NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 20 best head coaches from past 5 seasons
By Ryan Kay
541. . . . Mark Few. 4. player
Coach Accomplishments the past 5 seasons
NCAA Tournament Final Four: 1 (2017)
WCC Regular Season Champion: 5 (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
WCC Tournament Champion: 4 (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020)
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 4 (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 4 (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Coaching Points Breakdown
0 points for National Championships
25 points for Final Four Appearances
50 points for Regular Season Conference Championships (WCC)
28 points for Conference Tournament Championships (WCC)
40 points for Sweet Sixteen Appearances
20 points for every season with 30 or more wins
4 points for every season with 20 or more wins,
8 points for every NCAA Tournament berth
Total Coaching Points: 175
2015-2016 Season
Non-Conference Record: 8-4
Best Non-Conference Victories: Tennessee, at Washington State, No. 18 UConn, and Washington
Non-Conference Tournament Championship: No, lost to No. 25 Texas A&M in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals.
Record versus their main rival: 1-2 versus Saint Mary’s, having lost on the road 67-70. They lost at home to the Gaels 58-63 but defeated Saint Mary’s in the WCC Championship game 85-75.
Conference Record: 15-3
Best Conference Victories: Defeated BYU twice, swept Pepperdine, and swept San Francisco.
Regular Season Conference Standings: Tied for 1st place in the regular-season standings.
Conference Tournament: Defeated Saint Mary’s in the WCC championship game.
NCAA Tournament: As the No. 11 seed, defeated the No. 6 seed and No. 20 ranked Seton Hall in the opening round. In the second round, Gonzaga beat No. 3 seed and No. 13 ranked Utah. In the Sweet Sixteen, the Bulldogs lost to No. 10 seed Syracuse.
Final AP poll ranking: N/R
2016-2017 Season
Non-Conference Record: 12-0
Best Non-Conference Victories: Tennessee, Washington, No. 16 Arizona, Florida, and San Diego State
Non-Conference Tournament Championship: Yes, defeated No. 21 Iowa State in the AdvoCare Invitational championship game.
Record versus their main rival: 3-0 having defeated Saint Mary’s at home 79-56, beating the Gaels 74-64 on the road, and defeating Saint Mary’s in the WCC tournament.
Conference Record: 17-1
Best Conference Victories: No. 21 Saint Mary’s, beat Santa Clara three times, at BYU, and swept San Francisco.
Regular Season Conference Standing: Finished 1st place to claim the regular-season WCC title.
Conference Tournament: They defeated No. 2 seed and No. 19 ranked Saint Mary’s in the championship game.
NCAA Tournament: As the No. 1 seed, defeated the No. 16 seed South Dakota State in the opening round. In the second round, Gonzaga beat No. 8 seed Northwestern. In the Sweet Sixteen, the Bulldogs defeated No 4 seed and No. 13 ranked West Virginia. In the Elite Eight, Gonzaga beat No. 11 seed, Xavier. The Bulldogs defeated No. 7 seed, South Carolina, in the Final Four. In the national championship game, Gonzaga lost to No. 1 seed and No. 5 ranked North Carolina.
Final AP poll ranking: 2
2017-2018 Season
Non-Conference Record: 10-3
Best Non-Conference Victories: at Washington, No. 25 Creighton, Texas, and Ohio State
Non-Conference Tournament Championship: No, lost to No. 7 Florida in the PK80–Phil Knight Invitational Motion Bracket semifinals game.
Record versus their main rival: 1-1 against Saint Mary’s winning on the road 78–65 and losing at home to the Gaels 71-74.
Conference Record: 17-1
Best Conference Victories: at No. 11 Saint Mary’s, beat BYU three times, defeated San Francisco three times, and swept San Diego.
Regular Season Conference Standing: 1st place finish to win the WCC regular-season title.
Conference Tournament: Defeated No. 3 seed BYU in the WCC championship game.
NCAA Tournament: As the No. 4 seed, Gonzaga defeated No. 13 seed, UNC Greensboro, in the opening round. The Bulldogs beat No. 5 seed and No. 17 ranked Ohio State in the second round. In the Sweet Sixteen, Gonzaga lost to No. 9 seed Florida State.
Final AP poll ranking: 8
2018-2019 Season
Non-Conference Record: 13-2
Best Non-Conference Victories: Washington, at Creighton, Texas A&M, Illinois, Arizona, and No. 1 Duke
Non-Conference Tournament Championship: Yes, they defeated Duke in the Maui Invitational Championship game.
Record versus their main rival: 2-1 against Saint Mary’s defeating them at home 94-46 and on the road 69-55. They lost to the Gaels in the WCC tournament 47-60.
Conference Record: 16-0
Best Conference Victories: Defeated St. Mary’s twice, swept BYU and swept San Francisco.
Regular Season Conference Standing: 1st place winning the WCC regular-season title.
Conference Tournament: Lost to Saint Mary’s in the final of the WCC tournament.
NCAA Tournament: As the No. 1 seed, defeated the No. 16 seed, Fairleigh Dickinson, in the opening round. In the second round, Gonzaga beat No. 9 seed, Baylor. In the Sweet Sixteen, the Bulldogs defeated No. 4 seed and No. 10 ranked Florida State. In the Elite Eight, Gonzaga lost to No. 3 seed and No. 9 ranked Texas Tech.
Final AP poll ranking: 4
2019-2020 Season
Non-Conference Record: 14-1
Best Non-Conference Victories: at Texas A&M, No. 11 Oregon, at No. 22 Washington, North Carolina and at No. 15 Arizona
Non-Conference Tournament Championship: No, lost to Michigan in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game.
Record versus their main rival: 3-0 having defeated Saint Mary’s at home 86-76, beating the Gaels 90-60 on the road, and defeating Saint Mary’s in the WCC tournament.
Conference Record: 15-1
Best Conference Victories: Defeated Saint Mary’s three times, BYU, beat San Francisco three times.
Conference Tournament: As the No. 1 seed, defeated the No. 3 seed Saint Mary’s in the WCC
finals games.
Regular Season Conference Standing: 1st place finish to capture the WCC regulars season title.
Final AP poll ranking: 2