anyone care to post the whole article?
We’ve already polled college basketball coaches for the most feared recruiters, both assistants and head coaches.
But now it’s time to look at the top X’s and O’s guys in the country, regardless of level. The coaches who scare their counterparts with their ability to diagram plays and have their players carry out those plays.
We polled about two-thirds of the D-1 head coaches, and some opted to vote more than once. There were more than 300 total votes cast and there was a clear separation at the top.
Michigan State’s Tom Izzo was the runaway winner, with one of his Big Ten rivals finishing in second. Brad Stevens still received plenty of votes (14 in total) despite the fact that he’s now in the NBA, and former UCLA head man Ben Howland also got his share (four votes) even though he’s unemployed.
Izzo is known for his preparation and ability to get his players to execute. He recruits at a high level, but it’s not as though his program has produced a ton of high-level NBA players. He has won a national title and has taken the Spartans to a half-dozen Final Four appearances. He’s 30-4 as the higher-seeded team in the NCAA tournament and 18-3 in the second game of a weekend NCAA contest.
Here are the top 25 X's and O's head coaches in college basketball (according to the head coaches), with a supporting quote from a peer for each.
1. Tom Izzo, Michigan State Spartans (41 votes)
Record: 439-178 (18 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 39-15
“Tom’s guys not only understand what they want. They execute details to make sure it happens.” -- Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger.
2. John Beilein, Michigan Wolverines (24)
Record: 415-260 (21 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 13-8
“When John was in the Big East, he was going to run a cut and get his guy a jumper and live with the result. He has no fear of missing a jumper.” -- Villanova coach Jay Wright
3. Rick Pitino, Louisville Cardinals (18)
Record: 664-239 (28 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 48-16
“Coach Pitino is always willing to change mid-game. He is not married to a style, he believes in matchups and adjustments. His pro background taught him it’s all about finding a way to win that particular game.” -- Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin
4. Bill Self, Kansas Jayhawks (17)
Record: 507-164 (20 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 35-14
“Bill is really good in getting quality shots in late-game situations. You have to have good X’s and O’s, good personnel and good presence. Bill has all three.” -- San Francisco coach Rex Walters
5. Bob McKillop, Davidson Wildcats (16)
Record: 452-279 (24 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 3-7
"He was a smart, crafty, tough player. He coaches the same way. He's an exceptional situational practice coach." -- Fordham coach Tom Pecora
6. Stew Morrill, Utah State Aggies (15)
Record: 584-267 (27 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 1-9
“From an offensive efficiency [perspective], his teams over the years are always one of the best. His teams execute and run their offensive actions harder and at a faster pace than most teams.” -- Virginia coach Tony Bennett
7. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Blue Devils (13)
Record: 957-297 (38 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 82-25
“It just seems that Coach K’s teams always execute down the stretch of close games. He gives them great confidence and they play with great poise while rarely beating themselves.” -- Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg
8. Billy Donovan, Florida Gators (12)
Record: 450-186 (20 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 31-11
“He’s the most well-prepared coach in our league on a game-by-game basis, year-after-year in my opinion.” -- Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings
9. Rick Byrd, Belmont Bears (11)
Record: 273-165 (14 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 0-6
“You have to be prepared to play them. His and his team’s composure are so good. His experience [is important]. His teams are always fundamentally sound and don’t beat themselves.” -- Murray State coach Steve Prohm
10. Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt Commodores (10)
Record: 400-239 (20 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 6-8
"On offense, his teams combine a lot of movement and teamwork with an attacking mentality. Defensively, it's the same. His teams are solid, yet will trap and change after timeouts and dead balls. He has a comprehensive system that has a way of keeping you off-balance on both sides of the ball. He's just an excellent coach." -- Arizona coach Sean Miller
T-11. Mike Montgomery, California Golden Bears (8)
Record: 655-304 (31 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 18-16
