I see a lot of criticism of Cal as an in-game coach. Although I’m not in the camp that wants him to leave, I do think that is the weakest part of his coaching. On that note who do you guys think are the best in-game coaches.
Best in-game coach..
- Thread starter ALL4UK
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appreciated how Calipari in recent games used his time-outs, including in consecutive game burning late time-outs to go over opponent's offensive set. This method helped us win the Houston game. Absence of such method why we lost to UT in SEC tourney (2015 Wisconsin says 'hi'). Calipari knows how to manage a game. We just never know what version of Calipari is going to happen when those critical moments present themselves.
Izzo was the first name that came to mind. I really don’t like him, but he is a very good coach.
All of his peers and people in basketball disagree and always talk about how no one recognizes how good a X's and O's guy he is. I'll take their opinions over anyone on this board. I'm not saying he's perfect. Every coach gets out coached sometimes.
The guy at Texas Tech is making a name for himself except I don't remember his name
I wouldn’t trade Cal for any of those guys. Funny thing, if our guy is not the coach that these listed, why is he coaching later in the season than these others most years?
People are quick to use the expression “outcoached” and I can’t understand where that comes from. Players are the great variable....are you “outcoached” if your player misses a free throw or defensive assignment? Did another coach employ a strategy that our staff wasn’t familiar with?
Can you get outcoached and still win the game? Can we see outcoaching in the game from our TV viewpoint? Is Cal getting outcoached every time we lose?
People are quick to use the expression “outcoached” and I can’t understand where that comes from. Players are the great variable....are you “outcoached” if your player misses a free throw or defensive assignment? Did another coach employ a strategy that our staff wasn’t familiar with?
Can you get outcoached and still win the game? Can we see outcoaching in the game from our TV viewpoint? Is Cal getting outcoached every time we lose?
Thanks I don't remember names very well. He may not be the best but his teams defense is impressive
He’s the hot guy right now. I’m sure he’ll get some offers as soon as TT is done.
If SGA had not developed so fast last year and had come back for year 2, Cal would not have been out coached:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:. Really, how can you be your best as a coach when you hardly get to know your players.
SGA would have been the difference this year. He was recruited as a 2/3 year player, same as QG. (Maybe Cal :flushed
utdevelopes) Is that a word?
SGA would have been the difference this year. He was recruited as a 2/3 year player, same as QG. (Maybe Cal :flushed
utdevelopes) Is that a word?
Cal’s ability to coach Xs and Os is directly proportional to the scoring margin of each game.
Translated: it’s a cop-out excuse used by a handful of ignorant posters when they vent over a loss.
Translated: it’s a cop-out excuse used by a handful of ignorant posters when they vent over a loss.
College level billy Donovan isn’t bad. Chris Mack at Louisville, Roy Williams a lot of other guys mentioned. Being a good in game coach isn’t hard it just requires flexibility and a good staff to challenge you and not just tell you what they think you want to hear.
Narrative on cal has always been if he wins it’s because he has great players, if he loses it’s because he was out coached. I remember everyone talking about Cal being out coached by Ollie in the Championship and wondering if they forgot he beat Marshall, Pitino, & Beilein to get there.
Brad Stevens was pretty damn good
Cal’s a damn good coach. I just don’t think many of us understand how difficult it is to win an NCAA title. Myself included at times. I’ve been upset after tournament losses many, many times because I bleed blue like 99 percent of you on here. Rick Pitino was a POS person but a damn good basketball coach and Cal dominated him. A “bad” in game coach couldn’t have dominated the rivalry like that. A bad coach couldn’t get into the HOF. I’ll be thankful for who we have and look forward to our teams future with him leading our program.
I can't really put Pitino in that group. He's probably at the top of my list for scouting and pre-game planning, but I always thought he was too slow to adapt/adjust on those (admittedly rare) times when the plan didn't pan out.
Every coach listed has less wins than Cal since he has been here. I’ll take our coach!!!!
Tony Bennett is the best x and o in the game. There is a reason NBA teams constantly try to hire him. They see him as the next Brad Stevens. I think Dana Altman is an incredible X and O guy, Beilein and Jay Wright when they have the talent to run their offenses are pretty great to watch. Pitino was a juggernaut. I don't think Cal is a bad X and O's guy I think Cal is too stubborn to try things on the fly in games. He has a gameplan and 90% of the time it works but if the other coach figures it out or a guy gets hot or something he is very hesitant to try and change whatever the gameplan was going in.
