March 11, 2003
By Mike Douchant
Coaches Rick Barnes and Kelvin Sampson of highly-ranked Texas and
Oklahoma, respectively, have career losing records in the NCAA Tournament.
But they can take some solace in what legendary John Wooden endured before
the Hall of Famer won 10 NCAA championships.
Wooden established his amazing record after a shaky start, losing his
first five NCAA playoff games with UCLA from 1950-56 by an average of 11.4
points. Wooden didn't participate in his first of 12 Final Fours until his
14th season with the Bruins (fourth-place finish in 1962).
"When I look back at the early years when we got in the tournament and
lost early, I realize I didn't handle it well," Wooden said. "We should have
done better. When we got in tournament play in my early years, I overworked
them mentally and emotionally. I forgot what got us there. I always wanted to
add something else, and I tried to teach something new in a hurry. I think
subconsciously I wanted to win so much that I hurt ourselves in doing that. I
think I learned a lot as I got more tournament experience."
It's debatable whether there is any substitute for consistent season-long
excellence, but a key criteria employed in evaluating coaches is how their
teams perform in postseason competition. Following are the career NCAA
playoff records of the 37 active coaches this season with at least 10 games
in the Division I Tournament through 2002 and their highlights or lowlights
(FF denotes Final Four appearances):
Rank Coach, Current School Yrs. W-L Pct. FF.
1. Tom Izzo, Michigan State 5 16-4 .800 3
Comment: Fourth-best winning percentage in NCAA playoff history (minimum of
10 decisions) behind Cincinnati's Ed Jucker (11-1, .917), La Salle's Ken
Loeffler (9-1, .900) and San Francisco's Phil Woolpert (13-2, .867). First
two defeats were against ACC Final Four teams (North Carolina in 1998 and
Duke in 1999).
2. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke 18 58-15 .796 9
Comment: Won all 11 NCAA playoff games against Big East and Big Ten teams
from 1990 through 1994. He was the only coach to appear in as many as seven
regional finals without a defeat until bowing to Kentucky in 1998. Coach K
assembled an incredible streak of playoff victories over storied programs in
a three-year span from 1990 through 1992 (St. John's, UCLA, Kansas, Kentucky,
Indiana and Michigan). He won his first 26 East Regional games until bowing
to Florida in 2000. Reached a regional final 10 times in the last 15 seasons
he coached the Blue Devils. He won nine of the 10 finals. Prevailed in his
last six national semifinal contests. Record five straight No. 1 seeds.
3. Rick Pitino, Louisville 8 26-7 .788 4
Comment: Three of his victories came against former Final Four coaches--
UAB's Gene Bartow (with Memphis State and UCLA), Georgetown's John Thompson
and Johnny Orr (with Michigan). He has a chance to become the first coach to
guide three different schools to the Final Four after directing Providence
and Kentucky to the Promised Land.
4. Steve Fisher, San Diego State 8 20-7 .741 3
Comment: Reached championship game three times in first five years with
Michigan. Won his first 12 NCAA playoff contests decided by fewer than six
points or in overtime. Hasn't won since 1994 after briefly moving ahead of
former Cincinnati coach Ed Jucker for all-time best record (minimum of 10
decisions) with Michigan. Jucker was 11-1 (.917).
5. Tubby Smith, Kentucky 9 20-8 .714 1
Comment: Only coach to take three consecutive teams to the Sweet 16 although
they were each seeded sixth or worse (Tulsa in 1994 and 1995 before Georgia
in 1996). In 1998, he became the only coach to win an NCAA title only two
years after his predecessor (Rick Pitino) achieved the feat.
6. Bill Self, Illinois 4 9-4 .692 0
Comment: First coach to reach a regional final in back-to-back years with
different schools--Tulsa (2000) and the Illini (2001). One of only four
coaches to guide a team to a #1 seed in his first year at the helm.
7. Roy Williams, Kansas 13 29-13 .690 3
Comment: His first four defeats were against schools that won a national
title at some point in their histories--UCLA, Duke, Texas-El Paso and North
Carolina. The Jayhawks failed to reach the regional final as a No. 1 seed
four times from 1992 through 1998; that's as many as all the other top seeds
combined. Williams has never lost a first-round game, but didn't reach a
regional semifinal for three consecutive years from 1998 through 2000. His
three Final Four setback were against three different ACC schools.
8. John Calipari, Memphis 5 11-5 .688 1
Comment: Eliminated the first four times with Massachusetts by an average of
11.8 points although the Minutemen were close to home in the East Regional in
three of those tourneys.
9. Gary Williams, Maryland 12 23-11 .676 2
Comment: He is the only individual to win games while coaching schools from
the three conferences with the best winning percentages in NCAA Tournament
competition reflecting actual membership--ACC, Big East and Big Ten. He is
the only coach to win games with as many as three different schools even when
they were seeded ninth or worse. Incurred Maryland's first opening-round
defeat in history in 1996. Williams lost his first six regional semifinal
contests until defeating crosstown rival Georgetown in the 2001 West Regional.
