The Most Famous IU Basketball Coach, Ranked

Voting rules: Choose the coach you think is the most famous!

Updated on May 2, 2024 07:07

At a university where basketball weaves through the fabric of history, distinguishing which coach left the most indelible mark can stir quite the debate among fans. Each coach brought their own style, strategy, and passion to the court, shaping not just teams but generations of followers. Thus, establishing who stands as the most renowned can be both intriguing and contentious. By presenting a live ranking system, this site offers everyone a chance to cast their votes and see how their views compare with others. It's more than a list; it's a dynamic reflection of collective opinion, updated in real time as more fans participate. Your vote matters here—it influences the ranking directly, ensuring that the list remains current and representative of true fan sentiment.

Who Is the Most Famous IU Basketball Coach?

1

45
votes
Truett Holmes · CC BY 3.0

Bob Knight

Knight is the most famous IU basketball coach, winning three national championships and amassing over 650 career wins. His fiery personality and coaching style made him a polarizing figure, but his success on the court cannot be denied.
Bob Knight in other rankings
- Position 4 of 10 in Most famous college basketball coach
2

29
votes

Unknown Indiana University · Public domain

Branch McCracken

McCracken coached at IU for 24 seasons, winning two national championships and leading the team to five Final Four appearances. He also coached the 1940 Olympic basketball team that won the gold medal.
3

29
votes

jmcmann · CC BY-SA 2.0

Archie Miller

Although his tenure as head coach at IU was relatively short, Miller still made a name for himself as a successful coach at Dayton before coming to Bloomington. He led the Hoosiers to a Big Ten regular season title in 2020.
4

21
votes

Frank Hurley · Public domain

Tom Crean

Crean coached at IU for nine seasons, leading the team to two Big Ten regular season championships and three Sweet 16 appearances. He also helped rebuild the program following NCAA sanctions.
5

5
votes

Lou Watson

Watson coached at IU for 18 seasons, leading the team to two Big Ten titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances. He also coached the first African American player in IU history, Bill Garrett.
6

12
votes

Unknown photographer · Public domain

Everett Dean

Dean coached at IU for 15 seasons, winning two Big Ten championships and leading the team to the Final Four in 1940. He was also the head coach at Stanford and won a national championship there in 1942.
7

6
votes

https://archinect.com · CC BY-SA 4.0

Mike Davis

Davis coached at IU for six seasons, leading the team to the national championship game in 2002. He also helped the program recover from NCAA sanctions and recruited future NBA stars like D.J. White and Eric Gordon.
8

9
votes

Bill Garrett

Although not a head coach, Garrett was the first African American player in IU history and helped break the color barrier in Big Ten basketball. He played for the Hoosiers from 1947-1951.
9

7
votes

Branch McCracken Jr.

Son of legendary IU coach Branch McCracken, McCracken Jr. was an assistant coach at IU for 24 seasons and helped lead the team to two national championships. He also coached the Hoosiers for one game in 1980 when his father was ill.
10

5
votes

Bob Donewald

Donewald was an assistant coach at IU for five seasons, helping the team reach the national championship game in 2002. He also had a successful career as a head coach at Illinois State and helped develop future NBA stars like Doug Collins and Tim Hardaway.

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Ranking factors for famous coach

Overall win-loss record

Coaches with high winning percentages and numerous victories will typically rank higher.
NCAA tournament success

Success in the NCAA tournament is highly valued in college basketball, so coaches with deep tournament runs and championships will rank higher.
Conference championships

Winning conference championships is an important indicator of consistent success over the regular season.
National honors and awards

Coaches who have won national awards or been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame will generally rank higher in historical context.
Impact on the program

Coaches who were able to leave a lasting impact on the IU basketball program, either through cultural changes or long-term success, will also rank highly.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most famous IU basketball coach. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or coach is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

1953 views
166 votes
10 ranked items

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each coach once every 24 hours. The rank of each coach is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

More information on most famous iu basketball coach

Indiana University has a rich history of basketball success, with five national championships and numerous conference titles. And behind every successful team is a great coach. But who is the most famous head coach in IU basketball history? From the legendary Branch McCracken to the iconic Bob Knight, there are plenty of candidates to consider. Join us as we take a trip down memory lane and explore the careers of some of the most notable head coaches in IU basketball history.