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NCAA Basketball: Ranking the Top 25 Active Head Coaches in 2018

By Tristan Freeman

SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 22: Head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange and head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils embrace after the game on February 22, 2017 at The Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse upsets Duke 78-75. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 22: Head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange and head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils embrace after the game on February 22, 2017 at The Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse upsets Duke 78-75. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: Head coach Wright of Villanova. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: Head coach Wright of Villanova. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

4. Bill Self – Kansas Jayhawks

Career wins: 654 – NCAA Tournament appearances: 20

Best result: National Championship with Kansas in 2008

He had successful stints at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois, but no one saw what was coming when Self replaced Roy Williams at Kansas. The Jayhawks haven’t missed the NCAA Tournament in the 15 years since, and has won the Big 12 regular season title a record 14 seasons in a row.

There are some valid complaints of just three Final Fours in 15 years, but the consistency and dominance that this program has shown in conference play is just too great to deflate by the single-game elimination event in March.

3. Jay Wright – Villanova Wildcats

Career wins: 544 – NCAA Tournament appearances: 15

Best result: National Championships with Villanova in 2016 and 2018

There would’ve been those before the 2016 season who would’ve felt that Wright barely belonged on this list, with a few disastrous NCAA Tournament results hurting his resume. But winning two of the three national titles have certainly changed things for both the coach’s reputation as well as the program as a whole.

The Big East was decimated by the conference realignment, but Villanova took a turn for the better, dominating the league in a way that hasn’t been seen in a long time. Wright has navigated this past decade in an incredible way, and has set up the program and himself for success for the next decade to come.

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