This is part two of our three part study where we take a closer look at 50 college basketball coaches and rank them on an objective scale. See Part One of our analysis for a refresher on how the scores and rankings were calculated. Without further ado, I give you Part II: Coaches #29 - #11.

29. Dave Rose (BYU)
Average Starting Rank: 40th
Average Finishing Rank: 44th
Performance Variance: -11%
Tournament Appearances: 4
Tournament Performance: 3 First Rounds, 1 Sweet Sixteen
Recruiting: D+
Recruits: D+
Total Score: 9

Dave Rose isn’t a coach often talked about in popular culture. His success has gone relatively under the radar, even with the hype that surrounded his 2008 – 2011 teams with Jimmer Fredette. But Rose has been nothing but consistent in his ten years as the Cougars head coach, never winning less than 20 games and winning over 30 games twice. BYU has played in the Mountain West and the West Coast Conference during his tenure, two not-quite-major conferences – though really winning over 20 games for ten straight seasons is an impressive feat no matter what conference you compete in. Rose’s ranking in this analysis reflects his ability to get BYU to the Tourney on a consistent basis (4 times in the 5 seasons, and 8 times in the last 10). Fredette’s 2011 squad made the Sweet Sixteen, giving Rose the added boost in points that vaulted him into the top 30. Though his performance percentage variance is negative, you aren’t going to find many more steady coaches than Rose over the past ten years.

28. Greg McDermott (Creighton)
Average Starting Rank: 50th
Average Finishing Rank: 51st
Performance Variance: -2%
Tournament Appearances: 3
Tournament Performance: 3 Second Rounds
Recruiting: F
Recruits: F
Total Score: 9

McDermott owes his son, Dougy, for this ranking. The McBuckets family enjoyed a prosperous four years from 2011 – 2014, in which the Blue Jays won 23, 29, 28, and 27 games, respectively. McDermott’s first three years at the helm of Creighton were spent in the Missouri Valley, which hindered his tournament chances and seeds, but also helped inflate his season record. In 2014, Creighton proved to be one of the best teams in the country, earning a three seed, but actually finished at a lower ranking per KenPom than projected. Last year McDermott’s Jays struggled to a 14-19 record. McDermott has been a solid, steady coach for Creighton, but hasn’t really shown us anything special (especially if you take into account his failed tenure at Iowa State) outside of his years with his son.

27. Fran Dunphy (Temple)
Average Starting Rank: 72nd
Average Finishing Rank: 69th
Performance Variance: 5%
Tournament Appearances: 3
Tournament Performance: 1 First Round, 2 Second Rounds
Recruiting: F
Recruits: F
Total Score: 9

Fran Dunphy led a dynasty at Penn from 1989 – 2006, winning 10 Ivy League titles in 17 seasons. He inherited a slumping Temple program from John Chaney in 2006-2007, and after suffering a losing season in his inaugural year, led the Owls to six straight NCAA Tourney appearances from 2008 – 2013. 2014 was a bad year, but Dunphy severely overachieved last season when his 23-win Owls team just barely got left out of the Dance. Temple finished 54th in the country per KenPom last season after starting 110th. Though his Tourney success has been lacking the last 5 years, Dunphy has a strong performance variance percentage with little to no recruiting impact. He feels right at #27.  

26. Tom Crean (Indiana)
Average Starting Rank: 40th
Average Finishing Rank: 43rd
Performance Variance: -8%
Tournament Appearances: 3
Tournament Performance: 1 First Round, 2 Sweet Sixteens
Recruiting: B-
Recruits: B-
Total Score: 10

Crean has been the butt of countless jokes made by me over the past eight years or so, to the point where I’m almost starting to feel sorry for the guy. I mean kind of – actually not really. Jokes aside, Crean at least deserves credit for one very important accomplishment – turning the Indiana Hoosiers basketball program back into a national power. Crean took over at Indiana in 2008-2009 amidst scandals centered on Kelvin Sampson’s recruitment of stud high-schooler Eric Gordon and other “impermissible” rule violations. Indiana’s resulting three year probation slap on the wrist didn’t do wonders for its national prestige or recruitment standing, and as consequence, Crean’s teams during his first three years at the helm were a brutal mess of incompetence and little talent (Indiana’s record during these three seasons: 28-66). In 2012 and 2013, Indiana finally emerged under Crean with the recruitment of center Cody Zeller and development of Victor Oladipo. Indiana earned a 4 seed in 2012 and then a 1 seed in 2013 when it was considered one of the best teams in the country and a trendy pick to win the Championship. Alas, a fall to Syracuse in the Sweet Sixteen derailed Indiana’s run, and has been a representation of Crean’s little postseason success at this juncture in Bloomington. I don’t consider Crean a good coach; one look at his teams’ non-disciplined defense over the past two seasons will show you why. But I respect Crean for bringing back a limping program to relevance; he has proven to be a solid recruiter and apparently is well-liked by his players. He’s on the hot seat this season and I wager he won’t be around IU too much longer, but Crean will certainly be coaching at some major D1 program for many years to come.

25. Jim Larranaga (George Mason, Miami)
Average Starting Rank: 53rd  
Average Finishing Rank: 41st  
Performance Variance: 24%
Tournament Appearances: 2
Tournament Performance: 1 Second Round, 1 Sweet Sixteen
Recruiting: F
Recruits: D-
Total Score: 10

Jim Larranaga’s George Mason team made arguably the greatest Cinderella run of all time in 2006 and will forever be entrenched in college basketball lore. An 11 seed and a relatively unknown school let alone basketball program, George Mason made a seemingly impossible run, defeating four power schools in Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State, and Connecticut, before succumbing to eventual champ Florida. This was incredible, memorable, and frustrating as hell as my bracket burned in the background in the deepest pit of my hearth. Larranaga’s success at GMU (5 NCAA Tourney Appearances in 14 seasons) earned him a job at Miami where he’s led the Canes to three 20-win seasons in four years including a 2-seed in the 2013 Tourney. Larranaga’s great performance percentage variance (12th among the 50 coaches in this analysis) helps catapult him to this top 25 ranking.

24. Lon Kruger (UNLV, Oklahoma)
Average Starting Rank: 61st  
Average Finishing Rank: 48th  
Performance Variance: 20%
Tournament Appearances: 4
Tournament Performance: 3 First Rounds, 1 Sweet Sixteen
Recruiting: F
Recruits: D+
Total Score: 12

Lonny Kruger has had success everywhere he’s been, from Kansas State to Florida, to Illinois to UNLV, and currently with Oklahoma, the Silver Lake, Kansas native has amassed an impressive 566-353 record over 30 seasons (including this year), good for a 61.4% win percentage. At Oklahoma, Kruger has improved his Sooners’ record each year since he started with 15 wins in 2012. The Sooners have earned a 10, 5, and 3 seed in the Dance over the last three years, but have had relatively little success once they’ve gotten there. In fact, that’s really what’s keeping Kruger only at 24 on this list; over the last five years, Kruger has made four Tourneys and posted a 20% performance percentage variance (both strong numbers), but his teams have fallen in the first round three times. Here’s hoping this year’s apparent-juggernaut of a Sooner team makes it past the Sweet Sixteen and ends Kansas’s evil run at the top of the Big 12 conference.

23. Tony Bennett (Virginia)
Average Starting Rank: 49th
Average Finishing Rank: 36th  
Performance Variance: 26%
Tournament Appearances: 3
Tournament Performance: 1 First Round, 1 Second Round, 1 Sweet Sixteen
Recruiting: D
Recruits: D
Total Score: 12

What a job Tony Bennett has done at the helm of the Virginia basketball program. The Cavs have struggled mightily since their 1995 Elite Eight appearance, making the Dance only three times (1997, 2001, and 2007) since, before Bennett took over in 2009-2010. Bennett has improved the Cavs record in each season he’s captained the ship, winning over 30 games the last two seasons while making the Hoos one of the most feared defensive teams in the nation. Recall Bennett was also the man in charge of the two year renaissance at Washington State. The Cougars have never been relevant in basketball terms, and ole Bennett took them to two tourneys in his three years in Pullman. Bennett appears to be a great coach and has Virginia competing with the nation’s top talent once again this season.

22. Tommy Amaker (Harvard)
Average Starting Rank: 73rd  
Average Finishing Rank: 61st  
Performance Variance: 17%
Tournament Appearances: 4
Tournament Performance: 2 First Rounds, 2 Second Rounds
Recruiting: F
Recruits: F
Total Score: 12

Amaker has done an admirable job leading the Crimson since he took over the team in 2007-2008 from Frank Sullivan. Harvard has been a mini-dynasty the last four seasons, winning all Ivy League titles in that time span, going a combined 95-28 (47-9 in conference play). In addition, despite earning a 12, 14, 12, and 13 seed in those four seasons, Amaker and Harvard have made it to the Round of 32 twice, pulling upsets in both 2013 (as a 14 seed) and in 2014 (as a 12). Amaker likely coaches Harvard for many more years, and likely ends up getting considered for the Duke job whenever K retires (but he’s a long shot). After not making a single tournament during his Michigan tenure, Amaker has made a name for himself as one of the best coaches in the country.

