Best College Basketball Coaches

Throughout the history of college basketball, there have been iconic coaches who have built legendary programs. Coaches who put schools like UCLA, Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina, where they’re revered as icons.

Here’s a list of the best college basketball coaches in history. Read below to read the accomplishments of the ten greatest college basketball coaches ever.

10 Jim Boeheim-Syracuse

• Years Coached: 1976 to 2023
• Record: 1,015-441
• Championships: 1(2003)

If you ask any basketball fan their list of the best college basketball coaches, Jim Boeheim always makes the list. The recently retired Syracuse legend is the embodiment of a great college basketball coach.

In forty-seven years as head coach, Boeheim made the University of Syracuse one of the most iconic college basketball programs. In Jim’s six decades as Syracuse’s head coach, he led the team to thirty-four NCAA tournament appearances. 

In those thirty-four appearances, he led Syracuse to 10 Big East titles, five Final Four appearances, and one national title. Boeheim ended his illustrious career in 2023 with 1,015 wins, second all-time behind Coach K.

9 Rick Pitino-Kentucky, Louisville, Iona, St. John

• Years Coached: 1978 to Present
• Record: 834-293
• 2 Championship(2013 title with Louisville was vacated)

Rick Pitino is easily one of the best college basketball coaches ever who is still coaching. The long-time college and NBA coach first made a name for himself as the head coach of Kentucky(1989 to 1997).

The 1995-1996 champion Kentucky Wildcats are considered one of the best college teams ever. After coaching the Boston Celtics, Pitino returned to college basketball to coach at Louisville. 

Rick had his longest tenure at Louisville, leading his team to the 2013 NCAA title. At 72, Pitino is still coaching and currently has 834 career wins. 

This year, Coach Pitino is coaching at St. John University after spending three seasons at Iona University.

8 Tom Izzo- Michigan State

• Years Coached: 1995 to Present
• Record: 680-271
• 1 Championship in 2000

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is another one of the best college basketball coaches who is still coaching. Coach Izzo took over as the Spartans’ head coach in 1995 and turned them into a powerhouse.

The longest-tenured Big-Ten coach is known for his stingy defenses and pressure style of play. In Izzo’s thirty years as the coach of MSU, his teams have won sixteen conference titles and one national title.

This also includes four national Coach of the Year awards and induction into the National Basketball Hall of Fame. Tom Izzo is unquestionably a legend and looks to continue his success at Michigan State.

7 Jim Calhoun-UConn

• Years Coached: 1986 to 2012
• Record: 877-382
• 3 Championships(1999, 2004, 2011)

Next up on the list of the best college basketball coaches ever is UConn legend Jim Calhoun. From 1986 to 2012, Calhoun was one of the best coaches in the game.

Coach Calhoun’s teams were constantly hunting for national titles for those twenty-six years. In those twenty-six seasons, Calhoun’s teams won seventeen conference championships and three national titles.

He is one of only six coaches in the history of college basketball to win at least three national titles. Jim’s 877 career wins places him tenth all-time among college coaches.

6 Adolph Rupp- Kentucky

• Years Coached: 1930 to 1972
• Record: 867-190
• 4 Championships(1948, 1949, 1951, 1958)

Of all the best college basketball coaches, Adolph Rupp was the first all-time great. Coach Rupp was not only one of the greatest coaches but also an innovator who changed the game.

In his forty-one years as a head coach, Rupp made the Kentucky Wildcats an iconic college basketball program. The Baron of the Blue Grass won four national titles and twenty-seven conference championships.

Today, the University of Kentucky continues to pay homage to Rupp by having its basketball stadium named after him.

5 Roy Williams- North Carolina, Kansas

• Years Coached: 1988 to 2021
• Record: 903-264
• 3 Championships(2005, 2009, 2017)

Roy William is easily one of the best college basketball coaches ever. After working under the legend Dean Smith at North Carolina, Williams went to Kansas and built a great program.

In his fifteen years at KU, Coach Roy led the Jayhawks to numerous playoff appearances and a .805 winning percentage.

Williams then added to his illustrious legacy by returning to North Carolina to take over as the head coach. He spent seventeen years as the Tar Heels head coach, during which time he revived the legendary program.

At North Carolina, Williams won three national titles and nine ACC conference championships.

4 Dean Smith- North Carolina

• Years Coached: 1961 to 1997
• Record: 879-254
• 2 Championships(1982, 1993)

In the eyes of many, there was no better college basketball coach than the great Dean Smith. For thirty-five years, Coach Smith built one of the most outstanding programs in basketball history.

The Tar Heel legend coached numerous hall-of-famers during his five decades of coaching. This includes the GOAT Michael Jordan, who helped Smith win his first NCAA title in 1982.

In 1997, Smith ended his coaching career with 879 wins and eleven Final Four apperances. Dean Smith is reverred by all for his contributions to the game of basketball.

3 Bob Knight- Indiana, Texas Tech

• Years Coached: 1971-2008
• Record: 899-374
• 3 Championships(1976, 1981, 1987)

Bob Knight was a lightning rod for controversy but was also one of the best college basketball coaches ever. The Indiana legend helped put the Hoosiers on the map as an excellent program for almost thirty years.

Coach Knight is most known for leading the 1976 championship team to a perfect season. A feat that has only been achieved eight times in the histroy of the game.

In thirty-seven seasons as a head coach, Bob Knight won 899 games, three national titles, and five Final Four appearances.

2 Mike Krzyzewski- Duke

• Years Coached: 1980 to 2022
• Record: 1,202-368
• 5 Championships(1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015)

No one will argue that Mike Kryzyzewski is one of the greatest basketball coaches ever. Coach K took over as Duke’s head coach in his early 30s and built the program into a juggernaut.

Not only did Coach K build great teams, but he also changed the entire culture at Duke University. In his forty-one years as head coach, he coached numerous legends of the game.

Mike Krzyzewski ended his illustrious coaching career in 2022 with five national titles and 1,202 career wins.

1 John Wooden- UCLA

• Years Coached: 1948 to 1975
• Record: 664-162
• 10 Championships(1964-1965, 1967-1973, 1975)

On the list of the best college basketball coaches, there’s John Wooden and everyone else below him. The UCLA icon is unquestionably the greatest ever, and it’s undebatable.

No other coach in history has been or will ever be as successful as Coach Wooden. His career stats are mind-blowing.

Six straight NCAA national titles and ten altogether. No other coach has come close to the success that John Wooden achieved.