Be Patient: Numerous All-Time Winningest Coaches Overcame Shaky Starts
January 8th, 2014 - 20:35
"We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world." - Helen Keller
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? Although Helen Keller wasn't an athlete, she could even see that exercising some patience clearly paid dividends for the Bruins.
On the heels of Pat Knight's dismissal at Lamar, a significant number of other pensive pilots are on the precipice of hearing rumblings about them receiving walking papers from struggling schools. Prior to dishing out a pink slip, the institutions need to reflect a moment on the following alphabetical list of individuals such as Kevin Stallings (moved atop Vanderbilt's career list earlier this season) and Scott Drew (Baylor) who didn't get off to roaring starts with major colleges but withstood the test of time and became their all-time winningest coach:
| All-Time Winningest Coach | School | Summary of Shaky Start at College |
|---|---|---|
| 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). |
| Scott Drew | Baylor | Total of 40 games below .500 in Big 12 Conference competition in first four seasons (2003-04 through 2006-07). |
| 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). |