# Best Coach Under age 50



## KJay (Sep 22, 2002)

who is he?


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Izzo misses the cut by 4 months... Anyone who says Billy Donovan should be banned... Obviously, the point of this thread is to praise Bill Self.  I'll play along - Bill Self.


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## Ghost (Jun 21, 2002)

How old is Roy Williams, he seems around 50 and maybe under it but I doubt it.


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

54


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## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

Mark Few....

Steve Alford....

Lorenzo Romar....

Southern Illinois coach....


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## DHarris34Phan (Oct 28, 2004)

Bo Ryan is around 50...


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## KJay (Sep 22, 2002)

Wait, Izzo's under 50? yep he gets my vote then. Until Self gets a title, he's not Izzo.


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Izzo is older than 50 by 4 months


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## kansasalumn (Jun 9, 2002)

zagsfan20 said:


> Mark Few....
> 
> Steve Alford....
> 
> ...


Alford??? I do not think he is the best coach under 50.

However I know who is the worst coach under 50 is.


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## KJay (Sep 22, 2002)

TonyM said:


> Izzo is older than 50 by 4 months


 I figured.


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## Big_CKansas (Jul 16, 2002)

> However I know who is the worst coach under 50 is.



I am just going to take a guess and say his name begins with Quin and ends with Snyder!


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## KJay (Sep 22, 2002)

how freaking young is Queeny?


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## kansasalumn (Jun 9, 2002)

Big_CKansas said:


> I am just going to take a guess and say his name begins with Quin and ends with Snyder!


you guess correctly.

He is in his 30's, KJ


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## KJay (Sep 22, 2002)

he's under 40? damn.


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## LuolDeng (Feb 22, 2004)

Weber


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## KJay (Sep 22, 2002)

Illini fan eh?


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## adarsh1 (May 28, 2003)

Weber has done a great job wherever he has been. He took Southern Illinois to the Sweet sixteen and really cemented their place in the tourney where they are not looked at as a cinderella any more and took Illinois to the title game albeit with three great guards


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## coachhomer (Sep 23, 2004)

zagsfan20 said:


> Mark Few....
> 
> Steve Alford....
> 
> ...


LOL... The SIU coach is Chris Lowery. He is good but by no means should be considered one of the best with only 1 year of coaching under his belt.

What about Randy Bennett @ St. Mary's or
Mike Gillespie @ FAMU or
Kelvin Sampson @ OU...

point is, there are alot of good coaches out there.

C


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## BigDubSimien (Jun 15, 2005)

I would say Bill Self from Kansas is the top coach under 50, but the other two that jump out at me are Paul Hewitt from Georgia Tech and Billy Gillespee (sp?) from Texas A&M.


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## burb12 (Jun 18, 2005)

Barry Collier from Nebraska... no im just kidding, while I think Collier can turn the program around with the additions to his coaching staff, I think Bill Self is the best coach under 50.


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## JuniorNoboa (Jan 27, 2003)

Ben Howland


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## jg (Jun 19, 2005)

I vote for Tom Crean


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## flyerfanatic (Nov 15, 2003)

Maybe not the best, but Brian Gregory could turn into a very successful coach. He was Tom Izzo's head assit. before taking the head job here at Dayton.


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## KJay (Sep 22, 2002)

coachhomer said:


> LOL... The SIU coach is Chris Lowery. He is good but by no means should be considered one of the best with only 1 year of coaching under his belt.
> 
> What about Randy Bennett @ St. Mary's or
> Mike Gillespie @ FAMU or
> ...


 any southern illinois coach is great.


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## Pistolballer (May 9, 2003)

i like Crean, Howland, *Self* and Few


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## Enigma (Jul 16, 2002)

TM said:


> Izzo misses the cut by 4 months... *Anyone who says Billy Donovan should be banned*... Obviously, the point of this thread is to praise Bill Self.  I'll play along - Bill Self.


Still feel that way?


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Yes. The "best". No, he's not the best. Yes, he's good. Billy is growing on me.


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## Enigma (Jul 16, 2002)

TM said:


> Yes. The "best". No, he's not the best. Yes, he's good. Billy is growing on me.


