The 25 best coaches in college basketball

Weber might not be the sexiest name on this list, but he's worthy of being here. He's won more than 460 games with Southern Illinois, Illinois and Kansas State. He might have had Bill Self's players when he took the 37-2 Illini to a national runner-up finish in 2005, but there was still coaching to be done. At K-State, Weber is aiming for a third straight season of at least 25 wins.

The son of Valparaiso coaching legend Homer Drew and brother of Valpo NCAA Tournament hero Bryce Drew, Scott has certainly forged his own path with the Bears. Since taking over a program in disarray in 2003, Drew has brought integrity to Baylor basketball while winning more than 320 games and guiding the program to four Sweet 16 appearances and two Elite Eights.

Things have not been easy on and off the court of late for Miller, but he's still one of the finest coaches in the game. Prior to last season's 17-15 disappointment, Miller's Wildcats won at least 23 games in eight consecutive seasons — four of them with 30 or more. Arizona is back among the nation's elite in 2019-20 thanks to a strong recruiting class, proving that the program can't be kept down long.

One of the best players in women's college basketball also has blossomed into one the game'e elite coaches at the moment. Staley began her coaching career at Temple, but it's with the Gamecocks where she's made a name. Staley, who has won more than 450 games overall, has led South Carolina to two Final Fours and a national championship in 2017.

Arguably the current "it" coach in college basketball, Holtmann continues to win and raise his stock. Between Gardner-Webb, Butler and Ohio State, Holtmann's teams have won at least 20 games in six straight seasons. Led by talented big man Kaleb Wesson and a stellar freshman group, Holtmann's 2019-20 Buckeyes could be in the mix for the Big Ten title.

A coaching disciple of Bruce Weber and former player of Gene Keady, Painter has done a solid job taking over for his former coach. He'll top the 350-career win mark this season, and his last four Boilermaker teams won at least 26 games. Did we mention he's a four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year winner and has taken Purdue to three regular-season league crowns?

One of the more unheralded coaches in the game, Barnes will top the 700 career wins mark this season. He's taken four different schools (Clemson, Providence, Texas and Tennessee) to the NCAA Tournament, with his Longhorns reaching the Final Four in 2003. Tennessee lost some hefty talent from last season's 31-win club, but Barnes has the Vols undefeated and ranked through their first four games of 2019-20.

Among the all-time winningest college coaches regardless of gender, Stringer is one of six women to win more than 1,000 games, and she is the first African-American coach to win 1,000 college contests. The Hall of Famer was also the first women's coach to lead three different schools to the Final Four: Cheyney, Iowa and Rutgers. 

"Huggy Bear" is one of nine coaches to record at least 800 victories on the Division I level. He began his coaching career in 1980 and has taken three different schools to the NCAA Tournament and two to the Final Four (Cincinnati in 1992 and West Virginia 2010). While some feel Huggins can be standoffish, especially with the media, he tends to get the most out of his players, especially when it comes to playing great defense.

Quietly, Altman has gone about his business as one of the top college coaches in the country. After making a name for himself with 11 straight 20-win seasons at Creighton, Altman took over the Oregon program in 2010-11. His Ducks have won at least 21 games each season and over the last four reached the Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four.

There might not be a coach with more buzz surrounding one's self than Mack. After maintaining the excellence of Xavier basketball, Mack has revitalized a Louisville program that was a complete mess thanks to former coach Rick Pitino. Following a 20-win campaign in 2018-19, Mack's Cardinals are a Final Four favorite this season — and potentially beyond. 

Some might think Self is too low on this list. Perhaps. But the reality is for all the elite talent he's brought to Lawrence, the Jayhawks have just three Final Four appearances (2008, 2012 and 2018) and one national championship (2008) during this tenure. With some potential NCAA sanctions facing the Kansas program, Self and his 680-plus victories, should be doing better.

While Self could potentially be at a crossroads, the best coach in the Big 12 might reside in Lubbock, Texas. Beard began his coaching career at McMurry University of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) and then over to Division II Angelo State, before leading Arkansas-Little Rock to the NCAA Tournament in 2016. At Texas Tech, Beard has taken the Red Raiders to the Elite Eight and national final in each of the last two seasons.

