The 10 Best College Basketball Coaches In The Country

By Andrew Musur on January 29, 2015

On Sunday afternoon, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski won his 1,000-career game.

He became the first Division I men’s coach to reach the milestone. The amazing feat took 40 years to accomplish. Coach K’s success got me thinking about the best coaches in college basketball. Who has led their school to the most glory?

I put together a list of my top 10 current college basketball coaches.

Here we go:

No. 1: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University

Years at Duke University: 35

Record at Duke University: 927-249

NCAA Tournament: 82-26, 11 Final Fours, four National Titles

Reason for Ranking: Mike Krzyzewski is at number one on this list, because he is a living legend. Though Duke left the NCAA tournament with a sour taste the last couple of years (Lehigh, Mercer), Coach K has accomplished things some only dream of.

The 1,000 wins and the four National Championships are impressive. However, the lessons Coach K has taught his players over his 40-year head-coaching career is most impressive.

Coach Krzyzewski is a hall-of-famer and will go down as one of the greatest coaches to ever live. Some may make an argument that he is the greatest, but I think Mr. Wooden may disagree with that claim.

No. 2: Tom Izzo, Michigan State

Years at Michigan State: 20

Record at Michigan State: 477-192

NCAA Tournament: 42-16, six Final Fours, one National Title

Reason for Ranking: Let’s start with the fact that Tom Izzo has coached Michigan State to the NCAA tournament in 17 of the 20 years he has been the head coach there.

Coach Izzo knows how to recruit and get the guys that will fit his system. Seven Big Ten Championships and a National Title too, Coach Izzo is a force to be reckoned with.

It seems the Spartans always do well in March Madness behind coach Izzo’s guidance. Michigan State will continue to be competitive for years to come.

No. 3: Billy Donovan, University of Florida

Years at University of Florida: 19

Record at University of Florida: 461-176

NCAA Tournament: 35-12, four Final Fours, two National Titles

Reason for Ranking: Billy Donovan, only 49 years old, is one of the best in the business. Donovan is a fantastic recruiter who finds some of the most athletic and NBA-ready talent in the country.

With two National Titles under his belt at his age, there is no question he will go down as one of the best coaches in the SEC if not in the country.

No. 4: John Calipari, University of Kentucky

Years at University of Kentucky: 6

Record at University of Kentucky: 171-37

NCAA Tournament: 43-14, five Final Fours, one National Title

Reason for Ranking: John Calipari has become one of the biggest names in college sports. His recruiting tactics and tournament success have helped him to the fame.

Calipari has been to five Final Fours (technically three as two were vacated.) Three of those Final Four trips were with Kentucky. Calipari has proven he teaches his players skills that they can use in order to be successful at the next level.

Kentucky is currently 19-0 and it does not look like they will lose a game this year. The Wildcats may lose a lot of talent this year, but no need to worry, coach Cal has another group of young eager players ready to take the court.

No. 5: Bill Self, University of Kansas

Years at University of Kansas: 12

Record at University of Kansas: 325-68

NCAA Tournament: 36-15, two Final Fours, one National Title

Reason for Ranking: Coach Bill Self is one of the most accomplished coaches in the game. Self has led Kansas to 10 straight Big 12 regular season championships.

The Jayhawks have been fantastic under pressure, winning 83 percent of their games under Self. Though Kansas hasn’t had much success in the NCAA tournament lately, Self has still won a National Title–something many cannot say.

No. 6: Rick Pitino, University of Louisville

Years at University of Louisville: 14

Record at University of Louisville: 640-236

NCAA Tournament: 50-17, seven Final Fours, two National Titles

Reason for Ranking: Rick Pitino has been to more Final Fours than everyone on this list except for coaches Krzyzewski and Williams.

Pitino has led the Cardinals to the Final Four in back-to-back years. Pitino’s coaching style is one of a kind. Coach Pitino’s teams are routinely tenacious defenders.

Will Pitino be able to beat out Coach Calipari for king of Kentucky? We shall see.

No. 7: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse University

Years at Syracuse University: 39

Record at Syracuse University: 962-326

NCAA Tournament: 53-30, four Final Fours, one National Title

Reason for Ranking: When it is all said and done, Coach Boeheim will be the most iconic Syracuse coach ever to live.

Syracuse’s National Title team was one of Boeheim’s most talented teams ever. It was led by a young freshman named Carmelo Anthony.

Coach Boeheim may be the next coach up to 1,000 wins, but that may take a couple of years. Boeheim’s inconsistency in the tournament is the only reason he is not higher on this list.

No. 8: Bo Ryan, University of Wisconsin

Years at University of Wisconsin: 14

Record at University of Wisconsin: 339-123

NCAA Tournament: 20-13, one Final Four

Reason for Ranking: Bo Ryan was lucky enough to cross-off, “Go to the Final Four,” on his bucket list last season. It was a huge accomplishment for coach Ryan.

Wisconsin is routinely towards the top of the Big Ten and in the top 25 of the country, but coach Ryan will need to win a National Title to be considered elite.

No. 9: Roy Williams, University of North Carolina

Years at University of North Carolina: 12

Record at University of North Carolina: 321-93

NCAA Tournament: 63-22, seven Final Fours, two National Titles

Reason for Ranking: Roy Williams may be higher up on other lists, but I think Coach Williams is perfect at spot number nine.

Coach Williams does have an impressive resume with seven Final Fours and two National Titles. My only problem with Williams is both of his National Titles came for North Carolina during a time where UNC academics were under scrutiny.

Williams has claimed to have never known some of his student athletes were taking “paper” classes. Roy Williams is still a brilliant coach, but his character has come into question several times during his career.

No. 10: Thad Matta, The Ohio State University 

Years at The Ohio State University: 11

Record at The Ohio State University: 286-86

NCAA Tournament: 23-12, two Final Fours

Reason for Ranking: Thad Matta completely changed Ohio State basketball. The 47-year-old has led his Buckeyes to five Big Ten Championships.

Coach Matta’s system has sent several college players to the NBA. The only thing left for Coach Matta to accomplish is a National Title. Once he gets that there will be no question he will be one of the best to come from the Big Ten.

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