I know you were joking around origanally, but Billy has definitly elevated into a legit argument for this thread. He's the only coach to reach the championship game twice this decade. He's the 2nd youngest coach ever to win the championship behind Bob Knight. He joins Bob Knight and Dean Smith as the only coaches to ever play in the final 4 and then coach their own teams to multiple final 4's. He has led UF to 8 straight twenty win seasons and 8 straight tournament appearances. He led UF to the highest margin of victory throughout this past tourney since one of the UCLA teams of the 60's. He's the longest tenured coach in the SEC. He ranks second only to Bobby Knight in the number of wins before the age of 40.

He did all this at the ripe old age of 40.


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## DaBruins (Jul 30, 2003)

Ben Howland - 48


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Enigma said:


> I know you were joking around origanally, but Billy has definitly elevated into a legit argument for this thread.


I agree, but he's still a little shady for me. For instance - Al Hortford. Once upon a time, he was committed to Michigan. Then (in his own words), he had "second thoughts." From what I'm told, his grades didn't hack it for Michgan. Seems to be no problem for Billy. I know, I know - that happens all the time. Still, he seems a bit shady.


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## Enigma (Jul 16, 2002)

TM said:


> I agree, but he's still a little shady for me. For instance - Al Hortford. Once upon a time, he was committed to Michigan. Then (in his own words), he had "second thoughts." From what I'm told, his grades didn't hack it for Michgan. Seems to be no problem for Billy. I know, I know - that happens all the time. Still, he seems a bit shady.



Schools have different academic requirements for athletes. Michigan is on of the top public university in the nation in regards to academics. Maybe their requirements for athletes are higher as well. There have Gators who have bolted last minute as well.


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## Gtown07 (Dec 10, 2003)

Hate to be a homer but leaving John Thompson III out of this conversation is just short sighted. He's pulling in a top 10 recruiting class and THE recruiting class in the Big East in just his second class. He just took over a team that didn't qualify for post season play the year prior to his arrival. Two years later he's got them in the sweet 16. I know Howland did something similar but UCLA's name was still a big deal and he was able to get the top recruits just off the basis of the school's name. Within the next 2 to 3 years we will see JTIII make G'town the class of the Big East and a perennial national championship contender. 

You have two VERY clear examples in Hibbert and Green. Both were three star recruits not even in the top 200 in their class. JGreen has become a force and a projected lottery pick for next year. And Hibbert went from barely being able to run up and down the court to a consensus top 10 pick in 2007. His recruits, coaching ability, and in- game strategy (see Duke and OSU game) prove Georgetown is going to be killer for years to come.


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

JTIII's had 1 good year. homer? yes.


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

Billy D. has my vote.

I wouldn't give it to Bill Self over Billy Donovan when Self has been knocked out of the first round by low seeds two consecutive years and Donovan has two Final Four appearances and one title compared to only one Final Four appearance by Self.


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## Gtown07 (Dec 10, 2003)

TM I thought you knew your college bball. Apparently not. JTIII led Princeton to the dance multiple times and the year after he left the Ivy league champs who were returning five starters and an absolute lock to win again they finished in 5th place clearly showing his talent as a coach. And what about his first year at Georgetown? He took a team that won 3 BE games and lost 10 straight BE games and made them tourny contenders without one senior and no recruits. He started 3 freshman and was 8-5 in the BE before the frosh and soph's got burnt out. They then went on to the NIT quarters losing to the eventual champs, South Carolina. G'town wasnt supposed to make the post season the coach's picked them to finish 12th in that season. So yes 2 seasons of ridiculous improvement, a top 10 recruiting class that Georgetown hasnt seen since the mid 80's and a sweet 16 appearance makes him a viable candidate for Best Coach Under 50. 

Thompson has proven at two different univ's that's he's a top notch coach and will be around for a very long time.


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Gtown07 said:


> TM I thought you knew your college bball.


I do. That's why I'm telling you that putting him with the likes of Tom Izzo and Billy Donovan is nuts.



Gtown07 said:


> Apparently not. JTIII led Princeton to the dance multiple times and the year after he left the Ivy league champs who were returning five starters and an absolute lock to win again they finished in 5th place clearly showing his talent as a coach.


And if you knew college basketball, you'd know that was the same John Thompson Princeton team that played Duke year after year. I don't need a lesson on his past at PU.



