Ranking the NCAA Champion coaches of the past 50 years

As Jim Boeheim retires.

Photo: public domain

Jim Boeheim has retired as head coach of the Syracuse University men’s basketball team. He is second in all-time career wins in the NCAA’s Division I, with one national championship and five Final Fours in 47 seasons.

It’s the third year in a row that one of the biggest names in the sport has retired, following Mike Krzyzewski (2022) and Roy Williams (2021). But I never felt Boeheim was in their class.

I wondered how he stacks up among coaches in the modern era. I limited myself to coaches who have won the NCAA Tournament in the last 50 seasons, so coaches like Gonzaga’s Mark Few and West Virginia’s Bob Huggins aren’t considered.

I considered the coach’s total number of national championships and Final Four appearances.

Here are the totals. Asterisks indicate fewer than 500 career games won. Among coaches with the same number, I ranked those with more national championships ahead: a coach with four Final Fours and two titles ranks ahead of a coach with five Final Fours and one title. When there’s still a tie, the coach with a higher career-winning percentage is ranked higher.

1. John Wooden 22
2. Mike Krzyzewski 18