10. Tom Izzo
It doesn’t matter who plays for Izzo, when it comes to March, Michigan State just wins. Since taking over in 1995, Izzo has made nine Sweet 16’s, seven Elite Eight’s, six Final Fours and the 2000 championship.
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9. Adolph Rupp
Kentucky’s greatest winner only falls so low because his postseason success came at a time when the NCAA tournament was tiny and didn’t always have the best teams, which often went to the NIT. Still, Rupp made six Final Fours and won four national championships in 42 seasons at Lexington.
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8. Rick Pitino
No matter where he goes in college, Pitino brings success. With a barrage of 3-pointers and full-court pressure, Pitino’s preachings led Kentucky to the 1996 championship and helped him become the only coach to ever take three schools to the Final Four, also with Providence and Louisville, a total of five times.
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7. Roy Williams
Williams has been a legend at Kansas and North Carolina. After 15 years at Kansas, making four Final Fours and two title games, Williams finally cut down the nets upon returning to his alma mater, where he has won two national championships and reached three Final Fours.
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6. Jim Calhoun
Calhoun’s greatest accomplishment was turning an unknown program into a national power – and that was before he won three national championships. Calhoun made four Final Fours and won each title with a different core, coming in 1999, 2004 and 2011. Most incredible was his first, when UConn upset a dominant Duke team led by Elton Brand.
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5. Denny Crum
Crum’s name hasn’t endured the way it should, having led Louisville to two national titles and six Final Four appearances. Remember how great Louisville’s teams were in 1980 and 1986? No, you don’t. Exactly why you should realize how great Crum was as coach.
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4. Dean Smith
The only man to ever contain Michael Jordan spent 36 years at North Carolina and won two national titles, in 1982 and 1993. His “Four Corners” offense wasn’t exciting, but it was smart, leading the Tar Heels to 11 Final Fours.
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3. Bob Knight
Hopefully Knight doesn’t get too angry about this ranking. The second-winningest coach in NCAA history, Knight spent nearly three decades at Indiana and won three national championships with three different teams, in 1976, 1981 and 1987. His Hoosiers of 1976 remain the last team to go undefeated.
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2. Mike Krzyzewski
Coach K may get some of the best players, but he has one of the toughest jobs, leading a team reviled by the nation that gets everyone’s “A” game all season long. When it comes to March, the Blue Devils are always ready, having made 11 Final Fours and winning four titles in Krzyzewski’s tenure, including back-to-back titles in 1991-92 — the first time that had been done since John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins.
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1. John Wooden
Some rankings are easy. Wooden is in a class of his own, having won 10 national titles, which included a stretch of seven straight from 1967-73. To compare, no other coach has ever won more than four.
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