Syracuse.com: Top 15 Coaching Jobs in CBB

[tcf15]

1. Kentucky: Kentucky has a rabid fan base, top-notch facilities, plenty of administrative support, a history of success and recent success.
2. Kansas: Kansas can match Kentucky in nearly all areas except for recent success.
3. UNC: UNC would be ahead of Kansas if not for looming NCAA investigation.
4. Louisville: Facilities are incredible; moneyed fan based. Note that top 4 schools have had multiple coaches win NCAA titles.
5. Duke: How much of success is owed to Coach K? Duke still comes in high.
6. MSU: Titles under Jud Heathcote and Tom Izzo. Izzo’s multiple Final Fours are impressive.
7. Arizona: Top dog in good league, great locale, access to L.A. recruits, Sean Miller proves ‘Zona’s success wasn’t just Lute Olson.
8. Syracuse: Carrier Dome, loyal fan base, currently under NCAA sanctions, will success continue when Jim Boeheim retires?
9. Indiana: Super fan base, Big 10, IU was close in 2013, it wouldn’t take much to be great again.
10. UCLA: Forget John Wooden. Larry Brown, Steve Lavin and Ben Howland have been successful in Westwood. Can Steve Alford build UCLA back up and sustain it?
11. Wisconsin: Recent success is key, facility is good, how much is due to Bo Ryan?
12. Maryland: Great location, Gary Williams won a title, Mark Turgeon has it going, Comcast Center is nice facility.
13. Ohio State: Great arena, history of success, multiple coaches have taken Buckeyes to Final Four.
14. Texas: Big-time money, Erwin Center renovated, good fans but not overhyped expectations, the feeling is Rick Barnes did less with more, will Shaka Smart take it to the next level?
15. Virginia: Very nice arena, great location, near recruiting hubs, current success is not first time for program.

Honorable mentions
UConn: Not in power conference anymore. Last two NCAA titles were fluky. What happens when Kevin Ollie leaves?

Michigan: Could be in Top 15 in a year or two. John Beilein’s done a great job. School did renovate Crysler Arena

Florida: No Billy Donovan. Aging facility.

Tennessee: Bruce Pearl had program rolling, then ran afoul of NCAA. Rick Barnes could bring success to program with loyal fan base and a lot of money.

 

[UConnKev]

4>1

 

[James]

Last two titles were fluky? they must be trolling. cuse hasn't done ish in over a decade

 

[tcf15]

Last two titles were fluky? they must be trolling. cuse hasn't done ish in over a decade

They also think of themselves highly enough to put themselves 8th...just, no.

 

[NotADimeBack]

Lmao they would put themselves in there at #8.

Then have the nerve to call the last two titles fluky?
Coming from that overrated, envious program

 

[BUConn10]

Lots of fanbases across the country are termed "delusional" by rival fans. But I can safely say with confidence that the most delusional of all is Syracuse's. If you come across one online, you wouldn't know that this school hasn't done * for over a decade. That their coach is a who has been at that frozen tundra for almost 40 years and has gone to 5 final fours total.

Spend one minute on their board and you see that the sad reality is that the BEST thing to happen to that entire fanbase and program is UConn being left out of CR. The misery of a rival surpasses any success they've earned on their own. That's why anytime the word "uconn" is mentioned, the only reply you hear is waves of morons saying something along the lines of "hurr durr AAC no P5", since they can't talk * about stuff that actually happens on the court.

 

[4in16]

Someone's jealous, #8 hahahaha.

 

[phillionaire]

Couldn't you argue that their title was also fluky? They were only a 3 seed, which is what we were in 2011...

 

[HuskyFich]

I love the reasoning behind all of these rankings. Many of them mention the current coach as being part of the success. But when you reference the best coaching jobs in CBB, the theory would be that all HC gigs are vacant or irrelevant in the ratings, right? Thats what would make them the best jobs....

 

[4in16]

Couldn't you argue that their title was also fluky? They were only a 3 seed, which is what we were in 2011...

It's obviously fluky to win 6 games in a row against good competition on neutral courts.

 

[UConnKev]

Their 2003 team was smoked by double digits both times we played them.


If only Marcus White made that lay up...

 

[tcf15]

Syracuse after 2011: "Yeah, but what will happen once Jim Calhoun leaves?"
Syracuse after 2014: "Yeah, but what will happen once Kevin Ollie leaves?"

 

[Go_Huskies]

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=12990885

4 minutes in Dan Dakich says UCONN is not a great job and Syracuse is a much better job than UCONN but not on the level with Kentucky, UNC, Duke, etc.

Dan Dakich then says Gonazaga is a great job but UCONN is not. What?!

Oklahama State not a great job. Why? According to Dakich they are not the premier state school and they haven't won enough. What?! Isn't UCONN the premier state school and has 4 championships?

WOW! WOW! UCONN gets no respect. WOW!

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Starting the season 25-0 > winning a Nat'l title

 

[Brochacho]

2011 you can argue that UConn was the tallest midget; was a very weak field that year. But is it our fault we won it? No. If Syracuse won it all in 2011 they would love it dearly.

2014, however, was a different story. Had to beat a 10 seed, 2 seed, 3 seed, 4 seed, and a 1 seed to play the best program of all time in the title game. That 4 seed? Michigan State. I believe they were in the top 3 as far as being picked in the brackets to win it all. The 1 seed? Florida. The best team college has seen since 2009 UNC. That team should have gone undefeated. Lost on the road to Wisconsin, a Final Four team, with players injured and suspended. Their second loss was on a Shabazz Napier fluke shot. Third loss was to the eventual national champion in the Final Four.

Yeah, there was nothing weak about 2014. Syracuse can go F itself, honestly.

