Mark Among Few Good Men: Gonzaga Bench Boss Dominates in WCC Play

A principal reason Jerry Tarkanian became a Hall of Famer was the fact he is the only coach in NCAA Division I history to win more than 90% of his assignments for a school in a single conference including both regular season and postseason league tourney (229-19 mark in PCAA/Big West with UNLV in a 10-year span from 1982-83 through 1991-92).

Among active coaches, Gonzaga's Mark Few extended his stunning string of 17 consecutive NCAA playoff appearances in as many seasons with the Zags. But what is equally impressive is his domination of the West Coast Conference not only in regular-season competition (230-28) but also in league tournament action (36-4). Few isn't expected to fall much, if any, from list of league rulers in the near future. Ditto winning percentage overall through 17 campaigns as Few (.808) ranks fourth at this juncture in his career behind legendary Clair Bee (.850), Adolph Rupp (.824) and Tarkanian (.813). Despite never reaching the Final Four, how in the name of James Naismith has Few never been anointed national coach of the year?

John Calipari is the only coach to win 80% of his league assignments in two conferences with different schools. But if Few remains at his present success level, Calipari could tack on another 105 consecutive SEC triumphs via five additional unbeaten regular seasons and league tourney titles in succession with Kentucky and still be behind Few in conference domination.

Brad Stevens won 80.8% of Butler's Horizon League games in five seasons but fell just short of meeting the minimum of 100 decisions in a single conference on the following list before subsequently moving on to the Atlantic 10 and NBA's Boston Celtics. Stevens has had a better pro career than Tarkanian, who compiled a 9-11 record in a brief stint with the San Antonio Spurs at the start of the 1992-93 campaign. Few ranks third, also behind North Carolina State's Everett Case, among the following coaches who have won more than 75% of their games in a single conference including participation in league tourney play:

NOTES: Huggins (West Virginia), Marshall (Wichita State) and Williams (North Carolina) are active coaches currently employed by other schools. . . . UCLA's John Wooden won 81% of his games in the PCC/AAWU/Pacific-8 from 1948-49 through 1974-75 but none of those contests included conference tournament competition.