×
Rock Chalk Talk: Basketball
Anything pertaining to basketball: college, pro, HS, recruiting, TV coverage
Anything pertaining to basketball: college, pro, HS, recruiting, TV coverage
KU Men's Basketball Head Coaches and Their Records through 2017-12-18
7 years 6 months ago - 7 years 6 months ago #14882
by HawkErrant
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain "Innocents Abroad"
Below for your entertainment is a screenshot from one of my worksheets that I use to track KUMBB. The data shown is current through last Monday's University of Nebraska-Omaha game.
My first semester on campus after finishing 6 years in the Army was Fall 1980. My time on The Hill included the last three years of Ted Owens time at the helm, and the Fall 1983 semester marking the beginning of Larry Brown's 5 year rejuvenation of the program.
Points of interest.
1. Although Phog has 3 National Championships to his credit thanks to the 1922 and 1923 Helms National Championships, no KU coach has more than 1 NCAA title in his resume. Phog, Larry and Bill each have one. Dick Harp, Ted Owens and Roy Williams never won an NCAA title.
2. Roy Williams leads all KU coaches with 4 Final Four appearances, but with that goes that dubious distinction of never winning an NCAA title during his 15 years at KU despite making those four FFs and two National Championship games .
3. Dr. Forrest C. (Doc or Phog) Allen (aka "The Father of Basketball Coaching") only had 3 Final Four -- and NC game -- appearances (1940, 1952 and 1953) in the 18 years he coached starting when his brainchild NCAA tournament was first played in 1939. He would have almost assuredly have had 4 appearances in 19 years if the Kansas Board of Regents had not turned down his request to waive the state's mandatory age 70 retirement rule for state employees so he could coach Wilt & Company in the 1956-57 season.
4. Larry Brown, Ted Owens and Bill Self all have two Final Four appearances in their records. Dick Harp is the only NCAAT era coach with just one - Wilt's 1956-57 sophomore season.
5. Note the fact bubbling just underneath that last comment -- since the 1939 beginning of the NCAAT, every one of the six Kansas head coaches has taken at least one of his teams to the Final Four.
6. A case could arguably be made for Larry Brown, with his 2 Final Fours and an NCAA title in his five year stint at KU, being the most successful KU Mens Basketball coach of all time, at least in postseason play. His 2 FFs in 5 years = making the FF for 40% of his KU career. (Next best is Roy: 4/15 = 27%). Unless Bill or some later coach goes on a Woodenesque run, it is unlikely any KU head coach will ever be better at getting to the FF than Larry.
7. One final dubious distinction - Ted Owens is the only KU MBB head coach that was ever fired from his position.
One last note: in reviewing this entry for posting, I noticed that I need to update my records for the FF dates for
Ted Owens (1971, 1974, no NC games) and
Roy Williams (1991, 1993, 2002, 2003; 2 NC games 1991, 2003)Records edited 2017-12-21
My first semester on campus after finishing 6 years in the Army was Fall 1980. My time on The Hill included the last three years of Ted Owens time at the helm, and the Fall 1983 semester marking the beginning of Larry Brown's 5 year rejuvenation of the program.
WINS LOSSES W-L% COMMENTS
50 38 0.568 Owens last 3 years: 1980-81 (24-8); 1981-82 (13-14); 1982-83 (13-16)
1028 273 0.790 Record from the 1980-81 season (my first academic year at KU) to today
978 235 0.806 Record since Larry Brown started as HC effective with the Academic Year 1983-84 season.Points of interest.
1. Although Phog has 3 National Championships to his credit thanks to the 1922 and 1923 Helms National Championships, no KU coach has more than 1 NCAA title in his resume. Phog, Larry and Bill each have one. Dick Harp, Ted Owens and Roy Williams never won an NCAA title.
2. Roy Williams leads all KU coaches with 4 Final Four appearances, but with that goes that dubious distinction of never winning an NCAA title during his 15 years at KU despite making those four FFs and two National Championship games .
3. Dr. Forrest C. (Doc or Phog) Allen (aka "The Father of Basketball Coaching") only had 3 Final Four -- and NC game -- appearances (1940, 1952 and 1953) in the 18 years he coached starting when his brainchild NCAA tournament was first played in 1939. He would have almost assuredly have had 4 appearances in 19 years if the Kansas Board of Regents had not turned down his request to waive the state's mandatory age 70 retirement rule for state employees so he could coach Wilt & Company in the 1956-57 season.
4. Larry Brown, Ted Owens and Bill Self all have two Final Four appearances in their records. Dick Harp is the only NCAAT era coach with just one - Wilt's 1956-57 sophomore season.
5. Note the fact bubbling just underneath that last comment -- since the 1939 beginning of the NCAAT, every one of the six Kansas head coaches has taken at least one of his teams to the Final Four.
6. A case could arguably be made for Larry Brown, with his 2 Final Fours and an NCAA title in his five year stint at KU, being the most successful KU Mens Basketball coach of all time, at least in postseason play. His 2 FFs in 5 years = making the FF for 40% of his KU career. (Next best is Roy: 4/15 = 27%). Unless Bill or some later coach goes on a Woodenesque run, it is unlikely any KU head coach will ever be better at getting to the FF than Larry.
7. One final dubious distinction - Ted Owens is the only KU MBB head coach that was ever fired from his position.
Ted Owens (1971, 1974, no NC games) and
Roy Williams (1991, 1993, 2002, 2003; 2 NC games 1991, 2003)
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain "Innocents Abroad"
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
Share this page: