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Krzyzewski is the all-time winningest coach in men's college basketball, but he's not the greatest ever
https://www.cbssports.com/writers/kyle-boone/By Kyle Boone
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is officially stepping away from college basketball and retiring at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, ending a remarkable tenure in Durham, North Carolina, that spanned more than four decades. Krzyzewski is the winningest coach in men's college basketball history with his name scattered about the record books. From his five national championships (second-most all-time) to his 12 Final Fours (tied for the most all-time) to his record 97 NCAA Tournament wins, he is as much synonymous with Duke as he is with greatness in college coaching.
While Krzyzewski still has a full season ahead of him before he hangs up his whistle, his standing in the pantheon of men's college basketball coaches is entrenched. He's a legend with a bulletproof resume replete with remarkable longevity and consistent greatness. Regardless of how the 2021-22 season plays out, he will go down as one of the best to ever do it.
But not the best to ever do it. Though that is officially up for debate, we're choosing to put some respect on the Wizard of Westwood's name at the top of our rankings of the top men's college basketball coaches of all-time. Krzyzewski isn't far behind, however, as he begins his farewell tour in 2021-22.
Our rankings of a top 10 (and one) are below.
1. John Wooden
Career record: 664-162Teams coached: Indiana State, UCLA
National titles: 10
Final Fours: 12
Wooden ranks 30th -- 30th (!) -- on the all-time wins list. So how important are national championships? So important that a coach can rank 30th on the all-time wins list and rank No. 1 all-time with very little pushback. Wooden won all 10 of his titles in an incredible 12-year span from 1964-75. His program's record of seven consecutive national titles still stands.
2. Mike Krzyzewski
Career record: 1,170-361Teams coached: Army, Duke
National titles: 5
Final Fours: 12
In 46 seasons -- the first five of which came at Army before a 41-year run at Duke -- Krzyzewski has amassed an NCAA-record 1,170 wins. Five of those wins include national championships, the second-most all-time behind only the Wizard of Westwood. At Duke his teams have earned a combined 14 No. 1 NCAA Tournament seeds and had 35 NCAA Tournament berths.
3. Roy Williams
Career record: 903-264Teams coached: Kansas, North Carolina
National titles: 3
Final Fours: 9
Williams retired earlier this spring after 903 career wins with two legendary programs, Kansas and North Carolina. Williams ranks third on the all-time wins list by a Division I coach, reaching the 900-win milestone in fewer games (1,161) and seasons (33) than any coach in NCAA history. His 903 wins in 33 seasons is 100 more than any other coach in NCAA history including Krzyzewski and Williams' mentor, Dean Smith, who we'll get to momentarily. Three times he won national championships with UNC and nine times during his career he led his teams to the Final Four -- including three national runner-up finishes (two at Kansas and one at UNC).
4. Bob Knight
Career record: 899-374Teams coached: Army, Indiana, Texas Tech
National titles: 3
Final Fours: 5
A four-time national champion (once as a player, three times as a coach), Knight personified greatness at Indiana where he led the Hoosiers to three championships, five Final Fours and 11 regular-season crowns. His IU tenure was sandwiched between stops at Army (102-50) and Texas Tech (138-82). He retired one win shy of reaching the elusive 900-win club, and ranks fourth on the all-time wins list.
5. Dean Smith
Career record: 879-254Team coached: North Carolina
National titles: 2
Final Fours: 11
Smith, at the time of his retirement in 1997, stepped away from the game as the all-time leader in wins with 879. He now ranks fifth in career wins and top-10 in career win percentage with his 879-254 record all coming at North Carolina in one of the most remarkable careers ever that spanned 1961-97.