Where does Popovich rank among coaches? (1 Viewer)

[timschochet]

I’m certainly no expert on this subject but I’m interested in the question. A few years back a friend of mine asserted to me that Greg Popavich has to be in the discussion as the greatest basketball coach of all time. He argued that it wasn’t a question of championships (though Pops has plenty of those) but how well his teams were coached, how well he performed against competition.

When I think of the greatest coaches, the obvious names that come to mind are, in no particular order, Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley in the NBA, John Wooden, Bobby Knight, Coach K in college, Pat Summit and the UConn guy for women’s basketball. Where does Pops fit in? Among the very best or somewhere below that?

 

[General Malaise]

He's on Mount Rushmore of basketball coaches, IMO. I have him above Riley.

 

[Hastur]

Seasons coached: 26
Regular-season record: 1,330-687 (.661)
Championships: 5
NBA Coach of the Year Awards: 3

• Ranks third on the all-time wins list in both the regular season and playoffs (170).
• Has the most combined victories across the regular season and playoffs (1,496).
• Guided the San Antonio Spurs to five NBA championships: 1998-99, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2006-07 and 2013-14.
• Tied for the third-most NBA championships (along with John Kundla and Pat Riley).
• Named NBA Coach of the Year for 2002-03, 2011-12 and 2013-14.
• Shares the NBA record for most Coach of the Year awards (along with Don Nelson and Pat Riley).
• Has coached San Antonio for 26 seasons, the longest tenure with one franchise in NBA history.
• Ranks sixth in career regular-season winning percentage (min. 400 games).
• Served as a coach in the NBA All-Star Game four times.

Sounds top tier to me.

 

[Nipsey]

I have him 2nd just behind Boeheim.

 

[Joe Schmo]

All sports he is top echelon of modernish coaches as well. Scotty Bowman, Belichick, Torre and Phil Jackson are at the top. After that Riley, Pop, Landry, Shula, Sparky Anderson, La Russa, Arobr and Quenneville and a few more so Pop is top 10ish, imo.

 

[Anarchy99]

Certainly, behind the coach with 1) the highest winning percentage in the regular season, 2) post season (minimum 40 playoff games), and 3) regular and post season combined . . . Joe Mazzulla.

 

[Max Power]

You can't argue with Pops results. He zigged when the rest of the NBA zagged. Pops investment in overseas scouting has changed basketball forever.

Shout out to Tim Duncan who's easily a top 10 NBA player of all time.

 

[urbanhack]

Number #1 rated off the court coach.

 

[General Malaise]

There are a lot of amazing things about his career, but one that I think really hammers home how impressive he was as a coach is this:

He went from being the head coach at Pomona-Pitzer (had one year as an assistant with Kansas in between HC stints at P-Pitz) to an assistant in the NBA to a hall of fame career as an NBA head coach.

Pomona-Pitzer is a lot of things, but a basketball factory isn't one of them. In fact, it's not just one school, it's a joint varsity team for Pomona College and Pitzer College, which are two of the Claremont Colleges. Pomona-Pitzer are some of the hardest colleges to get into in this country. Think Harvard level hard to get into. It's a DIII basketball program. That is an ASTOUNDING career leap to go from a small, exceedingly hard academic program to 26 years in the NBA. He wasn't an NBA player (played at Air Force), didn't have a storied career as an assistant at a big school, was a brief NBA assistant and then POP goes Pop. Unreal.

 

[Mister CIA]

People can debate about which order to sort them, but there's as good of argument for Pop being greatest of all-time as any other. Probably would have haad another ring on his hand were it not for that dirty rat ... I'm talking to you, Derek Fisher.

Shout out to Larry Brown too. I think he had a lot to do with Pop's success.

 

[Max Power]

People can debate about which order to sort them, but there's as good of argument for Pop being greatest of all-time as any other. Probably would have haad another ring on his hand were it not for that dirty rat ... I'm talking to you, Derek Fisher.

Shout out to Larry Brown too. I think he had a lot to do with Pop's success.

Thought you were going to say Ray Allen.

 

[Dickies]

Number #1 rated off the court coach.

One of the more interesting interviews in sports.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

People can debate about which order to sort them, but there's as good of argument for Pop being greatest of all-time as any other. Probably would have haad another ring on his hand were it not for that dirty rat ... I'm talking to you, Derek Fisher.

Shout out to Larry Brown too. I think he had a lot to do with Pop's success.

Probably would have had 1 less had the pistons bothered to guard Robert Horry

 

[dkp993]

As lifelong Spurs fan I’m obviously biased. But he’s the GOAT imo. And most certainly on the Mt. Rushmore of coaches. Absolutely hate to see him sidelined but Father Time is undefeated.

 

[dkp993]

People can debate about which order to sort them, but there's as good of argument for Pop being greatest of all-time as any other. Probably would have haad another ring on his hand were it not for that dirty rat ... I'm talking to you, Derek Fisher.

Shout out to Larry Brown too. I think he had a lot to do with Pop's success.

Thought you were going to say Ray Allen.

I still have nightmares about that Ray Allen 3.

 

[dkp993]

Shout out to Tim Duncan who's easily a top 10 NBA player of all time.

Greatest Power Forward in history.