March Madness 2011 Bracket: The Top 10 Active College Basketball Coaches

The NCAA tournament is finally here, and so are the top 10 active college basketball coaches.

It shouldn't be a surprise that the top active coaches have their programs in the big dance.

Coaches are what make college basketball, while players usually make the NBA, with an exception of a select few NBA coaches.

Most would agree that players can get you through the first weekend of the tournament. However, the teams that continue to advance are usually the schools with the better coaching.

With that being said, let's go through the top 10 active college basketball coaches.

10. Brad Stevens, Butler

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INDIANAPOLIS - APRIL 05: Head coach Brad Stevens of the Butler Bulldogs looks on in the first half while taking on the Duke Blue Devils during the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 5, 2010 in I

Four years ago, Brad Stevens was the second-youngest active coach in Division I basketball. 

Before last season's heroic run to the national championship game, most would probably say, "Who the heck is Brad Stevens?"

Well, he happens to be a great up-and-coming coach with a combined record of 112-24 through his first four seasons.

9. John Calipari, Kentucky

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ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 13: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats coaches against the Florida Gators during the championship game of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Georgia Dome on March 13, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Co

John Calipari is known to be one hell of a recruiter. However, he can never get his one-and-dones to stick around.

Due to not having players who stay for more than a year, Calipari is constantly in the news for violating NCAA rules, as he has to continue to replace his star players.

The biggest reason why he is so low on this list is the fact that he has never won a championship.

8. Billy Donovan, Florida

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ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 13: Head coach Billy Donovan of the Florida Gators coaches against the Kentucky Wildcats during the championship game of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Georgia Dome on March 13, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Co

Billy Donovan once again has coached his team to an NCAA tournament appearance.

The 2011 bid gives Donovan his 11th bid since his coaching tenure at Florida began in 1996.

Along with being a solid recruiter, he led the Gators to consecutive NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007.

During the 2006-2007 season he became the winningest basketball coach in Florida history.

7. Bill Self, Kansas

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 12: Head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks looks on against the Texas Longhorns during the 2011 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament championship game at Sprint Center on March 12, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. (P

Bill Self has been around the block more than a few times. 

At Oral Roberts, Tulsa, Illinois and now Kansas, Self is a proven winner who has never left a program with an under .500 record.

He led the charge in 2007 as Kansas defeated Memphis in an overtime thriller for the national championship

6. Rick Pitino, Louisville

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NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 11: head coach Rick Pitino of the Louisville Cardinals looks on from the bench during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the semifinals of the 2011 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament presented by American Eagle O

Rick Pitino is one of the best in the business. He is so good he even decided to challenge himself from 1997-2001 and coach the Boston Celtics of the NBA.

Though he did not have success in the "league," he has had quite the turnout in the college ranks.

He is the only coach in NCAA history to lead three different programs to a Final Four appearance.

With one national championship at Kentucky in 1997, he is constantly in the hunt for another championship.

5. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse

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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 26: Head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange reacts to a call during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas on February 26, 2011 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC The Orange 58-51. (Photo by Mitchell

Jim Boeheim has held only one head coaching gig in the college ranks. He is now in his 35th season at Syracuse.

His career record is 855-300, giving him a .740 winning percentage, and he is a Hall of Fame inductee.

In 2003, he and Carmelo Anthony led the Orange to a national championship, establishing Boeheim's greatness even more.

4. Jim Calhoun, Connecticut

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NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 12: Head coach Jim Calhoun of the Connecticut Huskies looks on from the bench late in the game against the Louisville Cardinals during the championship of the 2011 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament presented by American Eagle Outfi

Coaching the Connecticut Huskies since 1986, Jim Calhoun has coached the program to two national titles.

His Huskies have won a record seven Big East tournament championships as well.

Despite a few recruiting violations the past few years, he has been known as one of the game's elite.

3. Tom Izzo, Michigan State

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 11: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts against the Purdue Boilermakers during the quarterfinals of the 2011 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse on March 11, 2011 in Indianapolis, India

Heading into his 16th season, Tom Izzo has six Final Four appearances in 15 seasons—an incredible number for such a short amount of time.

The only issue with Izzo is the fact he has led his program, Michigan State, to only one national championship.

With so many Final Four appearances, some would say he should have at least three titles.

2. Roy Williams, North Carolina

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GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 13: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels calls a play during the first half of the game against the Duke Blue Devils in the championship game of the 2011 ACC men's basketball tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum

Two national championships, seven Final Four appearances and a career winning percentage of .798 give Roy Williams the No. 2 spot on this list.

With inductions into the Basketball Hall of Fame and College Basketball Hall of Fame, Williams locked up the No. 2 spot.

1. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke

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GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 13: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils reacts during the second half in the championship game of the 2011 ACC men's basketball tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 13, 2011 in Greensboro, North Carolina. D

The second-winningest coach in NCAA Division I men's history with 898 victories, Mike Krzyzewski is hands down the No. 1 active coach.

With 11 Final Four appearances and eight national title games, he has led Duke to four national championships and 13 ACC tournament titles.

If he can lead Duke to at least four victories over the next few weeks, he will tie his mentor and longtime friend Bob Knight for the most wins in Division I history.