15 College Basketball Coaches Who Are Great in Press Conferences

During college basketball games, coaches are at the mercy of their players. But behind the microphone, it's all on them.

Win or lose, coaches have to face the media after every game and oftentimes beforehand, too, if it's a big enough contest. The question-and-answer sessions provide reporters with insight into what just happened (or what will happen), spun in whatever way the coach ends up weaving.

The best coaches can work a press conference like it's breaking a 2-3 zone, dodging the tough questions and getting out there the information they want publicized. It's a tricky game, but those who do it well do it really well.

Here's a look at 15 current Division I men's basketball coaches who know how to get the job done when the cameras and tape recorders are on.

Jim Boeheim, Syracuse

Since 1976, Jim Boeheim has been at the helm of Syracuse, winning 948 games and a national title. And throughout that lengthy tenure, he's had firm control on how his press conferences go based on his use of the "woe is me" approach to describing games and responding to questions.

Boeheim has never had a losing record, but you'd never know that from listening to him grouse during media sessions. Though it seems like he doesn't want to be there, the 69-year-old knows exactly what he's doing, and he's not afraid to confront a reporter if he thinks a question is out of line.

His attacks on local media are well-chronicled, but of late, he's also tossed verbal barbs at national writers, such as in 2013 when he took offense to CBS Sports' Gregg Doyel asking him about retirement during the Final Four.

The rants and gripes aside, Boeheim is still a master of the press conference. More often than not, he gets out the information he wants and avoids the topics he considers touchy or unimportant.

John Calipari, Kentucky

Despite just getting named to the list of the "25 Biggest Sleazebags in Sports" by GQ, one place the John Calipari has never struggled to to be considered a winner is at the podium.

Even as far back as at Massachusetts, when he got that program on the map, through his long run at Memphis and now atop the Kentucky basketball mountain, Calipari has always been able to hold court at the press conference.

His blend of matter-of-fact answering, play-to-the-crowd humor and fondness for anecdotes enables him to engage with any audience. He says things that the media want to write about, and he knows it.

The clip above is from when he was introduced at Kentucky in 2009 and shows how he can turn a simple question about his knowledge of the team he's inheriting into a way of endearing Big Blue Nation to him even more than they were.

Tom Crean, Indiana

Tom Crean's tenure at Indiana hasn't gone as smoothly as projected when he came from Marquette in 2008 to try and resurrect a program that had fallen on hard times. But that hasn't prevented Crean from being regarded as very upfront and open when talking to the media, admitting to mistakes committed by himself and his players while also empathizing with the Hoosier fanbase.

In July, during a press conference to discuss Indiana's offseason work as well as how the Hoosiers will bounce back from missing the postseason in 2013-14, he told reporters "I would have booed me too," according to Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star.

Being able to handle the adversity has been a notable trait of Crean when holding press conferences, something he had to deal with a lot this past season. Rather than hide from tough questions, he'd often take them on straight ahead and give an answer that was both explanatory and meant to offer some hope for times to come.

Billy Donovan, Florida

Despite heading into his 19th season at Florida, Billy Donovan still seems like one of the younger coaches in college basketball because of his youthful demeanor and exuberance. Yet when he's involved in a press conference, Donovan often speaks like he's much older than 49 with the way he weaves tales and expounds on the topics asked of him.

Donovan speaks so eloquently and purposefully, it's like he's giving a fireside chat. He has the entire audience engaged in whatever he's talking about, not just because of the subject but the way he presents the information. Many of his media skills were learned from his coaching mentor, Rick Pitino, though, he's developed his own style that's more anecdotal.

The past four seasons have seen Florida make deep runs in the NCAA tournament, which has given us even more opportunities for Donovan to speak on a national stage. His tourney press conferences are some of the best examples of his ability to engage and inform.

Tom Izzo, Michigan State

Throughout his career at Michigan State, Tom Izzo has been a fiery little spark plug of emotion who can get as hot and worked up as any other coach. And while he's gotten heated at times with the media, it's rarely been in a mean-spirited manner or in a way that makes you think he's not willing to share his thoughts.

Izzo, who has run the Spartans program since 1995, has always maintained a sort of open-door policy with reporters, whether it be on campus or before and after games during the season. He doesn't tend to dodge questions, nor is he unwilling to get his feelings about certain topics out there when he feels it's important.