 

[James]

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=12990885

4 minutes in Dan Dakich says UCONN is not a great job ans Syracuse is a much better job.

WOW dakich. continuing his rep as a crazy blowhard. Uconn plays in the state that homes the best prep league in the country ( well MA, NH as well, but close drives). what does dan dakich know about whats a good coaching job, he's never had one nor has he ever been to the dance.

 

[UConn990411]

Forget leaving UConn out of the top 15 and ranking Syracuse 8. These clowns put Louisville ahead of Duke?

This winter must've left everyone in Syracuse brain dead.

 

[OkaForPrez]

2011 you can argue that UConn was the tallest midget; was a very weak field that year. But is it our fault we won it? No. If Syracuse won it all in 2011 they would love it dearly.

2014, however, was a different story. Had to beat a 10 seed, 2 seed, 3 seed, 4 seed, and a 1 seed to play the best program of all time in the title game. That 4 seed? Michigan State. I believe they were in the top 3 as far as being picked in the brackets to win it all. The 1 seed? Florida. The best team college has seen since 2009 UNC. That team should have gone undefeated. Lost on the road to Wisconsin, a Final Four team, with players injured and suspended. Their second loss was on a Shabazz Napier fluke shot. Third loss was to the eventual national champion in the Final Four.

Yeah, there was nothing weak about 2014. Syracuse can go F itself, honestly.

The National Champion was also their conference tourney champion 11 out of the last 13 years heading into the 2014 season. Uconn's tourney run went through the A10 Tourney Champ, the Big10 Tourny Champ, the Big 12 Tourney champ and the SEC Tourney champ.

Throw in a screaming hot Kentucky team and 5 of our 6 opponents were playing their best basketball of the year when we took them down. Ex-Cuses Ex-Cuses.

 

[Rico444]

2011 you can argue that UConn was the tallest midget; was a very weak field that year. But is it our fault we won it? No. If Syracuse won it all in 2011 they would love it dearly.

2014, however, was a different story. Had to beat a 10 seed, 2 seed, 3 seed, 4 seed, and a 1 seed to play the best program of all time in the title game. That 4 seed? Michigan State. I believe they were in the top 3 as far as being picked in the brackets to win it all. The 1 seed? Florida. The best team college has seen since 2009 UNC. That team should have gone undefeated. Lost on the road to Wisconsin, a Final Four team, with players injured and suspended. Their second loss was on a Shabazz Napier fluke shot. Third loss was to the eventual national champion in the Final Four.

Yeah, there was nothing weak about 2014. Syracuse can go F itself, honestly.

In 2011, Duke was probably the team everyone liked that year and they got annihilated by Arizona, the team we beat two nights later to go to the Final Four. Butler was a weak title game contender, but we were absolutely deserving of the title that year, too.

 

[tcf15]

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=12990885

4 minutes in Dan Dakich says UCONN is not a great job and Syracuse is a much better job than UCONN but not on the level with Kentucky, UNC, Duke, etc.

Dan Dakich then says Gonazaga is a great job but UCONN is not. What?!

Oklahama State not a great job. Why? According to Dakich they are not the premier state school and they haven't won enough. What?! Isn't UCONN the premier state school and has 4 championships.

WOW! WOW! UCONN gets no respect. WOW!

Oh Dan Dakich, good lord.

 

[James]

"nobody can tell me uconn is a good coaching job" - direct quote from freaking dan dakich

 

[Go_Huskies]

Another thing that is find disturbing is how dismissive Dakich was in dismissing UCONN as a great job.

Exact quote "No one is going to tell me that UCONN is a great job"

"Without question Syracuse is a much much better job than UCONN"

Really "without question"? "Much much better job"? Really?
Is he for real?

 

[Excalibur]

Note that top 4 schools have had multiple coaches win NCAA titles.


Hmm, any other school have that?

 

[djct1999]

Who really cares what Dan Dakich thinks? I sure as hell don't.

 

[Offhegoes]

I was hoping some of you would pick up Dan Dakish on Colin yesterday. I was eating breakfast and I nearly choked when I heard him. I ended up writing an email to the show because I couldn't believe how terrible that was. Here it is.

Hey Colin,

I'm a graduate student and I frequently listen to your show while doing work or studying, mostly because it's not generic like most radio shows on ESPN. I think you do a good job with your show. The reason for this email is that I listened to your show this morning and heard you discuss top college basketball jobs. You and your guest Dan Dakich mentioned how UConn is not a top college job, and referred to Indiana, Syracuse and Gonzaga as better jobs. Now, I'm okay with Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke as better jobs, but my problem is with the aforementioned schools. What is your rationale for this?

It can't be recent National Championships. (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014). Indiana? (Last was 1987). Syracuse? (2003) Gonzaga (2 elite eights in program history)

It can't be NBA draft picks (Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Caron Butler, Kemba Walker, Andre Drummond, Charlie Villanueva, Emeka Okafor, Rudy Gay...)

It can't be facilities. (New practice facility opened last year)

Furthermore, which many media outlets forget to address, is that Uconn wins without getting one and done talent. We've had one guy be a one and done (Andre Drummond), and we have 4 national championships in 16 years. That's attributed to developing kids who weren't as highly touted out of high school. We get kids and develop them on and off the floor (see Shabazz Napier). We don't rely on one and done players to win. The lack of national respect for the program is crazy.

You could argue our conference affiliation, which is based on football which is a whole other story. Even with our situation, we get by with bulking the schedule. Most are confident we will move conferences in the near future. You could also argue that Calhoun retired, but we have Kevin Ollie. The same guy who had the opportunity to coach two of the best players on the planet in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but stayed at UConn. He's also won a national championship and has done well on the recruiting trail.

Again, I like your show and will continue to listen, but I thought this needed to be addressed.

Thanks