If we manage to run the table...

[Phil]

There's something odd about aspiring to be the GOAT.

 

[Wonkster]

Comparisons are odious.

We don't need no steenking
comparisons! They're odorous!

 

[Wonkster]

I suspect he'll be known to the public as the greatest singer of Nessun Dorma the bball world will
ever know, while chugging a glass of his own wine.
Remember the last line of the aria is "I shall win". Gurgle, gurgle.

The Boneyard - certainly the only women's basketball message board to quote an opera by Puccini! I'm assuming we're not going to name the cold-hearted Princess, correct?

 

[intlzncster]

It's tricky enough to compare coaches' achievements in different sports but becomes unreasonable to factor in the differences in eras, given all of the variations that must be addressed.

Take men's college basketball, for example. Wooden had a great run at UCLA, but he had several years of only moderate success before he really got rolling and he was not confronted with the challenges faced later by other great HoF coaches. For one thing, it was relatively easy for UCLA to get to the Final Four back then and he had the luxury of keeping Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (nee Lew Alcindor) and Bill Walton for four years apiece. He also benefited from the generosity of a booster named Sam Gilbert. Coaches named Smith and Knight and Kryzyzewski and Calhoun have had a tougher row to hoe.

Similarly, although Pat Summitt set the bar high during her glorious tenure at Tennessee, for many of her early years she had an easier path to victories and championships than Geno has faced -- and overcome.

So let's just try to focus on "best coaches" of various sports for now.

For starters, Anson Dorrance jumps to the top of women's college soccer coaches with 29 NCAA championships (plus three runners-up) since 1982. Add Dan Gable, who coached 16 NCAA Championships in college wrestling at Iowa from 1976 to 1987.

Now, to answer the question posed by the OP, here are some reasonable goals/milestones that Geno could possibly attain:

A thousand victories during the 2016-2017 season. Eleven hundred by 2020.

A ninth NC soon (2014?) and eleven or more before 2020.​

Should Geno sustain his health and personal drive, these achievements would set him apart, like Dorrance and Gable, as supreme in his profession.

I believe he can do it. And I am among many who will pull for him every step along the way, from his current mere legendary status to ultimate immortality.

Spot on post. I made one addendum.

 

[huskybill]

There's something odd about aspiring to be the GOAT.

And Pat is still a Head

 

[Icebear]

And Pat is still a Head

But she is no longer the summit.

 

[arty155]

Comparisons are odious.

- Geno emphasizes passing. while Odie never stops dribbling.

 

[hussybulldog]

Pat is 8-5 in NCAA Championship games.

She also has two runner-up finishes in the AIAW Championships, in 1980 and 1981. (The media guide says ten runner-up finishes, I don't know where that number comes from)

We know Geno won all the NCAA finals he has been in. But he does have a string of loss in semi-finals. Does he also hold the record in most semi-final loss while PS has the most final loss?

 

[David 76]

Wooden did win 10 in 12 years. There were good teams and coaches in that era. Sure the competition wasn't like the men now BUT we are talking the WOMEN over the last 18 years.

Geno surpasses Pat but I don't think you can compare with Wooden. I don't think Geno would.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Different sports, different GOATs. What Wooden did will never be equaled, but he was playing in a completely different era (no jumping to the pros, fewer games to win the tournament, etc) and I don't think that Geno's records will ever be equaled either. There's room for both.

I agree, along with the fact that after 1965, Wooden typically had the "pick of the litter" in terms of getting talent, much more so than does Geno. There were only a handful of brand names, Duke, North Carolina, Indiana, UCLA and Kentucky and that was about it.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Well, a few thoughts on this….. First, I think Geno is already in the same pack as the John Woodens, and whoever else you choose to put at the top of the pack when figuring the greatest of all time….. Having said this, it is impossible, I think, to compare MCBB and WCBB….. just can’t do it, and I think all who have achieved must be applauded and celebrated…..
Because Pat’s name is mentioned….. I must reiterate what I have always said….. that she is a giant in the sport….. and largely responsible for its large growth the last generation …especially the earlier years….. what Immaculata and Louisiana Tech couldn’t sustain, the LV program did, and that is thanks to Pat. She has mentored 160 players in the finest fashion, and is responsible for many of them, including the current LV coach, going into coaching….. Perhaps things slipped a bit in recent years….. when “defense and rebounding” weren’t enough for strategy, and bringing in athletes who had their own agendas (e.g. Massengale) were accepted readily….. but Pat stands proudly amongst the profession….. I wish the Summit could give GA some credit (I never see anything positive written…even in acknowledgement) for his accomplishments….but that is OK… we all appreciate GA for all he has done in Storrs….. and respect as well Pat’s track record, for it is strong…..
As for the figures which make up the basis for the question of this thread….. here are some impressive figures for me….

1. 8-0 in National Chmp. Games….. has been mentioned already….
2. 8 NCAA titles in 28 yrs….. PS 8 in 37 yrs
3. 1 vs 2 games…..UConn is 15-3……. LVs are 10-12
4. 4 undefeated seasons….. and perhaps going for a 5th

This last stat is perhaps most amazing….. as Jay Bilas has said, the UC women have had for years their games circled on everybody’s schedule….. so they cannot take a game off…. And still they do it….. it is amazing….. on rare occasion you get a Jessica Foley, or a St Johns game in Storrs…. But 99% of the time these women are steel tested….. and this is largely due to coaching….. and look at the history of who has gone undefeated…. Texas was the first….. LVs did it once, prompting Pat to put out a book on that season…. And Baylor did it two years ago with Griner…. And other than that….. it is all us!!!! 4 seasons in which we did not lose a single game!!! An incredible job….. !!!Where will GA end up? I think the 1098 is inconsequential…… though this will be the lasting figure LV Nation can hold on to….. The big thing for GA I think is in sheer # of titles….. Wooden has 10….. if he gets to 9 this year….. he is on the precipice….. I hope he will stay on a few more years….. still has a lot of fire in the furnace….. Go Huskies!