So when Tony Bennet get trashed by 16 seed, what was your belief? Now that he finally made final four...he overlaps Cal?
You do realize Tony Bennet is literally rated the biggest chocker based off rankings right?
All these coaches that continues to fail at such a high rate. Stop it with silly belief that they are better x and o coach.
I know what I watch, Tony Bennett won a freaking PAC 12 championship with Washington St and took them to the Sweet 16. He has Virginia let me repeat that Virginia in the top 5 every year. Has he had flame outs? Absolutely. So has every coach, the amount of talent gap that Virginia had last year and lost to UMBC is exactly akin to the type of talent gap UK had when they lost to Robert Morris. It happens K has lost, Self has lost, etc...
I have no dog in the fight, just calling it like I see it. I forgot to mention the recently retired Rick Byrd as well guy was a hell of a coach.
I said this in another thread last night and I'm going to say it again here. Who is the better coach Phil Jackson or Pop? I don't think you'd find anyone who would tell you they'd rather have Phil coach a group of random guys over Pop. Phil has 11 titles to Pop's 5 though. Phil is a great coach one of the 10 best to ever do it, but it's not a fallacy to say Pop is a better coach.
I just think Cal is more Phil than Pop. Cal is better with star studded teams, that he can press their buttons mentally, get them to sacrifice, and play as a unit. He turns 5 fingers into a fist so to speak. That's no disrespect to Cal he's the best at that and one of 3-4 best coaches in the college game.
Tony Bennett, Altman, Rick Byrd, I'd rather have them draw up a play than I would Cal but I wouldn't rather have them as the coach at UK over Cal and I've never even hinted at that. This thread was specific to X and O and there is a hell of lot more that goes into being a great coach than that, especially at UK. I don't get why some people are so quick to be negative about everything.
Bennett is great defensively, meh offensively with his mover-blocker system, but I hear amazing practice coach. Wright has fewer sets than Cal, with him he teaches concepts, but his biggest strength is player development. To be clear I want Cal as our head coach for life, but if I had 1 timeout for someone to call a play to save my life I'd take these guys.
Painter
Beilein
Izzo
Few
Self
Altman
Moser
If we are talking NBA guys Stevens, Malone and Snyder are the 3 best ATO.
Painter
Beilein
Izzo
Few
Self
Altman
Moser
If we are talking NBA guys Stevens, Malone and Snyder are the 3 best ATO.
I love Coach Cal, and I am thrilled to hear about the lifetime contract. That doesn’t mean I don’t disagree with some of his philosophies. It has been my observation that we play better if we play at an uptempo pace. It just seems that every time we get a lead we play to protect the lead rather than continuing to attack. With our athleticism I think that works against us. My other thought is we have few if any sets we run on out of bounds plays under our own basket. If we could steal 2-3 easy baskets a game utilizing some plays to score it could be the difference in some of those close games. That is just my opinion...it doesn’t mean I’m an expert or even right.
Virginia was statistically the 4th best offensive team in the country this year behind only Gonzaga, Hofstra, and Wofford.
You're right about Painter. Add Rick Byrd to your list and I'd say you're on the nose. Pop has got to be on that list of NBA guys. So does Budz. You clearly watch the NBA though and I have respect for that most wouldn't think to mention Malone or Quinn Snyder. I worry Quinn make sneaky take the Duke the job.
Yeah Bennett runs 2 good systems offensively Mover-Blocker and Ball Screen Continuity...my list is based on an ATO. Bennet's pace is too slow for my liking and what would work best for our guys.
Pop and Budz would be 4 and 5 for me if I was listing more NBA coaches. Good call on Byrd.
There have been 140 games played in the NCAA between #1 and #16 seeds. 139 of those games have been won by the #1 seed. Tony Bennett has coached the only losing #1 seed. #1’s have beaten #16’s by an average margin of 24.3 points and that includes the the 20-point beat down Virginia took last year to #16 UMBC. That’s an unprecedented, singularly catastrophic amount of suck. It’s literally the only flame out of its kind. There’s simply no comparing a demoralized and depleted Kentucky team playing on the road at Robert Morris in the NIT and taking a 2 point loss. Cal, K, Self and Roy have all lost, but not the way Bennett has lost. Now, let’s see if Bennett can erase most of the memory of last year’s loss.