An example, as noted by Paul M. Banks of ChicagoNow.com, came in January when Izzo told reporters how difficult it is to motivate players nowadays because of their soft upbringing, saying "we're in the trophy generation, give them a trophy for 23rd place, make 'em feel good."

Mike Krzyzewski, Duke

The winningest coach in Division I history, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski has been around a long time. And most of it has been at the top, as coach of the country's most successful program.

With all that success comes a lot of media attention—and we're not just talking about how seemingly every Blue Devils game is played on ESPN, regardless of the quality of the early nonconference opponent—and that means Krzyzewski is constantly being asked questions and attending press conferences.

Yet through 40 years as a head coach, you can probably count on one hand how many times the 67-year-old Krzyzewski has looked uncomfortable or disinterested in talking to the media. It's not that he loves it, but rather, he understands its place in the game and importance and therefore makes the most of it.

Like his older contemporaries, he's great at telling stories and tapping into his vast library of knowledge and experience, yet he's still able to relate to modern times and adapt his answers and approach to the current media world. It's why he's still able to get the best players each year, and it's why he continues to be a much-coveted interview.

Steve Lavin, St. John's

Like many college coaches who have been fired from a major Division I job, Steve Lavin took his basketball knowledge and expertise to TV. And it's because of how well Lavin fared as a studio analyst and courtside color man that he's been so good with the media since returning to the sidelines at St. John's.

Lavin spent most of the time between getting canned at UCLA in 2003 and hired by the Red Storm in 2010 working for ABC and ESPN, becoming a very engaging talking head with good analysis and a great TV presence. That's carried over to his press conferences, which ooze of media savvy and well-crafted answers that give reporters what they're looking for without making Lavin or his program look too bad.

We're not advocating for coaches to get themselves fired, but Lavin's career arc has shown that coaches who intend to get back into the game after losing a high-profile job would benefit from spending a little time working on the other side of the media session table.

Phil Martelli, St. Joseph's

Phil Martelli is heading into his 20th year at St. Joseph's, a middle-tier program in Philadelphia that tends to get noticed every few years when Martelli's Hawks put together a good season and make a run in the NCAA tournament. But Martelli has maintained his status as a media darling regardless of his team's record because of his self-deprecating demeanor when talking to the media.

In 2004, St. Joseph's reached the Elite Eight behind future NBA players Jameer Nelson and Delonte West, a team that started the season 27-0. Throughout the Hawks' run as an undefeated team, and then in the NCAA tourney, Martelli was as open as any coach when it came to the struggles he and his team faced with the added attention, not feeling like it was unnecessary.

Martelli has found numerous ways to engage with the media over the years, most recently with how he was so open about reporters wanting to know about his relationship with his grandson, Phillip.

The miniature version of Martelli would mimic his grandfather's actions on the court, even try to dress like him, and when Phillip Martelli spoke at a press conference the adoration seen on the elder Martelli's face was similar to how he's loved being a coach and talking about it for the past two decades.

Tim Miles, Nebraska

Tim Miles has made the slow and steady climb up the coaching ranks, starting at small colleges in the upper Midwest before moving into Division I and eventually ending up as the man asked to try and turn Nebraska into a basketball school.

Last season, he managed to do that, but it wasn't just by coaching the Cornhuskers into their first NCAA tournament in 16 years, but also how he's brought attention to the program through his relationship with the media.

And not just the standard media, but also social media and YouTube. His first Big Ten Conference press conference in October 2012 involved him telling reporters to make make more coffee so they can stay awake as he talks and then taking a photo of the press throng and tweeting it out to his followers, according to Nicole Auerbach of USA Today.

Miles has accomplished a lot on the court in his first two seasons at Nebraska, but he's also gotten people to notice a previously ignored program thanks to his way of engaging the media and making his press conference's must-attend sessions.

Sean Miller, Arizona

Sean Miller wasn't the first choice to take over the Arizona program that Lute Olson turned into a national power, as the Xavier coach was tabbed after then-USC coach Tim Floyd turned down the job in 2009. Not only did that scenario work out amazingly for the Wildcats on the court, the local media got themselves a subject just as engaging as Olson.

Miller has a level of intensity during his press conferences that shows both his competitiveness and his passion, both of which were on full display in March 2013 after a Pac-12 tournament game that Arizona lost to UCLA. In explaining why he was assessed a critical technical foul late in the game, Miller went on a YouTube-worthy rant that was emotional but not mean-spirited.

