Great Expectations: Coach K Failed Posting 1st NCAA Tourney Win 'Til Year 10

Not everyone is like Tobin Anderson, who won his initial NCAA playoff contest as Fairleigh Dickinson's first-year coach a year ago before switching to Iona after Rick Pitino left for St. John's. Unrealistic expectations spread like a virus across the country when a young pup such as Brad Stevens becomes a big dawg by winning 11 NCAA Tournament games in his first four seasons coaching mid-major Butler before departing for the NBA's Boston Celtics at the conclusion of the 2012-13 campaign. But many school administrations and boosters, unaware that UCLA legend John Wooden notched only one tourney triumph in his first 13 years with the Bruins, need to exercise a little patience in this era of instant gratification.

As a misguided media surveys landscape seeking another overnight success, they need to take a cue from ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg, who is deemed an expert after winning a grand total of one NCAA playoff game in 22 years as a DI head coach. While ESPN canonizes coaches to secure exclusive interviews and extensive foundation donations, it should be pointed out power-league luminaries John Beilein (formerly West Virginia and Michigan), Tony Bennett (Virginia), Jim Boeheim (formerly Syracuse), Mike Brey (formerly Notre Dame), Tom Izzo (Michigan State), Lon Kruger (formerly Kansas State, Florida, Illinois and Oklahoma), Mike Krzyzsewski, (formerly Duke), Matt Painter (Purdue), Bill Self (Kansas) and Jay Wright (formerly Villanova) combined to lose in the NCAA playoffs this century against mid-majors Bradley, Bucknell, FDU, George Mason, Lehigh, Maryland-Baltimore County, Mercer, Middle Tennessee State, Nevada, North Dakota State, Ohio University, Old Dominion, Rhode Island, Saint Mary's, Vermont, VCU, Wichita State and Winthrop. Some Purdue fans are annoyed Painter didn't reach the Final Four in his first 17 opportunities (no national tourney in 2020 because of COVID pandemic), but elite bench bosses Pete Carril, Marv Harshman and Mike Montgomery didn't even win an NCAA playoff game until at least their 17th campaign.

Starter-kit supporters for some schools should take a chill pill if their coach such as K's successor remains winless in NCAA Tournament competition. Krzyzewski was frustrated by the tourney long before losing against Mercer. Impatient supporters should take a long look at how long it took for the following alphabetical list of high-profile coaches, including all-time leader Krzyzewski, to secure their first NCAA playoff victory.

NOTE: Victories for retired Greer, McCarthy and Newton were the only one they posted in NCAA playoff participation.