21. Jim Boeheim (Syracuse)
Average Starting Rank: 7th  
Average Finishing Rank: 21st  
Performance Variance: -184%
Tournament Appearances: 4
Tournament Performance: 2 Second Rounds, 1 Elite Eight, 1 Final Four
Recruiting: B+
Recruits: B+
Total Score: 13

Jim Boeheim is one of the most iconic coaches in basketball history. During his 39 year run beginning in 1976, Boeheim has won 966 games, while losing only 333 (74.4%). He’s somehow found a way to consistently convince top talent to play and live in upstate New York. He’s the King of the 2-3 zone and his teams run it better than any team in the nation. Recently Boeheim came under NCAA investigation (Oh! That’s how you get top talent to come to upstate New York!), resulting in Syracuse “vacating 108 wins” (which is the absolute stupidest punishment imaginable), losing 12 scholarships over 4 years, and receiving a postseason ban last year. Boeheim has the second worst performance percentage variance amongst the 50 coaches in this study, but finishing on average 21st every year really isn’t that atrocious. Despite the scandals and the #21 ranking in this analysis, Boeheim is a legend in every since of the word and will be remembered as an all-time great.

20. Chris Mack (Xavier)
Average Starting Rank: 57th  
Average Finishing Rank: 49th  
Performance Variance: 14%
Tournament Appearances: 4
Tournament Performance: 2 First Rounds, 2 Sweet Sixteens
Recruiting: D+
Recruits: C-
Total Score: 14

Chris Mack has been an under-the-radar great coach since he came to Xavier in 2009-2010. In that time span Mack has never lost less than 17 games and has made the tournament five times (out of a possible six). Mack’s teams have made two Sweet Sixteens in the last four seasons (one as a 10 seed, one as a 6 seed), vaulting him to this #20 ranking. He consistently outperforms pre-season expectations and achieves success with a middle-tier group of recruits. Expect Mack to land a major gig in the next five years or so; he certainly deserves the recognition.

19. Dana Altman (Oregon)
Average Starting Rank: 76th   
Average Finishing Rank: 47th   
Performance Variance: 37%
Tournament Appearances: 3
Tournament Performance: 2 Second Rounds, 1 Sweet Sixteen
Recruiting: D-
Recruits: D+
Total Score: 14

Dana Altman’s top 20 ranking here is a result of his superior performance percentage variance. Altman sports the third highest PPV out of the 50 coaches in this analysis. The biggest driver of his high PPV was his 2013 Ducks team that began the year rated 91st in the country and ended the year 28th after earning a 12 seed in the tourney and making a run to the Sweet Sixteen. Altman has done a bang up job reviving the Ducks program and he has his team in a position to take the Pac-12 as a dark horse in 2016.

18. Mike Brey (Notre Dame)
Average Starting Rank: 45th   
Average Finishing Rank: 39th   
Performance Variance: 14%
Tournament Appearances: 4
Tournament Performance: 2 First Rounds, 1 Second Round, 1 Elite Eight
Recruiting: D
Recruits: D
Total Score: 14

Brey has been coaching Notre Dame since 2000-2001, which, to be honest, surprised me as I hadn’t realized how long his tenure has been. Out of those 13 years, Brey’s Irish squads have made the Dance 9 times and have never finished below .500. Before Brey – Notre Dame’s last tournament appearance was in 1990 (under Digger Phelps). Brey hasn’t exactly been a force in the recruiting department, but his teams have been consistently at the top of their respective conferences during his 13 years. What more can you really say about Mike Brey? He’s just a solid coach.