“He has counters for every situation. Knows his system inside and out.” -- UC Santa Barbara head coach Bob Williams
T-11. Fran Dunphy, Temple Owls (8)
Record: 468-238 (24 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 3-15
“Fran puts guys who can score in great position to be isolated.” -- Georgia Tech coach Brian Gregory
13. Bo Ryan, Wisconsin Badgers (7)
Record: 321-140 (14 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 16-12
"He has developed his own unique offense that is very efficient and hard to guard. His players know what he wants and Wisconsin is very disciplined and executes with precision. He is a master at making adjustments during the game within his system to find ways to score late in the shot clock and at the end of games. Defensively, his teams have been extremely tough-minded. They do not give you transition buckets or offensive rebounds." -- New Mexico coach Craig Neal
T-14. Tom Crean, Indiana Hoosiers (6)
Record: 274-178 (14 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 9-7
"The guy has so many plays. You just can't scout them all." -- Drexel coach Bruiser Flint
T-14. Buzz Williams, Marquette Golden Eagles (6)
Record: 136-71 (6 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 8-5
“No one studies the game or people more than Buzz. He is consumed with being prepared.” -- South Carolina coach Frank Martin
T-16. John Calipari, Kentucky Wildcats (5)
Record: 568-166 (21 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 38-13
“His teams are great defensively, great rebounding and his teams win close games.” -- Memphis coach Josh Pastner
T-16. Jeff [Redacted], Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5)
Record: 33-59 (3 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 0-0
"He has a really good feel for the game. His guys are always prepared and develop over the course of their careers, which puts his teams in a position to win on any given night." -- Former BC assistant and current BU head coach Joe Jones
T-16. Mark Few, Gonzaga Bulldogs (5)
Record: 374-93 (14 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 15-14
"He is very calm. Common-sense coach. He'll change anything if the result is positive. Some guys try to pound a square peg in a round hole. Not Mark Few." -- Former Gonzaga assistant and current Drake head coach Ray Giacoletti
T-19. John Thompson III, Georgetown Hoyas (4)
Record: 277-131 (13 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 8-9
“He is very hard to scout at the end of games because he diversifies on offense and defense. He always saves something you haven’t seen. Uses the bigs to set the offense. His teams are always efficient and that never changes in the last minute. The pressure of the game never fazes them.” -- Indiana coach Tom Crean
T-19. Mike Brey, Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4)
Record: 384-194 (18 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 6-11
“He works on different game situations every day. He allows you to be successful and make mistakes in real-game settings in practice. Afterwards, he breaks down and discusses the situations so you are prepared and aware in actual games.” -- Former Notre Dame assistant and current Kennesaw State head coach Lewis Preston
T-19. Sean Miller, Arizona Wildcats (4)
Record: 216-90 (9 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 11-6
"I watched Sean's Xavier teams closely while at Wright State and have played his Arizona teams twice. He does a terrific job of giving his players freedom and teaching them how to play in his motion offense while also moxing in some really good set plays for his best players." -- Clemson coach Brad Brownell
T-19. Jim Larranaga, Miami (FL) Hurricanes(4)
Record: 519-354 (29 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 7-6
“He’s not afraid to try different things late that he hasn’t done all game, on the offensive or defensive end.” -- Drexel coach Bruiser Flint
T-19. Joe Scott, Denver Pioneers (4)
Record: 191-192 (13 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 0-1
“He’s the best I’ve ever faced. He runs Princeton, but wins with defense. His players don’t get rattled and they attack your weaknesses. You can’t pressure them or speed them up." -- UT Arlington head coach Scott Cross.
T-24. Tony Bennett, Virginia Cavaliers (3)
Record: 145-86 (7 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 3-3
"He's a terrific teacher and does a great job communicating and getting his players to buy in. His greatest strength is that he understands who he is and recruits players that fit him and his system." -- Former Virginia Tech coach and current ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg.
T-24. Fred Hoiberg, Iowa State Cyclones (3)
Record: 62-39 (3 seasons)
NCAA tournament record: 2-2
“He’s really good at drawing up quick hitters or creating mismatches.” -- Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford
