john-beilein

We are about half-way through the season and, as usual, there is a lot of intrigue in the world of coaching. Bruce Pearl and Ben Howland have resurrected themselves and pushed their respective programs back into the spotlight. Mark Few continues to build a powerhouse. Penny Hardaway became the most entertaining coach in college basketball. There is Tony Bennett, who has turned Virginia into the NCIS of college basketball: it may be boring, it may be predictable, but people can’t stop watching. Bill Self has managed to piece together a contender despite Kansas’s clear lack of cohesion. Not to mention, there is the bizarre storyline of Self and Lagerald Vick who appear to have a tumultuous relationship that can only be rivaled by that of Cardi B and Offset. Down in Tallahassee, another of our favorite March Madness personalities, Leonard Hamilton, has Florida State poised for another tourney run… But can he beat last year’s painfully awkward post game interview? Only time will tell!

Overall, there are many storylines to follow. But now that New Year’s has passed, it’s time to take a closer look at this year’s coaching hierarchy. Let’s take a big picture view of the best-of-the-best and evaluate this season’s crop of Coach of The Year candidates:

Steve Alford – UCLA

… Too soon??

Mike Krzyzewski – Duke

If you’re going to have a ranking of Coach of the Year candidates, I suppose you have to include the coach of the best overall team. But, let’s be real, if you have the top 3 recruits in the nation coming to play for you alongside other previously heralded recruits, shouldn’t you be the best team in the nation?

John Beilein – Michigan

Beilein might just be the best overall coach in the country. Beilein is the ideal prototype of a college coach. He is a players coach, always beloved by his team. Yet, he also fits your grandfather’s view of coaching by “doing things the right way” and being a molder of men. He can win with offense or defense. He can be successful with four-year players or one-and-dones. He has shown that he can adapt to different styles of play and manage all types of personality. No matter what your criterion is for a great coach, Beilein will check all of the boxes.

The Wolverines were projected to be a Top 10 team prior to this season, but there is no question Michigan has even exceeded those lofty expectations. It is rare that a team that reaches the national championship game can actually become better the next season, but that is the case with this year’s Michigan squad. Beilein has done a phenomenal job developing players and drastically improving the team’s defense. Furthermore, he has been the beneficiary of substantial growth from Charles Matthews and the surprising play of Ignas Brazdeikis.

Despite his stellar coaching job, the fact that the team was already held in such high regard likely will preclude him from obtaining coach of the year.

Bob Richey – Furman

Without question, the Furman Paladins have been the biggest surprise so far this year in college basketball. In his second full season as coach, Bob Richey pulled off what seemed like the impossible by slaying Loyola-Chicago (fresh off of their final four run last season) and #8 Villanova all within the first month of the season. Today, these victories feel less impressive as we now know that both teams are nowhere near as good as they were last year.

Still, for Furman, these Ws were monumental and even resulted in the squad being briefly ranked in the Top 25, a feat no one could have anticipated in October. The team currently sits at 14-2 after recent losses to LSU and East Tennessee State. Heading into conference play, Furman won’t have another opportunity to snag another signature win until the NCAA Tournament, so his odds for getting coach of the year are slim.

Nonetheless, Richey has made Furman relevant and has everyone around the country googling what “Paladins” are… And, for that reason alone, he is worthy of being on the short list. (oh and I’ll save you a trip to Wikipedia, Paladins were the warriors of Charlemagne’s court).

Chris Mullin – St. John’s