17. Mark Gottfried (NC State)
Average Starting Rank: 41st   
Average Finishing Rank: 21st   
Performance Variance: 26%
Tournament Appearances: 4
Tournament Performance: 2 First Rounds, 2 Sweet Sixteens
Recruiting: C
Recruits: B
Total Score: 15

This is the biggest surprise of my entire coaching analysis. For whatever reason (I’m not saying this is correct or right), in my head, Mark Gottfried has been one of those coaches you name when naming the most overrated / inept coaches in college basketball. Gottfried’s ranking on this list shuts me right up and has forced me to dive a little deeper into his coaching history. Gottfried coached Murray State from 1996 – 1998; in those three seasons, his Racers squads made two tournaments and won 75% of their games. Gottfried coached Alabama from 1999 – 2009; in those 11 seasons, his Crimson Tide squads made five tournaments and won 62% of their games. After taking a year and a half off, Gottfried took over at NC State in 2011-2012. He has made the tournament all four years he has coached there thus far and has won 64% of his games as the Wolf Pack captain. He has made two Sweet Sixteens in four years, including knocking off top seed Villanova last season as an 8 seed. Bottom line: Gottfried has won everywhere he has gone. Not only that, but he has out-performed preseason expectations over the past four years (8th highest PPV out of 50). So here is my official apology to Mark Gottfried: you are not an inept coach, I will begin watching you more closely starting now.

16. Steve Alford (New Mexico, UCLA)
Average Starting Rank: 33rd   
Average Finishing Rank: 26th   
Performance Variance: 20%
Tournament Appearances: 4
Tournament Performance: 1 First Round, 1 Second Round, 2 Sweet Sixteens
Recruiting: D+
Recruits: A-
Total Score: 15

Steve Alford’s New Mexico teams from 2008-2013 aren’t talked about nearly enough. In those six seasons, Alford led the Lobos to a record of 155-52 with three tournament appearances to boot (two 3 seeds and a 5 seed). This success landed Alford the illustrious position as head ball coach at UCLA, one of the most prestigious programs in college basketball history. Alford inherited a great UCLA team in 2014 thanks to evil recruiting wizard Ben Howland, taking them to a Sweet Sixteen. Then in 2015 Alford’s Bruins upset MANY college basketball hardasses (including myself) when they were granted an 11 seed in last year’s dance. Well Alford shut us all up, making a second consecutive Sweet Sixteen before losing to a very good Gonzaga squad. I believe Alford is a good basketball coach, his success at New Mexico and Iowa before that prove this point. What I’m really interested in, is how well he does with his own players at UCLA. His innate coaching ability plus the inherent prestige of UCLA (and the city of Los Angeles) make the Bruins a potential powerhouse for the next decade (again).

15. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke)
Average Starting Rank: 4th   
Average Finishing Rank: 10th  
Performance Variance: -129%
Tournament Appearances: 5
Tournament Performance: 2 First Rounds, 1 Sweet Sixteen, 1 Elite Eight, 1 Championship
Recruiting: A+
Recruits: A+
Total Score: 17

We have now arrived at the top 15, a group I consider the cream of the crop, the crème de la crème, the best of the best. Number 15 is Coach K, which may come as a surprise. The reasons for his #15 ranking are two-fold: 1) Coach K has lost TWICE in the first round of the NCAA Tourney in the last five seasons, once as a 2 seed and once as a 3 seed. Come on Coach K. 2) His PPV is poor. This is the biggest caveat of this analysis – Coach K is getting punished for his “poor” PPV, but his teams have started the season on average ranked 4th and finished ranked 10th. Taking this from a non-percentage standpoint, this isn’t bad at all; in fact, it’s probably actually impressive that Coach K has finished in the top 10 consistently over the past five years. Counterpoint: aside from maybe Kentucky, no program in the nation has as big of a recruiting advantage as Duke. The Devils consistently land a top five recruiting class suggesting that, hey, they SHOULD be a top 10 or top 5 team every year. Coach K is obviously one of the best, if not THE best college basketball coach of all-time. His ranking here reflects his past five year performance and his TWO FIRST ROUND LOSSES.

14. Thad Matta (Ohio State)
Average Starting Rank: 5th   
Average Finishing Rank: 10th  
Performance Variance: -96%
Tournament Appearances: 5
Tournament Performance: 1 First Round, 1 Second Round, 1 Sweet Sixteen, 1 Elite Eight, 1 Final Four
Recruiting: B
Recruits: B
Total Score: 17

Thad Matta has had some good teams since he took over at the Ohio State University in 2004-2005. In his 11 years the Buckeyes have earned a 1 seed twice and a 2 seed four times, and have made one Championship, two Final Fours, one Elite Eight, and two Sweet Sixteens. Matta suffers from the same PPV situation as Coach K in this analysis; over the past five seasons Ohio State has begun the season (on average) ranked 5th and finished ranked 10th. Matta’s Buckeye teams have struggled the last couple years and currently find themselves on a downward trend, finishing progressively worst each season since 2011. This season the Buckeyes looked to be a complete mess until their enormous win over Kentucky. Matta has proven he is an elite coach; including his time with Xavier and Butler, his teams have only missed two NCAA Tournaments in his 14 year coaching career. He’s already won over 300 games and could go down as one of the all-time greats when his career is all said and done.

