Name some favorite coaches

[burnspbesq]

Doug Moe when he coached the Denver Nuggets. Funny guy. I used to think he was dumbing it down, playing a role. One of my friends lived next door to him for a few years and assures me I'm wrong. Doug was just being himself.

Calvin Natt was the toughest player on the old Nuggets. Moe stood up to yell at him during a game, Calvin ran by and said "sit down, Doug". Doug sat down. I think after that he always yelled at Bill Hanzlik when Natt did something wrong.

Larry Brown coached the Nuggets in the last few season of the ABA. He had David Thompson, Bobby Jones, Dan Issel (the original stretch four) and Monte Towe, and they ran mostly Dean’s offense. Man, that was fun to watch in the old Auditorium Arena downtown on 14th Street.

[BeachBlueDevil]

1. Bob Huggins - His intensity has always struck me as fascinating. I personally liked playing for coaches like that when I was younger. It always lit a fire under me.

2. Andy Reid- Sort of the opposite of Huggins. Not a very intense guy but his players always seem to love him. Also, probably one of the greatest offensive minded NFL coaches in the last 40 years. If he ever gets over the hump and wins a title, he'll be recognized as one of the best ever to do it.

3. Bobby Cox - Another intense guy but his players always seemed to like him. He was also a staunch defender of his players during the game.

[Thurber Whyte]

So odd and tightly wrapped that I was fascinated with him.

He'd crouch by the bench yelling at players who had not even been in the game and sometimes, seemingly just yelling at the world.

Weird dude. I miss him.

I would not say he is a favorite coach of mine, but Gary Williams is one that I admire and think is underappreciated. When they were in the conference, I generally liked Maryland basketball teams and players. It is their fans I cannot help but find distasteful.

Gary, out of loyalty, left a good job to take over Maryland at its nadir. He had little to work with and headwinds recruiting because of bad publicity and institutionally imposed restrictions, but managed to slowly and deliberately build a contender. During those years, the top three teams were usually Duke, UNC and a third team in some combination. More often than not, the third team in the mix was Maryland. Between Lefty and Gary, Maryland was third in all time conference wins by the time they left the ACC.

Gary did not compete with Duke and UNC for players. He had his own system and recruited players to fit it. He had an incredible gift for finding underrated players and developing them. For their part, his players loved him and would do anything for him. The Nixonian conspiracy theories and constantly ranting at no one in particular on the sidelines were mostly just funny. He and Coach K respected one another and had a good relationship.

What stands out for me, even more given subsequent revelations, was his integrity. On the recruiting trail, he famously refused to participate in AAU politics and shenanigans to his great disadvantage because he found it distasteful. Every one of his wins together with the two final four appearances and championship he earned honestly.

[bundabergdevil]

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[jimsumner]

I would not say he is a favorite coach of mine, but Gary Williams is one that I admire and think is underappreciated. When they were in the conference, I generally liked Maryland basketball teams and players. It is their fans I cannot help but find distasteful.

Gary, out of loyalty, left a good job to take over Maryland at its nadir. He had little to work with and headwinds recruiting because of bad publicity and institutionally imposed restrictions, but managed to slowly and deliberately build a contender. During those years, the top three teams were usually Duke, UNC and a third team in some combination. More often than not, the third team in the mix was Maryland. Between Lefty and Gary, Maryland was third in all time conference wins by the time they left the ACC.

Gary did not compete with Duke and UNC for players. He had his own system and recruited players to fit it. He had an incredible gift for finding underrated players and developing them. For their part, his players loved him and would do anything for him. The Nixonian conspiracy theories and constantly ranting at no one in particular on the sidelines were mostly just funny. He and Coach K respected one another and had a good relationship.

What stands out for me, even more given subsequent revelations, was his integrity. On the recruiting trail, he famously refused to participate in AAU politics and shenanigans to his great disadvantage because he found it distasteful. Every one of his wins together with the two final four appearances and championship he earned honestly.

His refusal to participate in AAU shenanigans likely cost him a year with Kevin Durant.

Back in the old days the ACC men's basketball media kickoff was held on Sundays. GW's constant complaining that it cost him recruiting weekends resulted in the ACC moving it to midweek.

Moving it from Greensboro to Charlotte? Can't pin that one on Gary. That's ESPNU's presence.

[AtlDuke72]

I'm not a huge Cremins fan...not sure why...)

You must not have ever met Bobby. Impossible to not like him. There is a reason why he could recruit the great players.

[duke2x]

I will reiterate the obvious ones that should be on everybody's list: K, Cut, Dino, Pollard.

I will add our future men's soccer coach ca. 2035. He's a freshman this fall: Cameron Duke.
http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.db...DB_OEM_ID=4200

[HereBeforeCoachK]

You must not have ever met Bobby. Impossible to not like him. There is a reason why he could recruit the great players.

No, I never met him...but to clarify my point, I didn't say I disliked him, I said I wasn't a fan, meaning, of him as a coach. He did recruit great players, and he was likeable...but he plateaued at Tech and I think recruiting was maybe the only thing he was really good at.

[sagegrouse]

No, I never met him...but to clarify my point, I didn't say I disliked him, I said I wasn't a fan, meaning, of him as a coach. He did recruit great players, and he was likeable...but he plateaued at Tech and I think recruiting was maybe the only thing he was really good at.

He was a very good offensive coach, but let the assistants handle the defense -- totally.

[AtlDuke72]

No, I never met him...but to clarify my point, I didn't say I disliked him, I said I wasn't a fan, meaning, of him as a coach. He did recruit great players, and he was likeable...but he plateaued at Tech and I think recruiting was maybe the only thing he was really good at.

Bobby had a system based on bringing in one super star a year. He was successful at it in bringing in Kenny Anderson, Dennis Scott, Stephan Marbury among others. When the landscape changed to one and done players he was not able to adjust and it all fell apart for Tech and Bobby.

[jv001]

Bobby had a system based on bringing in one super star a year. He was successful at it in bringing in Kenny Anderson, Dennis Scott, Stephan Marbury among others. When the landscape changed to one and done players he was not able to adjust and it all fell apart for Tech and Bobby.

Outside of Coach K, Coach Bubas, "The White Rat", Jim Valvano, and Bones McKinney, I rank Bobby next in line of coaches I like or liked. GoDuke!