While Few is still trying to claim that elusive national championship for perhaps the greatest mid-major program in college basketball history, he continues to pile up the victories. Since taking over at Gonzaga in 1999-2000, he's totaled more than 570 wins and the program has reached the NCAA Tournament every season. The Zags finally reached the Final Four and national title game in 2017, falling short to North Carolina.

A two-time national champion with the Irish, McGraw has won more than 900 games, ranking seventh overall among women's coaches. The feisty McGraw, who took over the Notre Dame program in 1987, has led the Irish to nine Final Fours and seven title-game appearances, including in each of the last two seasons. The Hall of Famer is also a four-time Associated Press Coach of the Year.

Wright is as solid as they come, and through all the success he's achieved at Villanova, he remains humble and grateful for the opportunity. The two-time national champion coach, who has won more than 570 games, managed to get the Wildcats into the Round of the 32 at last season's NCAA Tournament despite losing a ton from his national championship team of the year before.

With more than 1,060 career victories, VanDerveer is second only to the legendary Pat Summitt on the all-time women's coaching wins list. VanDerveer, who has been at Stanford since 1985, is a two-time national champion and took the Cardinal to the Final Four 12 times — most recently in 2017. One of 10 Division I coaches — male of female — to win 1,000 games, VanDerveer also coached the U.S. women to gold at the 1996 Olympics. 

Since the beginning of the 2013-14 season and through Nov. 24, 2019, Bennett's Cavaliers are 184-36. Thanks to a smothering defensive approach, Bennett's teams have posted at least 30 wins in four of the last six seasons. His best coaching job, no doubt, came last season when he guided the Cavaliers to the school's first national title one year after they were stunned by No. 16 seed UMBC in the first round.

In her 20th season at Baylor, Mulkey has won more than 575 games and three national titles and never endured a losing campaign. In fact, only two of Mulkey's teams during her tenure have had double-digit losses. Always animated and well-dressed on the sideline, Mulkey is aiming for a 10th consecutive season with at least 30 victories while trying to guide the Bears to back-to-back national championships. Mulkey is the first woman to win a national title as a player, assistant coach and head coach.

Only that guy in Durham has more NCAA Division I men's coaching wins than Boeheim's 950 (as of Nov. 26, 2019). Though Boeheim has had his issues and seen some victories vacated over the years, his longevity at one school (started at Syracuse in 1976) is quite remarkable. However, the fact he's won just one national title (2003) keeps him from being even higher on this list. 

It's quite possible Williams reaches the 900-win mark during this, his 32nd, season. He's the only coach to say he's guided two different programs to at least four Final Four appearance. (Williams' teams have made nine total.) All three of his national championships have come at North Carolina, most recently in 2017, but he's coached in six finals.   

Say what you will about how Calipari gets players to come to his schools and what's happened in the past, but the guy can still coach. He's not shy about what he's trying to do for a player and his future in basketball. Calipari has taken Massachusetts, Memphis and Kentucky to the Final Four, though the first two had those trips vacated by the NCAA. He still has his 2012 national title with the Wildcats and more than 700 victories to boast.

It's still somewhat stunning that in 25 years of coaching at Michigan State, Izzo still only has the one national title (2000). Now he has a team this season that many believe will add No. 2 to his resume, which regardless of the lack of titles, is still quite impressive. Izzo has won more than 600 games, been to eight Final Fours and won a combined 15 Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles.

The most celebrated women's coach in the game, Auriemma is behind only Pat Summitt and Tara VanDerveer in career victories with more than 1,060. His Huskies have won a record 11 national championships and been to the Final Four 20 times, including in each of the last 12 seasons. Though UConn has not won a title since claiming four straight from 2013-16, the program still remains the gold standard in women's basketball.

There's no doubt that "Coach K" tops our list. Only the great John Wooden has more NCAA Tournament national championships than Krzyzewski's five, and nobody has more overall victories (1,138 as of Nov. 24, 2019) than the Duke boss. Krzyzewski's 12 Final Four appearances are also tied for the most in NCAA history. The Hall of Famer, who played under Bobby Knight at Army, also won gold at the last three Olympics as coach of Team USA.