Top 10 Best College Basketball Coaches of All Time

John Wooden was the best college basketball coach ever. He built a true dynasty at UCLA. Coach K, Knight, Dean Smith, and Adolph Rupp round out the Top 5.

If the measure of a great golfer is winning majors and a great football team is winning the Superbowl and a great baseball team is winning the World Series - than John Wooden is the greatest Coach of all time by a 2 - 1 margin - not even close - He didn't just win games over patsy's to make his record look good - he beat the best without a loss 11 times - Coach K is a great coach but he has only done it 4 times.

There are some other great coaches on this list but come on! 11 National titles, won with big teams, small teams, won with class. Love some of the others but no one is close to Coach.

Ask ANY living coach on this list; each and every one of them will say Wooden is the GOAT.

Roy had a lot of help from ineligible players, should be several spots lower.

Has some up and down years but still always manages to recruit well

Ties UCLA with most Confrence Regular Season titles in a row: 13 Now that is an absolute milestone in sports today. Considering how hard it is to dominate anymore. 13 is more than just about every other coach has wins at Allen Fieldhouse.

He has more conference titles than most coaches have wins at Allen Fieldhouse. It's an absolute milestone considering that it hasn't been done since the John Wooden era at UCLA

Only owns one national championship at Kansas but make the final four just about every year.

An amazing couch of an amazing team.

Isaiah Thomas once said "Bobby Knight had the courage to coach me, he didn't try to be my friend, or father, he just tried to coach me and make me the best player I could be". Of all the star players Knight has coached, Thomas would know best. Personally, I hated Coach Knight when I was younger, buying into the tyrant persona nurtured by the media, but as time went on it was easy to see the conflict between Knight and the Media was the reason behind all that, and I came to respect the man a great deal. His teams played the game with ruthless efficiency, and fundamentally sound basketball. His former players would almost unanimously defend his tough love tactics, but of course their will always be a few that cannot flourish under such rigid scrutiny, and these would ultimately lead to Knights undoing at Indiana. The game changed, and so did the kids playing it. Knight became a target of the media, and eventually, the administration at Indiana. Did the game pass Knight by? Yes, I ...more

Knew the game of basketball better than any other coach. Mike K. played for him. Was an assistant coach under him, thus learning from him. Because of his high moral standings and no nonsense attitude he was made a scapegoat by ESPN and the media, who focused on every little foible he made, No other coach has had that kind of treatment. ever!. He won championships with mediocre teams and without a team of goliaths. Best in his field, bar none, in spite of the harassment he had to endure.

I've been a Hoosier all of my life even though I came to Indiana in 1996. I was in Boston for all of LB's career and followed Coach Knight and the IU teams in the 70s and 80s. I just watched the recent Documentary narrated by Mellancamp which had me in tears more than a few times. When I think of Coach, I think of Red A., two coaches who understood what it took to be a winner, how to get the most out of what they had, sounds like a marine unit, no? God bless Coach Knight.

I know Knight could be hot tempered at times but he won three titles. It should’ve been four, Scott May got hurt in 75’. He took a lot of homegrown talent and made them successful on and off the court, whether they were 5 star recruits or not. Come on, the man had success at Texas Tech.

Better in everyday than Calhoun. More consistency over a longer period. Switched conferences and still dominates.

Only consisting one national championship with carmelo anthony. a massive recruiter though

Besides some recruiting violations, Calhoun has won two national championships.

Probably the best recruiter in college basketball even with violations that took away memphis's trophy. there like the philadelphia eagles, miami heat, and New York Yankees for college basketball which means its hard to tell if he's a good coach or not.

One of the only coaches that seems to find a way to win 20 games every year. Has made 2 final fours and won 4 Big 10 tourney championships. Won't be considered one of the great active coaches until he gets that NCAA Tourney victory.

Hasnt won a championship but is very consistent. also great at recruiting centers. (greg oden, kosta koufus, BJ Mullins, Jared Sullinger)

What? I guess it's all about what have you done for me lately

Had back to back championships. a great recruiter and a decent coach.

This man did more with less than any coach. Yes, N.C. State got good talent but compared to UNC and Duke, not so much. His teams always played tough schedules and got better towards the end of the season, when it counted. What he was fired for, was nothing compared to what coaches get away with nowadays. Jim was truly a great man and coach.

Great NC State coach, and if you don't know who he is, look him up. He's also very inspiring.

A great balanced coach at villanova.

Um why isn't this guy higher on the list he was amazing to watch sculpt a good Purdue basketball team into a great one because of him my dad named our family's cat Keady.

Manages to always have success at pittsburgh.

Best coach of Wisconsin

10 Straight Conference titles 4 Final 4's 1990 Champions.
Over 700 wins... Easily Top 15 coach of all time.

The John Wooden of his era. A good coach leaves his legacy. And he really left his legacy at Kansas. Allen Feildhouse,Beware of the Phog, etc. Really the first good coach. Set the path for legends to follow. He was a legendary coach. Needs to be top 3 behind Coach K and John Wooden.

Started his career as the assistant to Dr. James Naismith.

Allen Fieldhouse. Pay heed all who enter beware of the Phog. Not only was he a legendary coach but he became a KU basketball icon. They named their homecourt after him. Part of being a great coach is leaving your legacy and Phog Allen did that. He was the John Wooden of his era. He needs to be top 3 behind coach K and John Wooden.

Phong Allen was the first good coach. He invented March Madness. He was a legend. He set the stage for future legendary coaches like Coach K,John Wooden,Dean Smith,Roy Williams,and so on. So beware of the Phog.