Best Coach Poll Skew

[CameronBornAndBred]

Best Coach poll... (http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/rank?versionId=2&listId=92#topOfList)including past coaches dead and alive. I think it's a nice touch they've included Pat Summit and Geno Auriemma, they are both deserving on being on anyone's best list. Need to get K above Deano.

[RainingThrees]

Dean above coach K is total BS!! Less championships, soon to be less wins and use of the most garbage strategy ever invented in college ball, the 4 corner offense!

[brevity]

History, or at least a misleading view of it, is a factor. I think there's still a perception among the majority of basketball fans that Dean Smith is far more senior a coach than Coach K, even though the latter's head coaching tenure will be the same length in 3 (or 4) seasons. By then it should be very interesting to compare the careers of the two.

I don't believe that Coach K is viewed by the general public as a particularly historic coach, despite being in the sport's Hall of Fame. A few reasons come to mind immediately:

1. He spent a good chunk of his ACC career as the younger coach in the central rivalry.
2. His mentor, Bobby Knight, retired recently, and has not left the spotlight.
3. His hair does not seem to be graying.
4. College basketball has not changed that much from 1975 to now.

Feel free to add additional reasons or opposing views. I do find it curious that 30+ years in the business have not resulted in the career retrospective or lifetime achievement level of talk. This may be intentional on his part; he's always struck me as a man who looks forward more than back.

100 wins from now, however, even he won't be able to avoid it.

[weezie]

bump

[Johnboy]

History, or at least a misleading view of it, is a factor. I think there's still a perception among the majority of basketball fans that Dean Smith is far more senior a coach than Coach K, even though the latter's head coaching tenure will be the same length in 3 (or 4) seasons. By then it should be very interesting to compare the careers of the two.

I don't believe that Coach K is viewed by the general public as a particularly historic coach, despite being in the sport's Hall of Fame. A few reasons come to mind immediately:

1. He spent a good chunk of his ACC career as the younger coach in the central rivalry.
2. His mentor, Bobby Knight, retired recently, and has not left the spotlight.
3. His hair does not seem to be graying.
4. College basketball has not changed that much from 1975 to now.

Feel free to add additional reasons or opposing views. I do find it curious that 30+ years in the business have not resulted in the career retrospective or lifetime achievement level of talk. This may be intentional on his part; he's always struck me as a man who looks forward more than back.

100 wins from now, however, even he won't be able to avoid it.

Chiming in to agree mostly, but since agreement is boring, I gotta disagree with #4. The shot clock, the three point line and the increased popularity of hoops over where it was in 1975 have made dramatic differences in the game. Heck, the four corners, the hallmark Dean Smith innovation, is practically useless.

Yet in that last sentence is probably another key to why Dean is more regarded, despite fewer NCAA championships - he's perceived as an innovator and Coach K isn't. John Wooden had his UCLA Zone press, Dean had 4 Corners. Coach K is seen as a great recruiter, a great teambuilder and psychologist, but really a follower of Knight in the X's and O's category. Note: I'm talking about perception here.