In repeating "he touched the ball" over and over again (see above clip), Miller had the media in rapt attention as he described how one statement by him affected so much and how both apologetic and upset he was at the situation. It was later reported that Miller was allegedly the target of the conference's head referee.

Bruce Pearl, Auburn

Bruce Pearl has seemingly been in the media spotlight forever, even before he led Wisconsin-Milwaukee to a Cinderella NCAA tournament run in 2005 that landed him the Tennessee job. As a key principal in reporting an alleged recruiting scandal at Illinois in the 1980s, Pearl has managed to draw attention everywhere he's gone.

Pearl ran afoul of the NCAA himself while at Tennessee, resulting in his dismissal in 2011 and getting hit with a three-year show-cause penalty for recruiting violations. Now back in the game at Auburn, Pearl is once again in the bright lights of coaching, which means he'll not only get another chance to show how well he can work on the court but how well he handles a press conference.

Pearl might have the look of a slick car salesman, but he knows how to work a room with his handling of tough questions and throwing out little jabs and jokes. He's very engaging, which is the most important thing for a coach to do when dealing with the media, something the Auburn faithful saw in full form during his introductory press conference (see above).

Rick Pitino, Louisville

It would be easy to say that Rick Pitino's demeanor at press conferences is standoffish, but that wouldn't tell the whole story. While the longtime college and pro basketball coach has had run-ins with individual reporters and balked at certain questions, his pointed way of responding to queries is more meant to ensure his point is well-received.

If Pitino disagrees with an assessment that's lobbed at him, he'll swat it away without giving it a second thought. Though very wise with how to handle the media, he's never been one to pander and give the stock answers. Coachspeak is kept to a minimum, as he is more interested in getting into philosophies and real-life applications than just straight-up X's and O's.

His handling of all things related to the horrific Kevin Ware injury during the 2013 NCAA tournament exemplifies Pitino's media approach. Emotion and concern for Ware was present in every response he made, and while he probably would have preferred to avoid talking about the injury, Pitino instead answered every question and did so without any reluctance.

Bo Ryan, Wisconsin

Bo Ryan has worked his way up the coaching ranks over the past 40-plus years, with nearly all of that occurring within the state of Wisconsin. During that long tenure, he's become well-versed in how to handle the local media, a relationship that has been both hot and cold over the years, while he's developed more of a wise-old-sage demeanor on the national stage.

When Ryan got Wisconsin into the Final Four this past year, the recent passing of his father was a big topic, and the coach's emotions tied to this loss made for great TV and copy. Though a personal issue, Ryan wasn't shy about discussing his relationship with the man that was both his biggest critic and biggest fan.

Ryan has had run-ins with the media, such as when he was met with criticism for how he handled the transfer of player Jared Uthoff in 2012, but the hardworking coach just let that roll off his shoulders as he continued to preach his approach to the game. Still gruff at times in press conferences, Ryan maintains an overall strong relationship with the media.

Bill Self, Kansas

Few coaches have been more dominant and successful at one job than how Bill Self has been at Kansas. Since coming to the school in 2003 (after short stops at three other stepping-stone schools), Self has won an NCAA title and essentially dominated the Big 12 Conference with 10 consecutive regular-season conference titles.

Such success has brought with it plenty of high expectations, as well as constant media attention that often leads to seeking out the tiniest issues to turn into big deals. But Self sometimes beats the media to this game, pointing out deficiencies with the Jayhawks before they can be brought up by others.

A great example was in February 2013, when after an embarrassing loss at TCU, he called his unit "the worst team Kansas has ever put on the floor." By offering up such a statement, he took advantage of the media's love of sound bites to get out a message that he wasn't happy with Kansas' lackluster play, and it served as a motivation for his team to improve and win another conference title.

Jay Wright, Villanova

Jay Wright hasn't been invited several times to serve as a studio analyst on CBS during the NCAA tournament just because he looks good in a suit and because his Villanova team was no longer in the field (though each was a fact). It's also because Wright has become one of the most media-savvy coaches in the game, something that's enabled him to handle the tough Philadelphia media with aplomb.

Wright is very smooth behind a microphone, handling both the tough questions and the softballs with the same approach. He engages the questioner, giving them an answer that's meant for them but can be used by anyone.

Like many other coaches, Wright knows that press conferences can often be almost as important as the games they're attached to. Understanding this, he's put just as much effort into winning those events as the ones with balls and baskets.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.