All-Time Winningest College Basketball Coaches
By Sean Facey
Sustaining a winning program in college basketball is no easy task. There's constant player turnover and plenty of teams ready and able to pull off improbable upsets.
But a select few coaches manage to find a winning formula, and one of those coaches, UNC skipper Roy Williams, managed to pass Dean Smith to move into fourth place on the all-time Division I wins list following a 94-71 win over Miami.
Roy Williams passes Dean Smith for 4th on the all-time D-I wins list.
— Bryan Ives (@awaytoworthy) January 25, 2020
Mike Krzyzewski - 1,148 (.768)
Jim Boeheim - 958 (.710)
Bob Knight - 902 (.709)
Roy Williams - 880 (.783)
Even if UNC loses out this season, Williams would still have the best win pct among the top 4.
So in the spirit of Williams' milestone achievement, let's take a look at the top 10 winningest coaches in the history of college hoops.
All-Time Winningest College Basketball Coaches
The legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski leads the way with an absurd 1,148 wins. After him are Jim Boeheim with 1,059 and Bob Knight with 899.
Williams took sole possession of fourth place with his 880th win on Saturday, leaving his UNC predecessor Smith alone in fifth with 879. Jim Calhoun and Adolph Rupp occupy sixth and seventh with 877 and 876 wins, respectively.
North Carolina beats Miami 94-71, and Roy Williams captures career win number 880.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 25, 2020
He passes former @UNC_Basketball head coach and mentor Dean Smith for the fourth-most Division I wins all time. pic.twitter.com/qjN9Vi1KLI
Rounding out the final three spots Eddie Sutton with 806, Bob Huggins with 803, and Lefty Driesell with 786.
It takes an awful lot of skill to be a part of such an elite group of coaches. With three NCAA Championship titles already under his belt, Williams is well on his way to going down as one of the best coaches in men's college basketball history.