NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 20 best head coaches from past 5 seasons

By Ryan Kay | Sep 27, 2020

MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 26: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels and head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats walk off the court before their game during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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MADISON, WISCONSIN – MARCH 04: Head coach Greg Gard of the Wisconsin Badgers (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

493. . . . Greg Gard. 17. player

Coach Accomplishments the past 5 seasons
Big Ten Regular Season Champion: 1 (2020)
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 2 (2016 and 2017)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3 (2016, 2017, 2019)

Coaching Points Breakdown
0 points for National Championships
0 points for Final Four Appearances
20 points for Regular Season Conference Championships (Big Ten)
0 points for Conference Tournament Championships (Big Ten)
20 points for Sweet Sixteen Appearances
0 points for every season with 30 or more wins
16 points for every season with 20 or more wins
6 points for every NCAA Tournament berth
Total Coaching Points: 62

Over the past five seasons:

Best Season: 2016-2017 and in that season in Gard’s first full season at the helm of the Badgers program, he led Wisconsin to a 27 win season, a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA tournament, reached the championship game of the Big Ten tournament, and tied for 2nd in the Big Ten regular-season standings.

Biggest Regular Season Win: On Jan. 19. 2019, Gard and his Badgers welcomed undefeated and No. 2 Michigan to Madison. The Wolverines entered the game with 17 wins and had not lost a game since last season’s national championship game. Wisconsin was ready and Gard and his team defeated Michigan by a final score of 64-54.

Defining moment: Bo Ryan abruptly retired on Dec. 15, 2015, after a victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Gard a long-time assistant under Ryan, became the interim coach. After winning two of his first three games at the helm, Gard would lose his next three games as the Badgers feel to 9-9 overall and 1-4 in conference play.

Then on Jan. 17, 2016, Wisconsin would host No. 4 Michigan State which would be Gard’s defining moment as a head coach. The Badgers would end up upsetting the Spartans and winning the game by one point would catapult Wisconsin the rest of the way. Gard after defeating Michigan State would win his next seven games and win 11 of 12 games during that span.

Best NCAA Tournament Victory: In the 2017 NCAA Tournament, Gard and his Wisconsin Badgers as a No. 8 seed not only upset No. 1 seeded Villanova, they defeated a Wildcats team that last year, were the national champions and No. 1 overall seed in the 2017 tournament. It was a close game but the three-point victory earned Wisconsin a fourth consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearance.

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