, Roy Williams 8, Seth Greenburg 8, Tony Bennett 2, Brad Brownell 1, Jeff Bzdelik 1, Steve Donahue 1. That's 30 seasons combined. Four of next year's coaches will be starting their first season -- Brian Gregory, Mark Gottfriend, Jim Larranaga and whoever Maryland hires to replace Gary. At the moment, they have zero years.

I guess the Terps could spoil my factoid if they were to hire Bobby Cremins or bring Lefty out of retirement ... Sidney Lowe is available!

It's not just Krzyzewski - Miles Plumlee has as much experience as the seven newest ACC coaches combined.

[roywhite]

To Olympic Fan and others:

I'm just not comfortable with labelling Coach K the "Dean" of ACC coaches. He's earned some designation that is not evocative of El-Deano of Chapel Hill.

Suggestions welcome.

[77devil]

To Olympic Fan and others:

I'm just not comfortable with labelling Coach K the "Dean" of ACC coaches. He's earned some designation that is not evocative of El-Deano of Chapel Hill.

Suggestions welcome.

Me too. We know he's the captain but that's not high enough rank in this context. He can't be the general because that is K's mentor. Staying with the military metaphor, that leaves chairman(as in Chairman of the Joint Chiefs). So he can be the chairman of ACC coaches.

[uh_no]

Wow. That really puts into perspective the conference's current state of coaching upheaval. It really is bizarre to see so many coaching changes, all in a span of a couple years. Hopefully it's a sign of good things of the conference.

It's amazing that only 4 coaches have been here for longer than 2 years. Contrast this with previous years when you've had a league of great coaches...K, dean, jimmy V, gary williams...I certainly hope ACC basketball can get back there.

[rasputin]

To Olympic Fan and others:

I'm just not comfortable with labelling Coach K the "Dean" of ACC coaches. He's earned some designation that is not evocative of El-Deano of Chapel Hill.

Suggestions welcome.

I suggest Doyen.

[Olympic Fan]

It's amazing that only 4 coaches have been here for longer than 2 years. Contrast this with previous years when you've had a league of great coaches...K, dean, jimmy V, gary williams...I certainly hope ACC basketball can get back there.

Just to be picky (sorry about that), Jimmy Valvano and Gary Williams only overlapped one season (1990). For most of the '80s, it was Lefty at Maryland.

I would argue that the early 1980s were the high-point of ACC coaches.

In 1980, Duke hired Coach K and State hired Jim Valvano within a couple of weeks of each other. A year later, Georgia Tech hired Bobby Cremins -- easy to forget what a great coach he was for a little over a decade. Just like Gary after 2002, Bobby seemed to lose something after his brief move to South Carolina in 1993.

But in the early 1980s, it was those three young coaches against an old guard headed by Dean Smith at UNC, Lefty Driesell at Maryland, Carl Tacy at Wake, Terry Holland at Virginia and Bill Foster at Clemson. I don't think there was a weak link in the league at that time.

The chinks started to occur when Tacy retired and was replaced by Bob Staak (a disaster), then Foster (no relation to the Bill Foster who coached Duke) stepped down and was replaced by Cliff Ellis -- who was still a fairly decent coach.

[uh_no]

Just to be picky (sorry about that), Jimmy Valvano and Gary Williams only overlapped one season (1990). For most of the '80s, it was Lefty at Maryland.

It's all before my time anyway :P

[OldPhiKap]

It's all before my time anyway :P

It was a glorious time. Of course, the game was slower because you had to go up, get the ball out of the peach basket, and then jump center after each made basket. But the kids were respectful and it cost a nickel to take the trolley to the game.

- - - - -

I would argue that the early 1980s were the high-point of ACC coaches.

Wholly agree.


Man, I miss Lefty. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

And to think that a guy could coach UVa, AND run Food Lion. Talented guy.

Cliff Ellis could recruit the big guy, no question.

Valvano was entertaining, as was Cremins.

Dean Smith? ES. (At least until you retired, of course. Hope he's resting well and I am sorry to hear of his decline).

[Newton_14]

It was a glorious time. Of course, the game was slower because you had to go up, get the ball out of the peach basket, and then jump center after each made basket. But the kids were respectful and it cost a nickel to take the trolley to the game.

- - - - -


Wholly agree.


Man, I miss Lefty. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

And to think that a guy could coach UVa, AND run Food Lion. Talented guy.

Cliff Ellis could recruit the big guy, no question.

Valvano was entertaining, as was Cremins.

Dean Smith? ES. (At least until you retired, of course. Hope he's resting well and I am sorry to hear of his decline).

Remember the UNC/Maryland game where a UNC player missed a critical free throw in the last minute, and the camera panned to Lefty who was holding his hand to his throat showing the "choking" sign? Just one of many classic Lefty antics. He was a hoot, but the guy could coach.

As most who have read my posts on DBR know, I am a huge fan of the ACC conference, and it kills me to see the state of the league. I want it to be the premiere conference in the country like it was for many years. Losing Gary Williams definitely hurts that effort in the short term. I hope Maryland can get a good coach.

