NCAA Tournament 2011: Ranking the Top 6 Sweet 16 Coaches
Vince Lombardi once said: "If winning isn't everything, why do they keep the score?"
That very quote depicts the essence of March Madness. Every second of every game played contains a deep intrinsic meaning for athletes, particularly seniors. Every game could very well be their last time competitively dribbling a basketball.
Every second matters.
With winning comes fame, glory, respect, honor and a significant financial contribution to their respective schools.
With losing comes the very idea that this might not ever happen again. The dream is over. Four years of an illustrious collegiate basketball career could come down to the final seconds of a Sweet 16 game. It could come down to a key play, a missed rebound or a significant turnover which changed the tempo of the game. All the pressure is placed on these young athletes who spent an entire season in the weight room, executing practice drills and going to class.
It could all end in a second.
Coaches are there to mentor and give direction. They are the ones who scouted these players, they are the ones who draw up the plays and ultimately, they are the ones held accountable for losses, not the players.
This list takes a look at the top six remaining coaches in the Sweet 16 and analyzes the significant positive impact each coach has had not only on the team, but the respective program.
No. 6: Thad Matta, Ohio State Buckeyes
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Thad Matta has never won fewer than 20 games as a collegiate basketball head coach. His resume speaks for itself. After leading the Butler Bulldogs to a school record 24 wins, he then went on to lead the Xavier Musketeers to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances along with an appearance in the Elite Eight.
Matta moved on to lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to the 2007 National Championship final, where they lost to the Florida Gators. He has been there before, and with a 290-87 career head coaching record, it is safe to say that Matta knows how to win.
The time is now.
The Buckeyes are ranked first in the nation, and expectations have never been higher. He has been there before and lost, so he will not want a repeat of the 2007 championship final. The spotlight is on Matta and the rest of the Buckeyes, and this is the time to shine. Matta has been an instrumental factor in the development of star freshman forward Jared Sullinger. Sullinger and Matta have already proven to be the best in the Big Ten, and now is their time to prove that they are the best team in college basketball.
No. 5: Bill Self, Kansas Jayhawks
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Bill Self has been here before and coached his team to victory. The 2008 Kansas Jayhawks won the national title, and Self will want another taste of victory. His Jayhawks have won the Big 12 Championship since 2005, he has a 443-150 all-time coaching record and was the AP Coach of the Year in 2004.
He implemented the "Hi-Lo motion offense," which has allowed the forwards to flourish in favorable one-on-one matchups in the paint.
The Kansas Jayhawks, who hold a 34-2 record this season, find themselves in an excellent position to repeat their 2008 campaign, which saw Self lead them to victory when it mattered. Can Self do it again?
No. 4: Jim Calhoun, Connecticut Huskies
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Calhoun has coached the Connecticut Huskies for a quarter of a century. He has led them to two national championships, seven Big East tournament championships and nine Big East regular season championships. Already inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, Calhoun is a legend to the basketball world.
Calhoun has seen his fair share of controversy this season when the NCAA determined that he illegally recruited shooting guard Nate Miles. He will be suspended for three games next season, but that has had no direct impact on this season.
The 27-9 UConn Huskies have flourished as of late with point guard Kemba Walker's hot hand and remarkable 23.4 PPG this season. Calhoun will need Walker to step up if he intends on lifting a third national championship.
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No. 3: Roy Williams, University of North Carolina
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Roy Williams has done it all.
He has won two national championships, has made it to the Final Four multiple times and continues to build winning teams. As recently as 2009, Williams coached the Tar Heels to the National Championship.
This season is a bit different. The Tar Heels have yet to hit their stride, and this was exemplified in the 17-point defeat against rival Duke in the ACC championship game. Yet, this is Roy Williams after all. He has lost a lot of talent to the NBA over the years, but is still in the Sweet 16 with only two seniors on the roster.
The Tar Heels have a chance to win it all, especially with their prolific offense and rebounding, which is ranked first in the nation. Williams' transition offense has worked in the past, but will the inexperience and recent loss to Duke tarnish any hope of winning a national title?
With Roy Williams, anything is possible.
No. 2: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Blue Devils
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What else is there left to do?
Coach K has done it all. Four national championships, 11 regional championships, 13 ACC tournament championships, 12 ACC regular season championships and a gold medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
He is a legend to the game of basketball.
His Blue Devils have had an impressive season with a record of 32-4, an ACC tournament championship and an astonishing average of 81.1 points per game. This could very well be another year in which Duke runs the table and wins it all.
However, the Blue Devils, the team everyone loves to hate, has some significant issues they will need to address in this upcoming Sweet 16 matchup. Forward Kyle Singler is in the midst of a shooting slump, and if Duke wants to win, he will need to shoot better.
Yet with Coach K's transcendent resume, one could make the argument that even on Singler's poorest shooting nights, Coach K has what it takes to get his guys to play and ultimately win, as he has proven in the past.
No. 1: Brad Stevens, Butler Bulldogs
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The magician.
Stevens does not have a resume that compares to anyone on this list. He's only 34 years old and coaches a team from the Horizon League. Not the SEC, ACC, Pac-10, Big Ten, Big 12 or Big East, but the Horizon League.
Stevens has never won AP Coach of the Year and doesn't have the best-ranked recruiting classes. His team doesn't stand out in any particular category, ranking 71st in points per game, 177th in rebounds per game, 190th in assists per game and and 112th in field-goal percentage this season.
He never raises his voice at the players. He never panics. He rarely gets upset, and as a matter of fact, he rarely shows any emotion. Yet his players believe in him.
He finds a way to win, especially in the clutch. The Bulldogs came up just short last year in a close game that saw them narrowly defeated 61-59 by Coach K and the Blue Devils in the finals. Stevens is capable of constructing a different ending this time around.
With a 114-24 career coaching record, Stevens knows how to get the job done. Last year everyone called Butler the Cinderella team. This year, it is no fluke. Stevens is back at it, and make no mistake about it, his team believes it can win.
Whether it's a foul with two seconds left and 85 feet away from the basket, or a put-back with almost no time left, Butler continuously finds itself in situations where it is able to win. Stevens has the players, who follow his calm cool and collective demeanor, believing in him and the Butler program.
Don't be so surprised to see Butler take it all this year, the magician is capable of anything.
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