10. Jim Calhoun, Connecticut 15 29-14 .674 1
Comment: Winningest Big East coach in playoff competition in the 1990s with
l999 title climaxing eight Sweet 16 appearances in the decade, including six
in a row. He won first-round games in back-to-back tourneys with Northeastern
(1981 and 1982).
11. Billy Donovan, Florida 5 8-4 .667 1
Comment: The leading scorer (20.6 points per game) for Providence's 1987
Final Four team is among only six men to both play and coach in the Final
Four.
12. Bob Knight, Texas Tech 25 42-22 .656 5
Comment: Compiled a sterling 7-2 Final Four career mark, including three
victories in as many championship games with Indiana. He absorbed seven
first-round defeats since 1986, including three in a row from 1995 through
1997. Big East Conference opponents handed him three of his last five playoff
setbacks with IU, which were by an average of 16.2 points.
13. Steve Lavin, UCLA 6 11-6 .647 0
Comment: Three consecutive victories over Iowa State, Miami (Fla.) and
Michigan were by a total of seven points. The Bruins were either a #5 or #6
seed three straight years from 1998 through 2000.
14. Rick Majerus, Utah 10 17-10 .630 1
Comment: Won his first eight opening-round games with the Utes until bowing
to Indiana in 2002. His first four playoff defeats with them were by an
average of 21 points. Eliminated by championship game-bound Kentucky three
consecutive years from 1996 through 1998. His second-round defeat against #10
Miami (Ohio) in 1999 was his first setback against a worse-seeded opponent.
15. Lute Olson, Arizona 23 39-23 .629 5
Comment: Only coach to go winless at the Final Four among the first 25 to
reach the national semifinals at least three times until winning the 1997
championship. Won five consecutive contests against #1 seeds until bowing to
Duke in 2001 final. Despite playing in natural region (West) most of the
time, the Wildcats incurred five first-round defeats before reaching the 1994
Final Four. Eleven of his setbacks were to teams seeded fifth or worse. Only
coach to participate in the NCAA playoffs every year since the field expanded
to at least 64 teams in 1985.
16. Jim O'Brien, Ohio State 7 11-7 .611 1
Comment: Three of his first four playoff victories with Boston College were
as #9 and #11 seeds against legends Dean Smith (North Carolina) and Bob
Knight (Indiana/twice). O'Brien is the only active coach to win more than 60
percent of his NCAA playoff games (more than 10 decisions) despite having a
losing career record in conference competition.
17. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse 21 32-21 .604 2
Comment: No more than one playoff victory any year in his first eight
appearances although those teams all finished the season with more than 20
triumphs. His six defeats from 1987 through 1992 were by an average of just
four points before bowing in overtime in 1994. Three consecutive setbacks
were in overtime (1993 through 1995). He won 10 of his first 13 contests as a
#4 seed until bowing to 2000 champion-to-be Michigan State.
18. Bob Huggins, Cincinnati 12 18-12 .600 1
Comment: First two defeats were against Michigan (70-64 with Akron in 1986
and 76-72 with the Bearcats in 1992) before overtime loss against North
Carolina in 1993. Failed to reached regional semifinals four straight years
from 1997 through 2000. Sustained eight defeats against worst-seeded
opponents.
19. Mike Montgomery, Stanford 10 14-10 .583 1
Comment: In 1989, he guided the Cardinal to its first NCAA Tournament
appearance in 47 years. He didn't earn an NCAA playoff victory in his first
16 years as a head coach. Won opening-round game each of eight straight
seasons through 2002.
20. Eddie Sutton, Oklahoma State 23 32-23 .582 2
Comment: The only coach in the 20th Century to guide four different colleges
to the playoffs has a winning tourney record with each school (Creighton,
Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State) and directed all of them to a regional
semifinal. His first four defeats from 1974-79 were by an average of only 3.5
points in games his teams outshot their opponents from the floor but lost
despite hitting 57.4 percent of their field-goal attempts overall. He won his
first eight first-round games with the Cowboys until bowing to Southern
California in 2001. Sutton has the most NCAA playoff victories of any coach
who has never reached the championship game.
21. John Chaney, Temple 17 23-17 .575 0
Comment: First 10 defeats were against teams combining to average almost 29
victories in those seasons. Eliminated in the opening round four times in the
previous decade--St. John's (1990), Michigan (1992), Cincinnati (1995) and
West Virginia (1998). The only year in the previous 18 seasons that he didn't
direct the Owls to the NCAA playoffs was 1989. Participating in more
tournament games than any coach without reaching the Final Four, he is 5-0
regional semifinal outings and 0-5 in regional finals.
22. Dave Odom, South Carolina 8 10-8 .556 0
Comment: Eliminated in the opening round just once with Wake Forest (1992)
until the Demon Deacons were embarrassed by Butler in 2001. His first four
defeats were by an average of 19 points. Settled for participation in the NIT
three consecutive years from 1998 through 2000.
