While reading the Athlon 2009-2010 College Basketball Preview magazine, I came across this sentence: “The nation’s hottest coach has become high priest at one of the game’s most venerable cathedrals.”
The identity of the “nation’s hottest coach”? According to Athlon, it’s Kentucky’s John Calipari. A few years ago, Billy Donovan had a two-year reign as college basketball’s “hottest coach.” Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski had a long run at the top, John Wooden a longer one.
Usually, though, it’s a title with a high turnover rate.
UConn’s Jim Calhoun, Georgetown’s John Thompson and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse battled for Big East supremacy through the years. Thompson retired in ’92 and the finish line is too close for Calhoun and Boeheim to join the ranks of “hottest” coaches. Rick Pitino’s sex scandal bumps him out of consideration, at least for a while. Pitt’s Jamie Dixon lacks a Final Four appearance. Purdue’s Matt Painter could get one this year and join the list. Dixon’s former boss, Ben Howland of UCLA, has the record for winning and great tradition to help him on the recruiting trail, but Howland doesn’t have the gift of working the TV cameras as well as most elite coaches. His televised NCAA Tournament press conferences reveal his obsessively controlling nature. Rick Barnes consistently keeps Texas in the running but lacks sizzle.
Tom Crean made the list when at Marquette, but takes a hiatus while refurbishing an Indiana program that had reached the depths. His name will reappear when the Hoosiers return to the national radar.
The criteria for listing the “hottest” coaches in college basketball could be summed up by answering two questions: 1. What man would you want heading your basketball program starting today? 2. What man would you least want in charge of your most hated rival?
The 10 hottest college basketball coaches:
1. Bill Self (Kansas): Gets the nod over runner-up because of comeback victory in 2008 title game and wooing Xavier Henry to Lawrence.
2. John Calipari (Kentucky): Best college basketball coach without a national title could contend for one in his first season in Lexington.
3. Roy Williams (North Carolina): Two national titles since moving to Chapel Hill and showing no signs of aging.
4. Tom Izzo (Michigan State): Could make it six Final Four appearances in his 15th season. Despite all the success, he doesn’t appear to have a conceited bone in his body, a big plus while recruiting in living rooms.
5. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke): Not quite recruiting the talent he once did but should be rejuvenated by bringing the Olympic gold medal back home.
6. Jay Wright (Villanova): Debonair nice guy can really recruit the New York City area.
7. Billy Donovan (Florida): It’s so difficult to stay on top. Consecutive titles were followed by consecutive NIT appearances.
8. Anthony Grant (Alabama): Made a name for himself coaching Virginia Commonwealth to an NCAA Tournament victory against Duke in 2007 and the name has grown ever since.
9. Sean Miller (Arizona): Seems like just yesterday that he was a 14-year-old ball-handling prodigy blowing away Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. It’s on YouTube. Isn’t everything?
10. Bruce Pearl (Tennessee): Not afraid to show madcap personality, which draws him plenty of national media attention.
