(A quick question, though: Why all the anger? So let's make this deal, too: I treat this Mailbag as a way to take a seat at the bar with each of you and exchange some views on a sport we love. It's supposed to be fun. Disagree with me all you want, but keep it civil. I'll get off my soapbox now.)
Try coming up with your own top 15 sometime. If I had included all of your nominations, my top-15 list would have been ... 43 coaches long.
In no particular order, then, here are those 28 other coaches you brought up, along with their positive attributes -- and any quibbles I had that kept them out of my top 15.
Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
The Positives: Two national title games, more than 600 wins, gets a lot out of recruits who come to the Great White North. (By the way, best of luck with your recovery, Coach.)
The Quibble: Got more angry letters from Boeheim supporters than anybody else. Relax, folks. Boeheim still is one of the nation's top coaches, but just as Syracuse has become a perennial No. 15-20 team, Boeheim is hovering in the same area. Ask yourself: Do you think Boeheim's teams still are capable of a surprising run to the NCAA final (like his '96 team)? I, for one, don't. Save the angry letters -- I'm not changing my mind on this.
Eddie Sutton, Oklahoma State
The Positives: An exceptional teacher with an eye for overlooked talent (look at this year's squad), he almost never underachieves in the NCAA tournament.
The Quibble: As much as I like Sutton personally, the Kentucky recruiting scandal under his watch will never disappear entirely.
Bill Self, Illinois
The Positives: Charismatic young coach overachieved at Tulsa and has used his depth well at Illinois. Only a matter of time before he reaches the Final Four.
The Quibble: Frank Williams aside, I don't always enjoy watching the Illini play -- too much thuggery and banging when they should be using their skills instead. (See: Robert [Tiny] Archibald .)
Bob Knight, Texas Tech
The Positives: Three national titles, X's and O's master, preaches team over individual. Knows more about basketball than just about anybody on the planet.
The Quibble: More than quibbles. At Indiana, Knight abused his players and the people who worked under him. On the court, moreover, he has run his teams into the ground in recent years, causing them to underperform when it counts. We'll see if that happens with Texas Tech. (Once again, save the letters.)
Jim O'Brien, Ohio State
The Positives: In one year, turned the Buckeyes from an 8-22 nightmare into a Final Four team. Got more out of his guys last year than anyone expected.
The Quibble: Not much. Could very easily join my list soon.
Bob Huggins, Cincinnati
The Positives: Such a marvelous defensive coach that Kansas' Roy Williams traveled to Cincy to watch the Bearcats practice one year -- during the season.
The Quibble: Embarrassing graduation rate. (Don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise.)
Jerry Tarkanian, Fresno State
The Positives: Like Huggins, a superb defensive coach. UNLV teams of early '90s are part of college hoops lore.
The Quibble: That photo with the Rebels players and Richard (The Fixer) Perry says it all.
Phil Martelli, St. Joseph's
The Positives: His hilarious, affable demeanor aside, Martelli can hold his own recruiting-wise in highly competitive Philly, and his teams are awfully fun to watch.
The Quibble: Once again, very little. Can we call a 45-year-old coach up-and-coming?
WATN station break
Regrettably, Antoine (The Judge) Joubert has so far eluded the 'Bag dragnet. In the meantime, let's toss out another name we haven't heard from in a while:
Where in the world is the aforementioned Richard (The Fixer) Perry???
Back to the coaches ...
Tom Crean, Marquette
The Positives: Dogged recruiter, creative motivator. On his way to a breakout season.
The Quibble: None. Just keep doing what you're doing, Tom.
John Calipari, Memphis
The Positives: Turned UMass into a power, however briefly, and has made college hoops a hot ticket again in Memphis.
The Quibble: Did he sacrifice too much to get Dajuan Wagner for one season? Lots of ethical gray areas, too.
Al Skinner, Boston College
The Positives: Somehow turned BC from Big East doormat into conference champ using the same players.
The Quibble: How good is the Big East anymore?
Steve Alford, Iowa
The Positives: Tough as nails, knows the game, players are never out of control.
The Quibble: Teams could be a bit better defensively.
