Exercising Patience: Many All-Time Winningest Coaches Erased Shaky Start
March 6th, 2013 - 21:27
Did you know coaching legend John Wooden won a grand total of one NCAA playoff game in his first 13 seasons with UCLA before capturing 10 national titles in 12 years from 1964 through 1975? A significant number of pensive pilots are on the precipice of receiving pink slips from struggling schools. Prior to doing so, the institutions need to reflect a moment on the following alphabetical list of individuals who didn't get off to roaring starts with major colleges but withstood the test of time and became their all-time winningest coaches:
| All-Time Winningest Coach | School | Summary of Shaky Start |
|---|---|---|
| Dana Altman | Creighton | Failed to post winning season record until fourth year (1997-98). |
| Randy Bennett | Saint Mary's | Total of 11 games below .500 through first two seasons (2001-02 and 2002-03). |
| Bill Bibb | Mercer | Total of 16 games below .500 in first three seasons (1974-75 through 1976-77). |
| George Blaney | Holy Cross | Total of 18 games below .500 in first two seasons (1972-73 and 1973-74). |
| Buster Brannon | Texas Christian | Total of 14 games below .500 in first two seasons (1948-49 and 1949-50). |
| Tom Brennan | Vermont | Total of 54 games below .500 overall and 36 below in ECAC North Atlantic Conference competition in first three seasons (1986-87 through 1988-89). |
| Dale Brown | Louisiana State | Overall losing record through first five seasons (1972-73 through 1976-77). |
| Jim Calhoun | Connecticut | Total of 24 games below .500 in Big East competition in first three seasons (1986-87 through 1988-89). |
| Bobby Cremins | Georgia Tech | Total of 16 games below .500 in ACC competition in first three seasons (1981-82 through 1983-84). |
| Billy Donovan | Florida | Failed to post winning season record until third year (1998-99). |
| Pat Douglass | UC Irvine | Total of 23 games below .500 in first two seasons (1997-98 and 1998-99). |
| Homer Drew | Valparaiso | Total of 67 games below .500 in first five seasons (1988-89 through 1992-93). |
| Fran Dunphy | Penn | Failed to post winning season record until third year (1991-92). |
| Cliff Ellis | Clemson | Total of 12 games below .500 in ACC competition through first two seasons (1984-85 and 1985-86). |
| Murray Greason | Wake Forest | Total of 11 games below .500 in first three seasons (1933-34 through 1935-36). |
| Doc Hayes | Southern Methodist | Four losing records in first six seasons (1947-48 through 1952-53. |
| Lou Henson | Illinois | Overall losing record through first three seasons (1975-76 through 1977-78). |
| Terry Holland | Virginia | Breakeven record overall and 16 games below .500 in ACC competition through first three seasons (1974-75 through 1976-77). |
| George Ireland | Loyola Chicago | Overall losing record through first six seasons (1951-52 through 1956-57). |
| Doggie Julian | Dartmouth | Total of 30 games below .500 through first three seasons (1950-51 through 1952-53). |
| Mike Krzyzewski | Duke | Overall losing record through first three seasons (1980-81 through 1982-83). |
| Guy Lewis | Houston | Total of 14 games below .500 overall and in MVC competition through first four seasons (1956-57 through 1959-60). |
| Eddie McCarter | Texas-Arlington | Six losing records in first seven seasons (1992-93 through 1998-99). |
| Al McGuire | Marquette | Total of eight games below .500 in first two seasons (1964-65 and 1965-66). |
| Frank McGuire | South Carolina | Total of 13 games below .500 in first two seasons (1964-65 and 1965-66). |
| Bob McKillop | Davidson | Failed to post winning season record until fifth year (1993-94). |
| Eldon Miller | Northern Iowa | Total of 10 games below .500 through first two seasons (1986-87 and 1987-88). |
| Ralph Miller | Wichita | Total of three games below .500 in first two seasons (1951-52 and 1952-53). |
| Danny Nee | Nebraska | Total of 20 games below .500 in Big Eight Conference competition in first four seasons (1986-87 through 1989-90). |
| Fran O'Hanlon | Lafayette | Total of 19 games below .500 in first two seasons (1995-96 and 1996-97). |
| Johnny Orr | Iowa State | Failed to post winning season record until fourth year (1983-84). |
| Nolan Richardson | Arkansas | Total of eight games below .500 in SWC competition in first two seasons (1985-86 and 1986-87). |
| Jack Rohan | Columbia | Failed to post winning season record until fifth year (1965-66). |
| Al Skinner | Boston College | Failed to post winning season record until fourth year (2000-01). |
| Dean Smith | North Carolina | Only one winning season record (1962-63) in first three years. |
| Jim Snyder | Ohio University | Total of eight games below .500 in first five seasons (1949-50 through 1953-54). |
| Kevin Stallings | Vanderbilt | Total of 24 games below .500 in SEC competition through first seven seasons (1999-00 through 2005-06). |
| Rick Stansbury | Mississippi State | Total of eight games below .500 in SEC competition through first three seasons (1998-99 through 2000-01). |
| Norm Stewart | Missouri | Losing record in Big Eight Conference competition in first three seasons (1967-68 through 1969-70). |
| Scott Sutton | Oral Roberts | Total of 10 games below .500 in first three seasons (1999-2000 through 2001-02). |
| Blaine Taylor | Old Dominion | Total of six games below .500 in first two seasons (2001-02 and 2002-03). |
| Bob Thomason | Pacific | Total of 16 games below .500 in first four seasons (1988-89 through 1991-92). |
| John Thompson Jr. | Georgetown | Total of three games below .500 in first two seasons (1972-73 and 1973-74). |
| M.K. Turk | Southern Mississippi | Total of five games below .500 in first three seasons (1976-77 through 1978-79). |
| Riley Wallace | Hawaii | Total of 10 games below .500 in WAC competition in first six seasons (1987-88 through 1992-93). |
| Gary Williams | Maryland | Total of 24 games below .500 in ACC competition in first four seasons (1989-90 through 1992-93). |
| Jim Williams | Colorado State | Total of 12 games below .500 in first five seasons (1954-55 through 1958-59). |
| Charlie Woollum | Bucknell | Total of eight games below .500 in first three seasons (1975-76 through 1977-78). |