Hopefully the influx of so many new coaches will turn things around and we can start the climb back up. I want Duke to always be the top dog of course, but, I want the league to be strong top to bottom. It will only serve to make the Duke program even better.

For now, I like all of the new guys except for Bzdelik at Wake. I was not impressed with him at all. They actually had talent this year, and he did nothing with it. The rest of the guys seem to be good coaches capable of getting the job done. Recruiting is the starting point obviously and it shouldn't be hard for the new Maryland coach to immediately improve in recruiting. Still, it takes good coaching to mold the talent into a competitive team.

It won't happen in 2011/12, but it is possible the first step upward for the ACC can be the following year.

[loldevilz]

Remember the UNC/Maryland game where a UNC player missed a critical free throw in the last minute, and the camera panned to Lefty who was holding his hand to his throat showing the "choking" sign? Just one of many classic Lefty antics. He was a hoot, but the guy could coach.

As most who have read my posts on DBR know, I am a huge fan of the ACC conference, and it kills me to see the state of the league. I want it to be the premiere conference in the country like it was for many years. Losing Gary Williams definitely hurts that effort in the short term. I hope Maryland can get a good coach.

Hopefully the influx of so many new coaches will turn things around and we can start the climb back up. I want Duke to always be the top dog of course, but, I want the league to be strong top to bottom. It will only serve to make the Duke program even better.

For now, I like all of the new guys except for Bzdelik at Wake. I was not impressed with him at all. They actually had talent this year, and he did nothing with it. The rest of the guys seem to be good coaches capable of getting the job done. Recruiting is the starting point obviously and it shouldn't be hard for the new Maryland coach to immediately improve in recruiting. Still, it takes good coaching to mold the talent into a competitive team.

It won't happen in 2011/12, but it is possible the first step upward for the ACC can be the following year.

Definitely concur with these sentiments.I hate it when Duke has to play a blah ACC schedule where half the games are lock wins. The Wake hire and the Lowe situation I think are particular problems. Yow hopefully will work her magic, but I can't see Bzdelik being successful. He just won't be able to recruit well enough to win.

Luckily I think the worst is behind. Larranaga will make the league immediately much better Leonard Hamilton is putting out some great teams. Virginia should hopefully make a jump this year with Scott coming back.

I would love to see Maryland steal Sean Miller from Arizona. Judging from the one game Duke had against him, there will be some great Duke-Maryland games in the future if goes there.

[OldPhiKap]

Remember the UNC/Maryland game where a UNC player missed a critical free throw in the last minute, and the camera panned to Lefty who was holding his hand to his throat showing the "choking" sign? Just one of many classic Lefty antics. He was a hoot, but the guy could coach.

As most who have read my posts on DBR know, I am a huge fan of the ACC conference, and it kills me to see the state of the league. I want it to be the premiere conference in the country like it was for many years. Losing Gary Williams definitely hurts that effort in the short term. I hope Maryland can get a good coach.

Hopefully the influx of so many new coaches will turn things around and we can start the climb back up. I want Duke to always be the top dog of course, but, I want the league to be strong top to bottom. It will only serve to make the Duke program even better.

For now, I like all of the new guys except for Bzdelik at Wake. I was not impressed with him at all. They actually had talent this year, and he did nothing with it. The rest of the guys seem to be good coaches capable of getting the job done. Recruiting is the starting point obviously and it shouldn't be hard for the new Maryland coach to immediately improve in recruiting. Still, it takes good coaching to mold the talent into a competitive team.

It won't happen in 2011/12, but it is possible the first step upward for the ACC can be the following year.

Very well-stated.



Don't sleep on UVa. I think they could really pull it together in the next few seasons and get back to the top third of the conference.

[MCFinARL]

Definitely concur with these sentiments.I hate it when Duke has to play a blah ACC schedule where half the games are lock wins. The Wake hire and the Lowe situation I think are particular problems. Yow hopefully will work her magic, but I can't see Bzdelik being successful. He just won't be able to recruit well enough to win.

Luckily I think the worst is behind. Larranaga will make the league immediately much better Leonard Hamilton is putting out some great teams. Virginia should hopefully make a jump this year with Scott coming back.

I would love to see Maryland steal Sean Miller from Arizona. Judging from the one game Duke had against him, there will be some great Duke-Maryland games in the future if goes there.

I hope you're right about this, but I'm not sure. I've been following Larranaga for a while because I work at George Mason. He's a good coach, for sure, but he has a kind of corny old-fashioned style that might be a tough sell in Miami--maybe more with the "fans" (if there are any) than with the players, who all seemed to like him up here. But who knows? Maybe an earnest nice guy will be so refreshing that it will take the place by storm.

[barjwr]

To Olympic Fan and others:

I'm just not comfortable with labelling Coach K the "Dean" of ACC coaches. He's earned some designation that is not evocative of El-Deano of Chapel Hill.

Suggestions welcome.

How about the Chancellor or the Provost?

[Jarhead]

How about the Chancellor or the Provost?

Good idea! I'd opt for Court Chancellor.