What do you know? NCAA is in the news for something far removed from the sport it is famous for. AP reports that NCAA has removed a Focus on the Family banner ad from one of its web sites.
First it was the Tebow ad if you remember it; now a second one – withdrawn because it didn’t agree with NCAA’s principles and values. With that out of the way, NCAA, and we along with it, can get into its prime business: sport.
Before we get into serious discussion about the game this season, we need to stand up and salute the greats of the game – the coaches whose names are painted on stadiums and engraved in basketball lovers’ hearts.
1. Bob Knight: With his score of 902, he is the knight in the brightest shining armor. “The General” made 661 of his 902 wins, and all three national titles during his legendary, if controversial (who isn’t?) stint at Indiana. This season his “whistle” will blow from behind a microphone- he’s an analyst for ESPN.
2. Dean Smithe is your Tar Heels guy with 879 career victories. North Carolina’s campus arena (Smith Center) is named in his honor. He mentored UNC coach Roy Williams and Larry Brown of the Charlotte Bobcats.
3. Adolph Rupp: Before he was retired because of Kentucky University’s retirement policy (won’t happen today), he won 876 games and four national titles for the Wildcats between ’30 and ’72.
4. Mike Krzyzewski: Coach K as he is known had Bob Knight as Guru. He is going strong with 833 to his credit and if he’s around for four more years, he may exceed Bob’s wins. Duke Blue Devils!
5. Jim Phelan is our Mount St. Mary man with 830 wins over 49 seasons. You may argue most of his wins came from Division II, but he spent more than 10 years in Division I and the NCAA official record book counts the wins in Division I.
6. Jim Calhoun: This Jim is active with 805. A man from MA high school leagues, he built Northeastern and went off the radar to rural Connecticut. And you know what happened to the Huskies.
7. Eddie Sutton with 804 went from school to school and was headcoach at ’Frisco. His run-ins with NCAA while he was on watch at UofK are well publicized.
8. Jim Boeheim: What is it with “Jim” and coaches? You say Syracuse basketball and you say Jim Boeheim. His teams have won in every one of his 31 seasons! Reaching post-season every year except ’93, he has 799 wins.
9. Lefty Driesell, 786 is best known for his job at Maryland. He had to leave the Terrapins in disgrace after the death of Len Bias. He did well later at James Madison and Georgia Southern. Retired in January, 2003 at age 71.
10. Lute Olson, and who made the Arizona Wildcats a presence for 25 years in NCAAand champions in 1977? He retired with 780 in 2008 after suffering a stroke but he will be missed.
11. Lou Henson: This 780-wins coach worked for his alma mater New Mexico two times. He left NM to coach Illini through 21 seasons, retired in 1996. When New Mexico State coach Neil McCarthy resigned, Henson returned as interim coach for Aggies, at a salary of $1 a month! He held that “interim” job till 2004, when ill-health forced him to leave the team. He retired in 2005.
For a new look on March Madness, check out classof1.com