13. Roy Williams (North Carolina)
Average Starting Rank: 12th    
Average Finishing Rank: 18th  
Performance Variance: -48%
Tournament Appearances: 5
Tournament Performance: 2 Second Rounds, 1 Sweet Sixteen, 2 Elite Eights
Recruiting: A+
Recruits: A+
Total Score: 18

Fellow 3MW writer DJ Dimes must be furious at Roy outranking his beloved Coach K. But unlike the referees of many a game held at Cameron Indoor, this analysis refuses to be biased towards the Duke Blue Devils. The difference in Roy’s and K’s rankings is Roy’s “superior” PPV. His -49% (still not very good) far surpasses K’s -129%. Like K and Duke, Roy enjoys the luxury of coaching a school with high prestige, allowing North Carolina the pick of the litter each recruiting period. Only three coaches in this analysis have A+ grades in recruits and recruiting: Coach K, Roy, and Calipari. These coaches are coaching the elite of the elite and therefore their jobs should be (theoretically) easier than your average coach at an average school. Roy almost seems complacent as of late, given the talent level of the players coming through Carolina lately compared to their recent performance (8 seed, 6 seed, 4 seed the past three seasons), but UNC has been strong in the Tourney year-after-year; in fact, UNC has NEVER lost in the first round under Roy Williams. Like Coach K, Roy is a legend and is already considered one of the best coaches of all-time; but he ain’t in the top ten of this coaching analysis.

12. Tom Izzo (Michigan State)
Average Starting Rank: 10th    
Average Finishing Rank: 16th  
Performance Variance: -71%
Tournament Appearances: 5
Tournament Performance: 1 First Round, 2 Sweet Sixteens, 1 Elite Eight, 1 Final Four
Recruiting: C+
Recruits: C+
Total Score: 18

Tom Izzo has the reputation as being one of the best postseason coaches in college basketball history. No matter Sparty’s seed, it seems like Michigan State is always succeeding in the Dance. In Izzo’s 20 seasons at Michigan State, the Spartans have made five Final Fours, finished Runner-Up once, and have won one Championship. Sparty has made it to at least the Sweet Sixteen in seven of the past eight seasons; their seeds during those eight years: 7, 4, 3, 1, 10, 5, 2, 5. Like Coach K, Matta, and Williams, Izzo’s rank is harmed by his negative PPV; but out of the four coaches, Izzo is technically working with the “least” amount of talent. Don’t get me wrong, Sparty’s players are usually inherently highly talented, but Izzo seems to get the most out of every one of his players. When a high schooler goes to Michigan State, his ability seems to improve tenfold under the watchful eye of Izzo. The coach is 60 now, meaning he may have about ten or so good years left, which is bad news for any team trying to win a Big Ten or National Championship.

11. Mick Cronin (Cincinnati)
Average Starting Rank: 46th    
Average Finishing Rank: 29th  
Performance Variance: 36%
Tournament Appearances: 5
Tournament Performance: 2 First Rounds, 2 Second Rounds, 1 Sweet Sixteen
Recruiting: D
Recruits: D
Total Score: 18

How about Mick Cronin? Number 11! Cronin is one of those coaches who is seldom talked about in the national spotlight, but continues to produce year in and year out. Among the 50 coaches in this analysis, Cronin ranked 4th in PPV. He is one of only 11 coaches to make the tournament in each of the last 5 seasons – and he’s not exactly coaching a national power. Cincinnati is a nice program, but by no means do they have the pull or prestige of a national power (ala Kentucky), evidenced by Cronin’s D grade in recruiting and recruits. Cronin started his career in 2003-2004 at Murray State, where he led the Racers to two NCAA Tourneys in three years. After a rough start at Cincy in 2007 when the Bearcats won only 11 games, Cronin gradually improved his teams’ records every year until finally breaking through in 2011 when his squad won 26 games and earned a 6 seed in the Dance. Since then, the Bearcats haven’t finished with fewer than 22 wins and haven’t missed a Dance. Cronin is one of the hottest coaches in the nation over the last five years, and at 44 could be one of the elite targets for some power programs with openings in the near future (that is if his coaching aspirations extend past Cincinnati).

Stay tuned for Ranking the Coaches: Part III 10 – 1!