March Madness 2011 Power Rankings: The Head Coaches of the Elite Eight

In the NCAA tournament, it all comes down to coaching. With the field down to just eight teams, all of these coaches are what we call "elite."

Players can make huge impacts, but it's the coaches that put them there. These tournament games are huge chess matches for coaches, and the best team will always come out on top.

There are tons of factors that go into being a good head coach.

How does he coach the game? How many players does he use in the rotation? Is he a "player's coach" or just hard-nosed?

How well does he recruit? Do his players graduate? How many games does his team win every year? Finally, how do his teams perform in the Big Dance?

All of those attributes come into making a great head coach.

So who is the best coach of the eight remaining? Which coach has boosted his stock while others have done what expected?

Here are your rankings for the Elite Eight coaches.

8. Shaka Smart

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SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 25: Head coach Shaka Smart of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams looks on during the southwest regional of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament against the Florida State Seminoles at the Alamodome on March 25, 2011 in San Antonio

Shaka Smart, along with Brad Stevens, are the next "big things" in college basketball.

In just his second year as head coach, Shaka Smart has his VCU Rams in the Elite Eight. Smart was previously an assistant at Florida under Billy Donovan.

The Rams have a high-shooting offense. Besides the Florida State game, VCU was routinely crushing teams that came in their way this tournament.

Whether it happens this year or next, count on Shaka Smart being the head coach at a big-time school.

7. Brad Stevens

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 24: head coach Brad Stevens of the Butler Bulldogs yells to his players during their game against the Wisconsin Badgers in the Southeast regional of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at New Orleans Arena on March 24, 2011

Brad Stevens is without a doubt one of the most promising up-and-coming coaches in college basketball.

He has had outstanding success in his four years at Butler, winning over 100 games already.

During Stevens' first year as head coach at Butler, he became the youngest head coach in NCAA history to win 30 games. Just two years later, Stevens would break the record for most wins in a coach's first three years.

Also in Stevens' third year at Butler, he guided the team all the way to the national title game. The team nearly took down Duke on a last second halfcourt shot.

This season has shown more success for the Butler Bulldogs.

In what was expected to be a "down year" after losing lottery pick Gordon Hayward, Butler has picked up where they left off. The Bulldogs have won 26 games, and tied for first in the Horizon League Conference.

Butler has already won two games they weren't supposed to this tournament, taking down Wisconsin and Pittsburgh.

Don't expect Stevens to stay at Butler too long, though—somebody has to snatch this guy up eventually.

6. Sean Miller

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TULSA, OK - MARCH 18: Head coach Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats yells from the sidelines during the second round game against the Memphis Tigers in the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at BOK Center on March 18, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo

In just his second year at Arizona, Sean Miller has the Wildcats back in the national scene.

It took one transition season of going 16-15 to translate over to the 30-win season 'Zona is currently enjoying.

Sean Miller came over from Xavier University, where he had the Musketeers in the NCAA Tournament year after year. Now at Arizona, Miller has his chance to become one of the best coaches in the game.

Miller has guided Arizona to tournament wins over Texas and Duke; two very prestigious programs.

Now that the Wildcats are in the Elite Eight, Arizona is definitely back to prominence. Even former head coach Lute Olson was at the game versus Duke to watch Arizona.

Anticipate Sean Miller building 'Zona back into a national power, especially with the recruiting class he has coming in next season.

5. Billy Donovan

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TAMPA, FL - MARCH 19: Head coach Billy Donovan of the Florida Gators coaches against the UCLA Bruins during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at St. Pete Times Forum on March 19, 2011 in Tampa, Florida. Florida won 73-65. (Phot

Billy Donovan, or Billy D, is in his 15th season at Florida. The 45-year-old head coach has accomplished more in his short career than many do in their lifetime.

Donovan has won three SEC tournament titles (all in a row from '05-'07), four regular-season SEC titles, and won SEC Coach of the Year this season.

When it comes to the postseason, Donovan knows what he's doing. His Gators won back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007. The teams had future pros like Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer.

The Gators this year are almost as balanced as Florida's title teams in '06 and '07. They have a great mixture of guards to go along with bigs, with Chandler Parson being right in between everyone.

Be scared of the Gators from here on out—Billy Donovan knows how to coach the big games.

4. John Calipari

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TAMPA, FL - MARCH 19: head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats gestures as he looks on against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at St. Pete Times Forum on March 19, 2011 in Tampa,

John Calipari has had a long, accomplished career in coaching. From stints with UMass, the New Jersey Nets, Memphis and now Kentucky, Calipari has been all over the place.

He has sent tons of players to the NBA, but it has all come with a price. Calipari is the only coach to ever have Final Four appearances vacated at two different schools because of NCAA violations.

This season, Calipari reloaded on his next round of "one-and-done" players.

The Wildcats have been led by Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones, and they will continue to do so. Knight hit the game-winning shot to take down Ohio State last night, shining in the big moment.

Calipari's teams are capable of a Final Four berth every season, this year being no different.

3. Bill Self

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 12: Markieff Morris #21 and head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks celebrate with the Big 12 championship trophy after defeating the Texas Longhorns 85-73 in the 2011 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament championshi

Even though he has several major accomplishments, Bill Self is one of the most underrated coaches in college basketball.

Self is in his eighth year at the University of Kansas, and has won seven Big 12 regular-season titles.

An interesting fact on Bill Self is that in the last 13 years of coaching, his teams have won 11 conference titles.

After going to several Elite Eights, Self was able to get the Roy Williams "monkey" off his back by going to the Final Four in 2008.

The Jayhawks made a memorable run that year, destroying Tyler Hansbrough and UNC in the semifinals then taking down Derrick Rose and Memphis in the finals.

Bill Self's teams are about as solid of a regular season team as there is. If Self really wants to elevate his name to the next level, more Final Four trips have to be in store.

2. Jim Calhoun

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WASHINGTON - MARCH 19: Head coach Jim Calhoun of the Connecticut Huskies gives instructions during their game against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Verizon Center on March 19, 2011 in Washi

Jim Calhoun is one of the older and more distinguished coaches in college basketball.

His UConn squads have been tearing up the Big East for years, and this season is no different.

Calhoun has been at Connecticut for 25 years now. In those 25 seasons, he has won seven Big East tournaments, nine Big East regular-season titles and won over 800 games.

When it comes to the postseason, Calhoun's teams are very solid. His Huskies have made three Final Fours, winning two national titles.

Adding to his stellar resume, Calhoun was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005.

This season, Calhoun's Huskies have been all about Kemba Walker. The team rides Walker for an average of 23.5 points per game. Kemba is their heart and soul, carrying them to the Elite Eight so far.

Calhoun rarely says noteworthy things to the media, making him a somewhat under-the-radar type of guy.

Don't underestimate Calhoun going forward; his teams usually have great success after reaching the Final Four.

1. Roy Williams

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CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 20: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts while taking on the Washington Huskies during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 20, 2011 in Charlotte,

Ole Roy has been at the top of the college game for years. From his reign at Kansas to his dominance at UNC, Williams is an elite college basketball coach.

Roy has a first-class coaching resume. He has won over 600 games, been to seven Final Fours, has been named national coach of the year numerous times, is a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame and has two national titles.

Williams accumulated extra pressure throughout his career, being unable to win a title at Kansas.

Roy's teams had been to several Final Fours, but couldn't get over the hump until his Tar Heels won it all in 2005.

Roy is known for his fast-paced coaching style, having his teams always run the fast break. They score tons of points and develop plenty of NBA prospects.