Ivy League Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

By Joey Loose | Jun 1, 2020

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 11: Darnell Foreman #4 of the Pennsylvania Quakers sits atop the rim after the win at The Palestra on March 11, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Penn defeated Harvard 68-65 for the Men's Ivy League Tournament Championship title. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 28: Head coach Kyle Smith of the Columbia Lions (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) /

8. Kyle Smith – Columbia (2010-2016)

Without meaning to offend anyone, Columbia is another Ivy League program with a very limited history of success. The program has made just three NCAA Tournaments and the most recent one was over 50 years ago. That being said, Smith’s six years with the Lions were some of the most successful this program has seen in the last few decades.

Smith crossed coasts after serving as an assistant at Saint Mary’s but didn’t let geography affect him. He led Columbia to 21 wins and a CIT bid by 2014. Two years later, he elevated the Lions even further, winning 25 games (a program record) and bringing home the CIT championship. In his final years, Columbia was 59-38, with a 23-19 mark in an Ivy League in which they rarely competed near the top.

Nowadays, Smith is the head coach at Washington State, with Columbia a clearly important stepping stone. In the four years since his departure, Columbia hasn’t won more than 11 games in a season. He brought profound success to these Lions and his presence is clearly missed. Even though he couldn’t lead Columbia to that elusive NCAA Tournament, there were certainly profound strides made during those six seasons.