 

[Sonny44]

It only gets better if we could beat UT in a couple more finals.

 

[DobbsRover2]

We know Geno won all the NCAA finals he has been in. But he does have a string of loss in semi-finals. Does he also hold the record in most semi-final loss while PS has the most final loss?

Wouldn't really call it a string, since the most SFs UConn has lost in a row has been 2 and a total of 6 stretching back to 1991. Tennessee has lost 5 SFs. So Pat was 8-5-5 in NC Wins-NC Losses-SF Losses while Geno is 8-0-6. Pat had a 44% success rate for an NC win when getting to the FF, while Geno is at 57%. Louisiana Tech is the only team to knock off the Vols twice in SF games, so once Pat got the FF her nemeses were UConn and LaTech.

 

[Phil]

We know Geno won all the NCAA finals he has been in. But he does have a string of loss in semi-finals. Does he also hold the record in most semi-final loss while PS has the most final loss?

Tennessee has five losses in Semis, Geno six, but Stanford has seven.

 

[UcMiami]

Being a Pat's fan as in NFL and looking at 5 SBs and 3 championships and recognizing how solid that is, I look at one additional area for Pat's record that some people are discounting ... Pat led TN to 18 FF and 13 championship games so basically she got to the FF 50% of her years coaching and to the championship game 33% of her years and won it 20% of her years. That is darn impressive! Geno may be perfect in his championship games but he has only gotten to 8 of them - and to 14 FF. At the current rate he will reach 18 FF in 4 more years! and 13 championship games in 5 (channeling Tony here!) Geno percentage is already comparable to Pat's but the raw numbers like with wins he still trails. (And with wins he is closing in on the highest win percentage, owned by Barmore at the moment.
Of note - if we go undated this year, Geno will have closed the winning percentage gap to .033% (86.845 to 86.878)

 

[oneresult]

UcMiami

You are not adding 8 or 10 years to Gino:s record to compare , like Pats record comes from!

 

[Phil]

Being a Pat's fan as in NFL and looking at 5 SBs and 3 championships and recognizing how solid that is, I look at one additional area for Pat's record that some people are discounting ... Pat led TN to 18 FF and 13 championship games so basically she got to the FF 50% of her years coaching and to the championship game 33% of her years and won it 20% of her years. That is darn impressive! Geno may be perfect in his championship games but he has only gotten to 8 of them - and to 14 FF. At the current rate he will reach 18 FF in 4 more years! and 13 championship games in 5 (channeling Tony here!) Geno percentage is already comparable to Pat's but the raw numbers like with wins he still trails. (And with wins he is closing in on the highest win percentage, owned by Barmore at the moment.
Of note - if we go undated this year, Geno will have closed the winning percentage gap to .033% (86.845 to 86.878)

You may be the only person on the face of the earth who has used the phrase "only gotten to 8 of them" when referring to National Championship games.

 

[UcMiami]

UcMiami

You are not adding 8 or 10 years to Gino:s record to compare , like Pats record comes from!

I know - but that is the situation - and I do expect Geno to get to the same raw numbers if he keeps coaching for 5 or 6 more years.

You may be the only person on the face of the earth who has used the phrase "only gotten to 8 of them" when referring to National Championship games.

But 13 is an impressive number as is 18 FF - I expect Geno may match those numbers eventually with more wins, but he has a few to go. For example in golf Tiger may end up matching Jack for major wins, but it is highly unlikely he will come anywhere close to Jack's wins plus runner-ups (19) and top 5s (56) or top 10s (73)

 

[David 76]

I agree, along with the fact that after 1965, Wooden typically had the "pick of the litter" in terms of getting talent, much more so than does Geno. There were only a handful of brand names, Duke, North Carolina, Indiana, UCLA and Kentucky and that was about it.

And how many "brand" names are in WCBB?

 

[DobbsRover2]

Of note - if we go undated this year, Geno will have closed the winning percentage gap to .033% (86.845 to 86.878)

Oh no, if UConn goes "undated?" Is this another one of those Chicken Little comments about no one wanting to play UConn in the future?

 

[UcMiami]

Dobbs - sure feels 'undated' in the musical chairs of conference realignment!

 

[MilfordHusky]

What's the second longest streak for games without consecutive losses? We hope to hit 21 YEARS this March. That's the most remarkable stat, in my view.

 

[alexrgct]

What's the second longest streak for games without consecutive losses? We hope to hit 21 YEARS this March. That's the most remarkable stat, in my view.

Yep that's one of four critical streaks, along with 25 wins or more every season, Sweet 16 or better tournament result, and top 10 ranking in the final poll. All of these, along with no consecutive losses, are streaks that have run since the conclusion of the 1992-93 season!

 

[DobbsRover2]

Dobbs - sure feels 'undated' in the musical chairs of conference realignment!

Oh, come now. You just have to be more open to the charms of your dance partners and also realize that most of those pretty things sashaying at the other joints just look that way because they have a lot of make-up slathered on them that will eventually fall off when the bubbles burst and the reign of red ink starts spattering down.

 

[Phil]

What's the second longest streak for games without consecutive losses? We hope to hit 21 YEARS this March. That's the most remarkable stat, in my view.

I have a vague recollection is owned by Duke, emphasis on "vague". Worth looking up, my theory is the best way to compare superlatives is to see how much better it is than second.