Mark Few, Gonzaga
The Positives: The Bulldogs make the Sweet 16 every freaking year, beating higher-ranked teams in the process. Someone's working on the right things in Spokane.
The Quibble: Uh ... nothing. Sure wish Gonzaga could replace Washington State in the Pac-10.
Dan Monson, Minnesota
The Positives: Brought expert teaching from Gonzaga to the Gophers.
The Quibble: Needs some time to work his magic in Minneapolis. He's certainly off to a decent start.
Gene Keady, Purdue
The Positives: Traditionally gets a lot out of a little in West Lafayette.
The Quibble: No Final Fours. Teams seem to have slipped the last couple of years.
Ben Braun, California
The Positives: A coaches' coach who remains on the threshold of a breakthrough season.
The Quibble: Bears haven't been the Pac-10 factor I thought they would have been by now.
Kelvin Sampson, Oklahoma
The Positives: His players always seem to work harder than their opponents.
The Quibble: Sooners often play ugly basketball.
Stew Morrill, Utah State
The Positives: Mike Montgomery disciple is becoming an NCAA tournament fixture; already this year has beaten Utah in Salt Lake City.
The Quibble: Needs to prove he can do it in a major conference -- and deserves the chance to do so.
Mike Jarvis, St. John's
The Positives: Successfully preaches "no fear" policy to his teams. (Witness win at Duke a couple years ago.)
The Quibble: Hurt his credibility in Erick Barkley episode.
Pete Gillen, Virginia
The Positives: The Cavs, like all of Gillen's teams, are an aesthetic pleasure offensively.
The Quibble: It helps to play defense every once in a while, though.
Henry Bibby, USC
The Positives: Reached Elite Eight last year.
The Quibble: Is he just angling for an NBA job? Treats his players poorly, particularly walk-ons.
Tommy Amaker, Michigan
The Positives: Coach K protégé knows how to recruit. Got a lot out of his team at Seton Hall (two years ago, at least).
The Quibble: Had trouble keeping control of his Pirates last year.
John Kresse, College of Charleston
The Positives: Built a thriving Division I program from scratch. A good-guy success story.
The Quibble: It seems sacrilegious to say this, but is C of C the threat it was a couple years ago?
Nolan Richardson, Arkansas
The Positives: Teams play crowd-pleasing, frenetic style. One of the game's true characters, and an innovator.
The Quibble: Best days appear to be fading in the rearview mirror.
Bobby Lutz, Charlotte
The Positives: His teams always seem to peak at the right times -- no small feat.
The Quibble: Still waiting for that really deep NCAA tournament run.
Lefty Driesell, Georgia State
The Positives: He's still ticking -- and winning.
The Quibble: Not looked at as a master motivator.
Jim Harrick, Georgia
The Positives: Won national title at UCLA, overachieved at Rhode Island and has Georgia on its way back as well.
The Quibble: Dubious trustworthiness (see: UCLA episode).
Dave Odom, South Carolina
The Positives: Quietly got results at Wake Forest.
The Quibble: A little too quiet sometimes.
Whew! Done. While I'm at it, though, I'd like to defend the inclusion of Northwestern's Bill Carmody in my top 15. Full disclosure: I'm a Princeton grad. (If you think that makes me "biased," check out my writings on Carmody mentor Pete Carril. You'll be surprised.) In any case, my preference for Carmody is simple: He's the leading proponent of a unique style of basketball that is the best example anywhere of team play. Keep an eye out for his Wildcats (5-1 so far this year) in the Big Ten race.
On Wisconsin
Apologies for getting the site of last week's Temple-Wisconsin game wrong. (It took place in Madison, not Milwaukee.) Doesn't change my view one iota that Brad Soderberg got jobbed last year.
(By the way, I know plenty about Madison, folks. Why, I still lament the day The Onion -- the most hilarious publication on the 'Net -- left Madison for big, bad New York.)
Now somebody explain to me how the heck the Kohl Center got an NCAA regional this year?
Over and out. See you next week. (And lay off the coach comments, please!!!)
Click here to send your college basketball question to Grant Wahl.