T23. Jim Harrick, Georgia 16 18-15 .545 1
Comment: Five NCAA Tournament defeats from 1983 through 1990 were against ACC
schools (three while coaching Pepperdine). First-round setbacks in 1991 (Penn
State) and 1994 (Tulsa) while coaching UCLA were against schools that had
gone winless in the NCAA playoffs since 1955. Including Rhode Island, he is
one of three coaches in NCAA history to direct four different universities to
the NCAA playoffs.
T23. Jeff Jones, American University 5 6-5 .545 0
Comment: An NIT title in 1992, the only year in his first five at the
Cavaliers' helm that he didn't participate in the NCAA playoffs, enabled him
to become the only person to win NIT crowns as a player (Virginia, 1980) and
a coach. His first four NCAA Tournament defeats were by an average of 12.5
points.
25. Gene Keady, Purdue 17 18-17 .514 0
Comment: Two tourney opening-round road games in a three-year span--at
Memphis State in 1984 and LSU in 1986--didn't help his playoff record. None
of his victories were against a team with a better seed until 1999.
T26. Ben Braun, California 6 6-6 .500 0
Comment: Reached regional semifinals with Eastern Michigan (1991) and Cal
(1997). Defeated Duke's Mike Krzyzewski in first round with EMU (1996).
T26. Hugh Durham, Jacksonville 8 8-8 .500 2
Comment: Hasn't won an NCAA playoff game since 1985. Lost last four NCAA
tourney contests with Georgia through 1991 although two of them were in
overtime.
28. Lou Henson, New Mexico State 19 19-20 .487 2
Comment: Nine NCAA playoff defeats with Illinois from 1981 through 1990 were
by an average of 3.2 points. He has only one playoff victory (1993) since
guiding the Illini to the 1989 Final Four. Henson was eliminated three
consecutive years by champion-to-be UCLA from 1968 through 1970 in his first
stint with the Aggies.
29. Pete Gillen, Virginia 9 8-9 .471 0
Comment: Incurred first-round defeats with Xavier against eventual national
champions in back-to-back years (Kansas '88 and Michigan '89). Lost in
overtime with Providence to eventual champion Arizona in 1997 Southeast
Regional final. Winless in postseason in his first four seasons with the
Cavaliers.
30. Cliff Ellis, Auburn 7 6-7 .462 0
Comment: Eliminated with Clemson in back-to-back years by #1 seeds Arizona
(1989) and Connecticut (1990). He's never reached a regional final.
T31. Mike Jarvis, St. John's 9 7-9 .438 0
Comment: First four playoff defeats with Boston University and George
Washington were against #1 and #2 seeds, including future Big East Conference
foe Connecticut twice. He never had a team seeded better than #9 with BU and
GWU before earning a #2 seed in his first appearance with the Red Storm in
1999.
T31. Kelvin Sampson, Oklahoma 9 7-9 .438 1
Comment: Lost only playoff game with Washington State and first four with the
Sooners. First three defeats with OU were by an average of almost 14 points.
Eliminated three consecutive years by Big Ten Conference opponents from 1998
through 2000 before getting upset by #13 seed Indiana State in 2001 South
Regional. Another Big Ten team, Indiana, upset OU in the 2002 national
semifinals.
33. Pat Kennedy, Montana 8 6-8 .429 0
Comment: Lost his first two NCAA playoff games while coaching Iona by one
point each (1984 against Virginia and 1985 against Loyola of Chicago) before
moving to Florida State. He reached the regional semifinals in back-to-back
years with the Seminoles (1992 and 1993) before failing to appear in the
tourney his last four seasons with them. Dropped his only NCAA playoff
decision with DePaul in 2000.
34. Dave Bliss, Baylor 11 8-11 .421 0
Comment: Lost by one point while coaching SMU against eventual champion
Georgetown (39-38 in 1984), but most of his other defeats with the Mustangs
and New Mexico were by double-digit margins. He has never reached a regional
semifinal.
T35. Rick Barnes, Texas 10 5-10 .333 0
Comment: Joined Tom Penders as the only two coaches to take three different
schools to the NCAA playoffs by their second season with each of the
institutions. Barnes, who previously took Providence and Clemson to the
tourney, is the only coach other than George Raveling to register losing
playoff records with three schools. He lost all three playoff contests with
PC before dropping his first outing with Clemson.
T35. Don DeVoe, Navy 10 5-10 .333 0
Comment: Setback in 1994 with Navy against top seed Missouri was nothing new.
He bowed to a No. 1 seed three consecutive years from 1981 through 1983 while
coaching Tennessee, with two of the defeats coming against Virginia. Compiled
a 1-1 playoff record five straight years from 1979 through 1983.
37. Charlie Spoonhour, UNLV 8 3-8 .273 0
Comment: He never reached a regional semifinal with Southwest Missouri State
and Saint Louis before joining the Rebels.
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