The ten best college basketball coaches who haven’t won a national championship

We’re approaching week three of college football, which means it’s time to start talking college basketball. This season seems special because there is a lot of equality across the country and no team stands on its own level. This should make for an exciting season. With that being said, let’s discuss the ten best Division 1 men’s college coaches who haven’t won a national title.

The ten best college basketball programs since 2000

The 10 best college basketball coaches who haven’t won a national championship

(*in alphabetical order)

Rick Barnes (Tennessee)

Restore: 1 Final Four title, 4 regular season conference titles, 1 Naismith National Coach of the Year and 6 conference Coaches of the Year. Thirty-six years as a Division I head coach (George Mason, Providence, Clemson, Texas and Tennessee), 779 career wins, 65.5 career winning percentage, 86-56 (60.6%) at Tennessee with 5 tournament appearances NCAA in seven seasons.

Chris Beard (Ole Miss)

Restore: 1 Final Four title, 2 regular season conference titles, 1 AP National Coach of the Year and 4 conference Coach of the Year awards. He has been a Division 1 head coach for 7 years (Little Rock, Texas Tech and Texas) and 10 seasons overall. 237 career wins, 70.7 career win percentage. He was 29-13 (69%) at Texas and went to five of six NCAA tournaments as a Division 1 head coach.

Mick Cronin (UCLA)

Restore: 1 Final Four, 4 regular season conference titles, 4 conference Coaches of the Year. Twenty years as head coach, 462 career wins, 69.2 career winning percentage, 99-36 (73.3%) at UCLA. He competed in three of three NCAA tournaments at the University of California, Los Angeles, and advanced to at least the Sweet Sixteen each time.

Mark Few (Gonzaga)

Restore: 2 Final Fours, 1 AP Coach of the Year, 2 Naismith Coaches of the Year, 22 WCC conference titles. He was only the head coach at Gonzaga. Twenty-four years as a Division 1 head coach, 689 wins, 83.6 career winning percentage, 333-34 (90.7%) WCC career record. He competed in the NCAA Tournament every year as a head coach.

Jim Larranaga (Miami)

Restore: 2 Final Fours, 6 regular season conference titles, 1 AP Coach of the Year, 1 Naismith Coach of the Year. Thirty-seven years as a Division 1 head coach (Bowling Green, George Mason, Miami). 39th overall, 725 career wins, 60.0 career win percentage. He is 255-149 (63.1%) at Miami and has competed in six of Miami’s eleven NCAA tournaments, including the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight and Final Four.

Eric Musselman (Arkansas)

Restore: 0 Final Fours, 2 Elite Eights, 3 regular season conference titles, 1 Conference Coach of the Year. Eight years as a Division 1 head coach (Nevada and Arkansas), 205 career wins, 73.0 career winning percentage and six of seven NCAA Tournament appearances. He coached for ten years in the NBA, including three years as a head coach (Golden State and Sacramento).

Nate Oats (Alabama)

Restore: 0 Final Four, 4 Regular Season Conference Championships, 3 Conference Coaches of the Year. Eight years as a Division 1 head coach (Buffalo and Alabama), 188 career wins, 69.1 career winning percentage. 92-41 (69.2%) at Alabama with three NCAA Tournament appearances in three years.

Matt Painter (Purdue)

Restore: 0 Final Fours, 1 Elite Eight, 4 Regular Season Conference Championships, 1 National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year, 4 Conference Coaches of the Year. He has been a Division I head coach (Southern Illinois and Purdue) for 19 years, with 438 career wins and a career winning percentage of 68.3. At Purdue, he is 413-198 (67.6%) and has appeared in 14 of 17 NCAA tournaments.

Bruce Pearl (Auburn)

Restore: 1 Final Four title, 5 regular season conference titles, 1 D2 Coach of the Year, 6 conference Coaches of the Year. Nineteen years as a Division I head coach (Milwaukee, Tennessee, Auburn), 18 total years, 649 career wins, 71.7 career winning percentage. He is 187-111 (62.8%) at Auburn with four NCAA Tournaments in seven years.

Kelvin Sampson (Houston)

Restore: 2 Final Fours, 7 Conference Championships, 1 AP and National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year, 8 Conference Coaches of the Year. Thirty years as a major league head coach (Washington State, Oklahoma, Indiana, Houston), 34 total years, 731 career wins, 67.9 career winning percentage, 232-74 (75.6%) in Houston and five appearances in NCAA tournaments in eight years.