Gtown07 said:


> And what about his first year at Georgetown? He took a team that won 3 BE games and lost 10 straight BE games and made them tourny contenders without one senior and no recruits. He started 3 freshman and was 8-5 in the BE before the frosh and soph's got burnt out. They then went on to the NIT quarters losing to the eventual champs, South Carolina. G'town wasnt supposed to make the post season the coach's picked them to finish 12th in that season. So yes 2 seasons of ridiculous improvement, a top 10 recruiting class that Georgetown hasnt seen since the mid 80's and a sweet 16 appearance makes him a viable candidate for Best Coach Under 50.


And you're gonna give me all that information just to tell me he's won some games and been to one Sweet 16? When those super recruits turn into studs, when those studs win him at least one BE title, and when they take the Hoyas deep into the tournament multiple times and to at least a couple Final Fours (like Izzo's and Donovan's teams), then get back to me and we'll talk.


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## Gtown07 (Dec 10, 2003)

I'm pretty sure I wasn't comparing him to Tom freaking Izzo or Billy Donovan buddy. But looking at other guys on this list how can he not be at least part of the discussion? His resume speaks for itself and will continue to do so.


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Gtown07 said:


> I'm pretty sure I wasn't comparing him to Tom freaking Izzo or Billy Donovan buddy.


,,,



Gtown07 said:


> Hate to be a homer but leaving John Thompson III out of this conversation is just short sighted.





Gtown07 said:


> ...makes him a viable candidate for Best Coach Under 50.


By you making him a "candidate," yes, you are comparing him to Izzo and Donovan - two guys who people in this thread have talked about as being the best coahes under 50. Compare JT3 to Bruce Weber or Steve Aldord - then maybe.

If this were a "Good Coaches under 50," then ya, I'll agree. "Best Coach Under 50" - no way.

And just so it doesn't look like I'm picking on GTown... Alford, Romar, Weber, and Crean shouldn't be on this list either, not when guys like Izzo and Donovan are on it.

BTW, Izzo may be 50+ now. He was close when this thread originally started.


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## Jonathan Watters (Jul 20, 2002)

TM, I thought you said earlier in the thread that Izzo was older than 50 by 4 months. Obviously it is Izzo until he turns 50. Beyond him, it seems like Howland would be the guy. JT III and Weber would also be high on my list.


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

51 now 

No Donovan, JW?


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## Jonathan Watters (Jul 20, 2002)

I suppose he's on the short list as well. I certainly think JT III, Weber, and Howland are right there with him though...


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## apelman42 (Apr 8, 2005)

Thad Matta, Ben Howland, Tom Crean, and John Thompson III.


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## Gtown07 (Dec 10, 2003)

So here's my "homer" take on this thread. Apologies to TM for being so biased:

Top 10 coaches Under 50 

1. Billy Donovan
2. John Calipari
3. Ben Howland
4. Bill Self
5. Lorenzo Romar
6. Bruce Weber
7. Thad Matta
8. JTIII
9. Tom Crean
10. Karl Hobbs


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

> 8. JTIII


I'd put him higher than that


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## Gtown07 (Dec 10, 2003)

TM- I think it depends on how you look at it. If you look at it strictly by past accomplishments then JTIII is number 8 in my mind. If the coach's future is taken into perspective he may go a bit higher.


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## Cameron Crazy (Apr 25, 2006)

Coach K Duke Blue Devils! I think he is older but he is the best coach!1!


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## Cameron Crazy (Apr 25, 2006)

**I dont care how old Coach K is but he is the bomb**


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## Hit The Gym Slob (May 22, 2006)

Calipari has taken two schools from glorified mid majors to elite programs.

imagine what he wouldve done at a place like st johns!!!


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## bender (Jul 15, 2002)

I'd say Ben Howland. He's done a pretty good job at UCLA thus far.


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## 2010Illini (Jul 19, 2002)

BigDubSimien said:


> I would say Bill Self from Kansas is the top coach under 50, but the other two that jump out at me are Paul Hewitt from Georgia Tech and Billy Gillespee (sp?) from Texas A&M.


Self's strength is recruiting...perhaps if he can take KU past the first round I'll give him more consideration...but when you lose back to back first round tourney games to mid-majors I don't see how he can be considered the best coach under 50.


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## 2010Illini (Jul 19, 2002)

adarsh1 said:


> Weber has done a great job wherever he has been. He took Southern Illinois to the Sweet sixteen and really cemented their place in the tourney where they are not looked at as a cinderella any more and took Illinois to the title game albeit with three great guards


I agree...I am not certain but I think his 89-16 record over the last three years is tops


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