Big Shoes to Fill: What's Ahead for Successors at Florida and Wisconsin?

Time will tell if hand-picked interim coach Greg Gard is promoted from assistant to the permanent top job by Wisconsin after Bo Ryan departed before the holidays. Much is made of the struggles for an individual when succeeding a coaching legend such as active mentors Temple's Fran Dunphy (followed John Chaney), Louisville's Rick Pitino (Denny Crum), Purdue's Matt Painter (Gene Keady), Maryland's Mark Turgeon (Gary Williams) and Florida's Michael White (Billy Donovan). But only eight of the successors on the following list posted losing marks during their tenures compared to twice as many of the predecessors.

Syracuse, where Mike Hopkins is coach-in-waiting to replace Jim Boeheim, will likely be the next example showing how celebrated coaches lay a solid foundation that can't possibly be messed up. Pitino joined Gene Bartow, John Brady, Mike Davis, Bill Guthridge, Joe B. Hall, Dick Harp, Jack Kraft, Pete Newell, John Oldham and Lou Rossini as coaches who took teams from the same institution to the Final Four after replacing an icon.

Naturally, it's not all peaches and cream inheriting a stable program. Before guiding South Florida to the NCAA playoffs in 2012, Stan Heath compiled a modest 82-71 record with Arkansas in five seasons from 2002-03 through 2006-07 after succeeding Nolan Richardson. Heath and Richardson (389-169 mark with the Hogs from 1986-2002) and Ryan (364-130 with UW from 2001-02 to 2015-16) didn't quite make the following list regarding the level of success for successors of legends who won more than 400 games for a single school:

Coaching Legend School Record Tenure Successor Record Tenure
Phog Allen Kansas 588-218 1908, 09 & 20-56 Dick Harp 121-82 1957-64
Dale Brown Louisiana State 448-301 1973-97 John Brady 192-139 1998-2008
Howard Cann NYU 409-232 1924-58 Lou Rossini 185-137 1959-71
Lou Carnesecca St. John's 526-200 1966-70 & 74-92 Brian Mahoney 56-58 1993-96
Pete Carril Princeton 514-261 1968-96 Bill Carmody 92-25 1997-2000
Gale Catlett West Virginia 439-276 1979-2002 John Beilein 104-60 2003-07
John Chaney Temple 516-253 1983-2006 Fran Dunphy 193-108 2007-15
Denny Crum Louisville 675-295 1972-2001 Rick Pitino 368-126 2002-15
Ed Diddle Western Kentucky 759-302 1923-64 John Oldham 146-41 1965-71
Don Donoher Dayton 437-275 1964-89 Jim O'Brien 61-87 1990-94
Billy Donovan Florida 467-186 1997-2015 Michael White TBD since 2016
Hec Edmundson Washington 488-195 1921-47 Art McLarney 53-36 1948-50
Fred Enke Arizona 511-318 1926-61 Bruce Larson 137-148 1962-72
Jack Friel Washington State 495-377 1929-58 Marv Harshman 155-181 1959-71
Taps Gallagher Niagara 465-261 1932-43 & 47-65 Jim Maloney 35-38 1966-68
Slats Gill Oregon State 599-392 1929-64 Paul Valenti 91-82 1960 & 65-70
Don Haskins Texas-El Paso 719-353 1962-99 Jason Rabedeaux 46-46 2000-02
Lou Henson Illinois 421-226 1976-96 Lon Kruger 81-48 1997-2000
Tony Hinkle Butler 549-384 1927-70 George Theofanis 79-105 1971-77
Nat Holman CCNY 423-190 1920-60 Dave Polansky* N/A N/A
Hank Iba Oklahoma State 655-316 1935-70 Sam Aubrey 18-60 1971-73
Gene Keady Purdue 512-270 1981-2005 Matt Painter 212-124 2006-15
Frank Keaney Rhode Island 403-124 1922-48 Robert "Red" Haire 57-42 1949-52
Bob Knight Indiana 659-242 1972-2000 Mike Davis 115-79 2001-06
Guy Lewis Houston 592-279 1957-86 Pat Foster 142-73 1987-93
Shelby Metcalf Texas A&M 438-306 1964-90 Kermit Davis Jr. 8-21 1991
Ray Meyer DePaul 724-354 1943-84 Joey Meyer 231-158 1985-97
Lute Olson Arizona 590-192 1984-2007 Kevin O'Neill 19-15 2008
Clarence "Nibs" Price California 449-294 1925-54 Pete Newell 119-44 1955-60
Adolph Rupp Kentucky 875-190 1931-72 Joe B. Hall 297-100 1973-85
Alex Severance Villanova 413-201 1937-61 Jack Kraft 238-95 1962-73
Dean Smith North Carolina 879-254 1962-97 Bill Guthridge 80-28 1998-2000
Norm Stewart Missouri 634-333 1968-99 Quin Snyder 126-91 2000-06
Jerry Tarkanian UNLV 509-105 1974-92 Rollie Massimino 36-21 1993 & '94
John Thompson Jr. Georgetown 596-239 1973-99 Craig Esherick 103-74 1999-2004
Gary Williams Maryland 461-252 1990-2011 Mark Turgeon 87-50 2012-15
John Wooden UCLA 620-147 1949-75 Gene Bartow 51-10 1976 & '77
Ned Wulk Arizona State 405-273 1958-82 Bob Weinhauer 44-45 1983-85

*CCNY de-emphasized its program after the 1952-53 season.

NOTE: Olson formally announced his retirement less than a month before the 2008-09 season when the Wildcats compiled a 21-14 record under Russ Pennell.