Two great accomplishments...

dlb · 12-11-2006, 11:37 AM

... the greater of which will not get as much recognition as the lesser. As everyone who follows the college game knows, Bob Knight is poised to break the all-time wins record. This is the lesser accomplishment, for as Dean Smith said when he passed Adolph Rupp almost 10 years ago, all it really means is that you've been coaching for a long time. However, it is a rare occurence, mostly because so few people have an opportunity to coach at the college level for the requisite 35 years or so, and even fewer can win enough games per year to approach 900 wins in that span.

Bob Knight is a great coach and I don't begrudge him a moment of his glory. Also, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Dean Smith is in attendance when his good friend passes him on the all-time wins list.

However, a greater accomplishment was achieved this past weekend when Smith protege Roy Williams earned his 500th victory. This appears to be the lesser achievement because so many coaches reach the 500 win level. When you look a little more closely at Williams' record, though, you find that this was a truly exceptional accomplishment. He got there faster than any coach in the history of college basketball and continues to stay at or near the top in all-time winning percentage.

Because he started his head coaching career a little later than some, Williams will probably never pass Knight on the all-time wins list. To do so, he'd have to win more than 25 games per year for at least 16 more years (and that's only if Knight retires after this season). In his mid-50s now, Williams just doesn't have the time to get there, a sad fact that gives us all the more reason to take this opportunity to recognize his status as one of the premier coaches in the history of the game.

12-11-2006, 11:37 AM	#1 (permalink)
dlb Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 5,120	Two great accomplishments... ... the greater of which will not get as much recognition as the lesser. As everyone who follows the college game knows, Bob Knight is poised to break the all-time wins record. This is the lesser accomplishment, for as Dean Smith said when he passed Adolph Rupp almost 10 years ago, all it really means is that you've been coaching for a long time. However, it is a rare occurence, mostly because so few people have an opportunity to coach at the college level for the requisite 35 years or so, and even fewer can win enough games per year to approach 900 wins in that span. Bob Knight is a great coach and I don't begrudge him a moment of his glory. Also, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Dean Smith is in attendance when his good friend passes him on the all-time wins list. However, a greater accomplishment was achieved this past weekend when Smith protege Roy Williams earned his 500th victory. This appears to be the lesser achievement because so many coaches reach the 500 win level. When you look a little more closely at Williams' record, though, you find that this was a truly exceptional accomplishment. He got there faster than any coach in the history of college basketball and continues to stay at or near the top in all-time winning percentage. Because he started his head coaching career a little later than some, Williams will probably never pass Knight on the all-time wins list. To do so, he'd have to win more than 25 games per year for at least 16 more years (and that's only if Knight retires after this season). In his mid-50s now, Williams just doesn't have the time to get there, a sad fact that gives us all the more reason to take this opportunity to recognize his status as one of the premier coaches in the history of the game.