Lost in the Shuffle: Legend's Limelight Totally Obscures Predecessor
A total of 39 current NCAA Division I schools feature all-time winningest coaches boasting in excess of 400 triumphs. The length of tenure necessary to win so many games makes it almost impossible to remember their predecessors. Anyone who can name 1/3 of the mentors they succeeded goes straight to the Trivia Hall of Fame.
Lou Watson's passing away this year triggered a question as to what other individuals are completely overshadowed after being succeeded by a coaching legend such as Indiana's Bob Knight. Knight combined with fellow record holders Phog Allen, Dale Brown, Gale Catlett, Denny Crum, Ed Diddle, Hec Edmundson, Jack Friel, Don Haskins, Lou Henson, Hank Iba, Frank Keaney, Bob McKillop, Ray Meyer, Lute Olson, Alex Severance, Norm Stewart, Bob Thomason, John Thompson Jr., Gary Williams, John Wooden and Ned Wulk for more than 12,000 victories at their respective schools where they established new standards. Who would have thought such achievements were in store after their predecessors collaborated to go more than 300 games below .500 over a cumulative 92 seasons.
One of the predecessor names in particular should surprise you. Incredibly, the only one of Kansas' 10 head coaches with a career losing record is the inventor of the sport (Dr. James Naismith). Naismith is among the following coaches who were succeeded by individuals posting more than 400 wins to become the all-time winningest mentor at the same institution:
| School | All-Time Winningest Coach | Predecessor (W-L Record During Tenure) |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Lute Olson (590 victories) | Ben Lindsey (4-25 in 1983) |
| Arizona State | Ned Wulk (405) | Bill Kajikawa (88-137 from 1949-57) |
| Butler | Tony Hinkle (549) | Harlan O. "Pat" Page (94-29 from 1921-26) |
| California | Clarence "Nibs" Price (449) | Earl Wright (60-20 from 1921-24) |
| Connecticut | Jim Calhoun (626) | Dom Perno (139-114 from 1978-86) |
| Davidson | Bob McKillop (426) | Bobby Hussey (107-126 from 1982-89) |
| Dayton | Don Donoher (437) | Tom Blackburn (352-141 from 1948-64) |
| DePaul | Ray Meyer (724) | Bill Wendt (23-20 in 1941 & 1942) |
| Duke | Mike Krzyzewski (854) | Bill E. Foster (113-64 from 1975-80) |
| Georgetown | John Thompson Jr. (596) | Jack Magee (69-80 from 1967-72) |
| Houston | Guy Lewis (592) | Alden Pasche (135-116 from 1946-56) |
| Illinois | Lou Henson (421) | Gene Bartow (8-18 in 1975) |
| Indiana | Bob Knight (659) | Lou Watson (62-60 from 1966-69 & 1971) |
| Kansas | Phog Allen (590) | Dr. James Naismith (55-60 from 1899-1907) |
| Kentucky | Adolph Rupp (875) | John Mauer (40-14 from 1928-30) |
| Louisiana State | Dale Brown (448) | Press Maravich (76-86 from 1967-72) |
| Louisville | Denny Crum (675) | Howard Stacey (12-8 in 1971) |
| Maryland | Gary Williams (461) | Bob Wade (36-50 from 1987-89) |
| Missouri | Norm Stewart (634) | Bob Vanatta (42-80 from 1963-67) |
| Niagara | Taps Gallagher (465) | Bill McCarthy (44-35 from 1928-31) |
| North Carolina | Dean Smith (879) | Frank McGuire (164-58 from 1953-61) |
| Oklahoma State | Hank Iba (655) | Harold James (13-41 from 1932-34) |
| Oregon State | Slats Gill (599) | Robert Hager (115-53 from 1923-28) |
| Pacific | Bob Thomason (414) | Tom O'Neill (51-110 from 1983-88) |
| Princeton | Pete Carril (514) | Butch van Breda Kolff (103-31 from 1963-67) |
| Purdue | Gene Keady (512) | Lee Rose (50-18 in 1979 & 1980) |
| Rhode Island | Frank Keaney (403) | Fred Murray (9-8 in 1921) |
| St. John's | Lou Carnesecca* (526) | Frank Mulzoff (56-27 from 1971-73) |
| Syracuse | Jim Boeheim (890) | Roy Danforth (148-71 from 1969-76) |
| Temple | John Chaney (516) | Don Casey (151-94 from 1974-82) |
| Texas A&M | Shelby Metcalf (438) | Bobby Rogers (92-52 from 1958-63) |
| Texas-El Paso | Don Haskins (719) | Harold Davis (18-30 in 1960 & 1961) |
| UCLA | John Wooden (620) | Wilbur Johns (93-120 from 1940-48) |
| UNLV | Jerry Tarkanian (509) | John Bayer (44-36 from 1971-73) |
| Villanova | Alex Severance (413) | Doc Jacobs (62-56 from 1930-36) |
| Washington | Hec Edmundson (488) | Stub Allison (7-8 in 1920) |
| Washington State | Jack Friel (495) | Karl Schlademan (18-27 in 1927 & 1928) |
| West Virginia | Gale Catlett (439) | Joedy Gardner (59-53 from 1975-78) |
| Western Kentucky | Ed Diddle (759) | L.T. Smith (3-1 in 1922) |
*Carnesecca succeeded Joe Lapchick when he served his first stint with St. John's from 1965-66 through 1969-70