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I never even raised this issue in the past because I thought this was an easy choice. Has to be Big John Thompson, right?

But I am looking at Al McGuire's run from from 1968-1977, that's absurd.

I just broke down teams involvement in the polls, and from there I will now rank as I see the top coaches from Big East programs. I think Thompson still takes it though

1. John Thompson, Georgetown, 1973-1999

1 National Championship
3 Final Fours
7 Elite 8
8 Sweet 16

Georgetown was ranked as high as 16 in every season from 1978-1996 (19 years)
In that 19 year stretch, Georgetown was ranked in the top 10 thirteen times, and in the top 5 five times.



2. Al McGuire, Marquette 1965-1977

1 National Championship
2 final Fours
4 Elite 8
8 Sweet 16s

From 1968-1977: 12 year period
Ranked in the top 15 every year, and the top 10 all but one year
Ranked in the top 5 in eight consecutive seasons



3. Jay Wright, Villanova 2002-Present

1 National Championship
2 Final Fours
3 Elite 8
5 Sweet 16's

Has had ranked teams in 9 of the past 12 seasons, with five of those teams being in the top 3 in the polls at some point, and two others also in the top 10


4. Dave Gavitt, Providence, 1970-1979

1 Final Four
1 Elite 8
2 Sweet 16s

Had a top 15 team in 7 of his 10 years



5. Louie, St. John's, 1966-1970; 1974-1992

1 Final Four
3 Elite 8
6 Sweet 16

Surprised by the lack of tournament runs, but spent most of his career with top 20 teams, many of which were top 10 teams.


6. Rey Meyer, DePaul, 1943-1984

2 Final Fours
3 Elite 8
8 Sweet 16 (many of these were first round games)
Good NIT success back when that tournament mattered

In 6 of his last 7 years they were ranked in the top 6 or better, with most of those years being in the 1-3 range.

The longevity here is crazy. And the respect for the program is very high. Tourney results were not all that spectacular though.



6. Rollie, Villanova 1974-1992

1 National Championship
1 Final 4
5 Elite 8



8. PJ, 1983-1994

1 National Championship* (we all know that wasn't a foul)
1 Final 4
2 Elite
8
3 Sweet 16

12 years, the second half was great. Always wondered why PJ didn't consider coming back to NJ. He wasn't that old and Kevin Willard and Bobby Gonzalez were making more money than he was. Usually you can't return back home and have it be the same, but PJ was that rare exception where I would have liked to see them try



9. Brad, Butler 2008-2013

2 Final Fours

Ranked in the top 15 pretty much every year. Took over for Lickliter and took the program to the next level.


10. Joseph Mullaney, Providence 1958-1969

1 Elite 8, but a bunch of NIT Glory with a couple of wins and trips to the finals (back when the NIT mattered)


11. JT3, Goergetown, 2006-Present

1 Final Four
2 Sweet 16

Ranked in the top 10 every year from 2007-2013. I know, early exits, lost to Shaka Smart and Steph Curry. But still...



Also receiving consideration:

Rick Pitino, Providence
Tom Crean, Marquette
Jack Kraft, Villanova
Al Severance, Villanova
Joe Lapchic, St. John's
Oliver Purnell, DePaul
Frank McGuire, St. John's
Todd Lickliter, Butler
Tony Hinkle, Butler (just for the name)
Jay Meyer, DePaul

Couldn't even think of someone to consider for Xavier. Seems like their history has been have a guy for half a decade, be a ranked team that makes the dance, but never a protected seed and then make a Cinderella run to the sweet 16. Of course I think Chris Mack is the guy who changes that and makes Xavier a destination job.

Wow. nice list- seriously of some great coaches- mostly from the old days. This seems more like ESPN talking and wishing for the " old Big East" . Time to move on.

You had me...

NovaBall wrote:Also receiving consideration:

Oliver Purnell, DePaul

...and then you lost me.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Creighton's Coach Arthur A (Schabie) Schabinger - 1922-35.

Creighton’s winningest men’s basketball coach for
75 years, Arthur A. Schabinger directed Creighton to a
165-66 record as coach of the Bluejays from 1922-35.
Eleven of his 13 teams finished first or second in the
league, including eight teams that won or tied for
the title. Won at a 71.42% clip. Won 4 NCC and 4 MVC championships.
Only 1 season under 500 at CU.
Naismith Basketball HOF (1961), Nat'l Collegiate Basketball HOF (2006), State of Kansas Sports HOF (1963), Helms Foundation HOF
Founding member NABC, 1936 Olympics trainer, Introduced video (film) training to Basketball, other.

http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/ ... schabinger

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_ ... ll_of_Fame

http://kshof.org/inductees/inductees-a- ... rthur.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Schabinger

Great list.
Really noticeable that the coaches in the upper list pretty much stayed put at our respective schools.

Massimino went to UNLV (weird circumstances), and Mullaney went to the Lakers and elsewhere before returning to PC. Otherwise, our schools were historically destination jobs, which is what we may have once again... which is why the 10 of us together are in outstanding shape.

I wouldn't say any of Xavier's sweet 16s recently were Cinderella runs. 6 Seed twice, 4 seed, 10 seed, and 3 seed since 2008 but I understand what you are saying

NovaBall wrote:Couldn't even think of someone to consider for Xavier. Seems like their history has been have a guy for half a decade, be a ranked team that makes the dance, but never a protected seed and then make a Cinderella run to the sweet 16. Of course I think Chris Mack is the guy who changes that and makes Xavier a destination job.

Sean Miller and Chris Mack have been our best coaches. Other guys were building great things, but they are the best. Pete Gillen was a great coach and winningest in program history, but he never got past the sweet sixteen, only did it once, and I think he plateaued at a consistent tournament coach, which obviously is good, but not as good as what Miller and Mack have done for us. I'd put either over quite a few honorable mentions. John Thompson clearly the best though.

Joe Mullaney is the coach who basically turned a team from a 1,000 student men's only CYO type school into a Top 3-5 national program for the late 50's into the 60's and continuing on into the 70"s. The dude invented the matchup zone that is used so widely today. Wilt Chamberlain said he is the only coach that ever taught him anything in his autobiography. From a pure coaching perspective (X's and O's) there were not many that were better.

He recruited Lenny Wilkens, John Thompson, Johnny Egan, Mike Riordan, and Jimmy Walker to PC and John Thompson said in his obituary that you had listen to the man that taught Bob Cousy how to be so tricky. If you have ever heard Thompson talk about Joe Mullaney he would laugh at all of us having him #1 on this list over Joe.

Not trying to say this list isn't just fine just trying to give you a little perspective on the man.

FriarJ wrote:Joe Mullaney is the coach who basically turned a team from a 1,000 student men's only CYO type school into a Top 3-5 national program for the late 50's into the 60's and continuing on into the 70"s. The dude invented the matchup zone that is used so widely today. Wilt Chamberlain said he is the only coach that ever taught him anything in his autobiography. From a pure coaching perspective (X's and O's) there were not many that were better.

He recruited Lenny Wilkens, John Thompson, Johnny Egan, Mike Riordan, and Jimmy Walker to PC and John Thompson said in his obituary that you had listen to the man that taught Bob Cousy how to be so tricky. If you have ever heard Thompson talk about Joe Mullaney he would laugh at all of us having him #1 on this list over Joe.

Not trying to say this list isn't just fine just trying to give you a little perspective on the man.

Nice post.
For those that don't know, as FriarJ pointed out about Cousy... Mullaney was a junior at Holy Cross when Bob Cousy was a freshman young buck.