The Most Loved And Hated Coaches In College Basketball

College basketball is one of the most beloved phenomena in all of America. From the late summer pre-season tournaments to the heady days of March Madness, the entire country seems caught up in a web spun entirely out of NCAA jerseys, court sounds and teenage boys for the better part of five months out of every year, and while the players, teams, plays, and point spreads seem to be what keeps everybody glued to their television sets, the coaches who orchestrate it all give rise to quite a few opinions and emotions as well.

When it comes to some of the more colorful coaches in men’s college basketball, strong feelings more than abound. From good guys and bad guys to the biggest winners and the biggest cheaters, here are some of the most loved and hated coaches in all of college basketball.

Jerry Tarkanian

Known as “Tark the Shark,” Jerry Tarkanian was one of the most successful college coaches ever while he was coaching at Long Beach State, UNLV, and Fresno State. Unfortunately, it came to light that plenty of NCAA rules violations helped Tarkanian along his paths to victory. Each of his teams was saddled with penalties while he was at the helm, including the 1990 national title-winning UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. Tarkanian finally resigned from UNLV in 1992 due to his mounting woes with the NCAA, but like a true villain, he had the last laugh when he won a 1998 harassment suit against the organization for $2.5 million.

Bill Self

An all-around good guy who worked his way up through the coaching ranks to enjoy the head spot at some of the best teams in the country, Bill Self is the model of consistency. He recruits players who show a strong team ethic, and he manages to keep them in college longer than most coaches would. He works hard at preparing his teams and does so without drawing any negative attention to himself or his program — and he’s still able to win big on a regular basis.

Mike Krzyzewski

While there are plenty of ways to wear your team pride, University of Kentucky Wildcat fans still choose to wear “I Hate Duke” t-shirts, and around the country, unless you’re a Duke fan, you don’t have too many warm feelings for Mike Krzyzewski. The winner of four NCAA championships, Krzyzewski is the winningest coach in NCAA Division I history, and while it could be argued that Coach K doesn’t do much to garner the dislike he receives — other than coach Duke — he does have a reputation for foul language and whining, as well as a few possible NCAA violations that have slipped under the radar, but in Blue Devil country, he can do no wrong.

Bobby Knight

While he coached at Indiana, Bobby Knight gained a reputation for having one of the most explosive tempers in the sport. He once threw a folding chair across the court, head-butted and choked players, and even kicked his own son. He also said some pretty offensive things during interviews with the media. Violent and angry, Knight is still one of the least liked coaches in the sport.

Bob Huggins

Known as “Huggy Bear,” Bob Huggins was a notorious hothead, who also managed to get tangled up with the law over a DUI. He’s also viewed as having contributed to the decline of college players finishing their degrees back when he was coaching at Cincinnati. As if that weren’t enough, there have also been accusations regarding some shady deals with some recruits over the years. Since he’s been at West Virginia, however, Huggins seems to be earning a bit of a change in reputation. He has a stellar record there and fierce loyalty from his players, which has earned him more than a little bit of love from the fans.

Rick Pitino

A highly successful coach, this former New Yorker is seen by many as little more than an egomaniac. After superbly coaching the University of Kentucky for a number of years, Pitino tried his hand at coaching for the NBA only to limp back to the college ranks and coach for one of UK’s biggest rivals: Louisville. However, his success at Louisville has at least garnered him a bit of love from that part of the state, and almost everyone will agree that any team he coaches is always incredibly fit and disciplined.

Love and hate are often two sides of the same coin, which is why some of these coaches garner both emotions from fans and players alike. One thing is for sure, though: These coaches and those like them are part of the reason we love watching and discussing college basketball.