Opinion: Best coach in the MVC?

by **kochhead22** » July 11th, 2011, 1:12 pm

Bit of a slow time right now and i looked back about ten pages of thread and didn't see anything like this so i thought i'd ask everyone's opinion on who is considered the best coach in the MVC. (NOT INCLUDING YOUR OWN COACH)

Not being able to choose Gregg Marshall i would have to say that Ben Jacobson would be my choice. He's done a great job the last couple of seasons and it will be interesting to see how good they are this year.

**Sponsor**

by **glm38** » July 11th, 2011, 5:42 pm

To me it's Ben Jacobson. I'll go a little further and say I don't even think it's close.

by **Duan** » July 11th, 2011, 6:06 pm

kochhead22 wrote:Bit of a slow time right now and i looked back about ten pages of thread and didn't see anything like this so i thought i'd ask everyone's opinion on who is considered the best coach in the MVC. (NOT INCLUDING YOUR OWN COACH)

Not being able to choose Gregg Marshall i would have to say that Ben Jacobson would be my choice. He's done a great job the last couple of seasons and it will be interesting to see how good they are this year.

I agree that it will be interesting to see how good UNI is this year. I have never been on the Jacobson bandwagon (this is not a Jacobson bashing...it is JMO). I feel as if Jacobson was left with great players and now that his team is his team...we will see what he does this year. My vote is for Simmons!

by **valleychamp** » July 11th, 2011, 6:57 pm

Duan wrote:
kochhead22 wrote:Bit of a slow time right now and i looked back about ten pages of thread and didn't see anything like this so i thought i'd ask everyone's opinion on who is considered the best coach in the MVC. (NOT INCLUDING YOUR OWN COACH)

Not being able to choose Gregg Marshall i would have to say that Ben Jacobson would be my choice. He's done a great job the last couple of seasons and it will be interesting to see how good they are this year.

I agree that it will be interesting to see how good UNI is this year. I have never been on the Jacobson bandwagon (this is not a Jacobson bashing...it is JMO). I feel as if Jacobson was left with great players and now that his team is his team...we will see what he does this year.

What do you base this on? Guys like Ahelegbe, Dunham, Koch, and Eglseder were recruited under Mac, but never played one day for anyone other than Jake. Those are the only guys that have had any ties whatsoever to McDermott during Jake's tenure. And Jake had a big role in the recruitment of those guys anyways.

by **pafan** » July 11th, 2011, 7:55 pm

With so much turnover, can we really form good opinions? There are only two coaches who have been their present schools around long enough to have recruited a freshman, red shirt him, and watch him graduate.

Let me throw out some people who aren't the best coach:
Simmons - I'm ineligible to vote for him
C-Lo - obvious reasons
Keno, Lusk - no games coached yet
Phelps - Drake's recent teams have been uneven
Jankovich - Seems to struggle to lead a program with the weak schedule and so-so recruiting
Lansing, old McD - New to their respective schools

Leaves me with Jacobson and Marshall. I feel like Gregg will be the better coach, long-term -- if, of course he stays at WSU long-term.

by **beatingrillz** » July 11th, 2011, 7:58 pm

Exactly, not saying Ben can't but his first year without McD recruits will be this year. Yes, he has a great class coming in, and is trying to ride the tails of the sweet16 appearance. Last year they under achieved by his standards. I know my reputation is sour but I just can't help but imagine that Ben is the next Lowery. He is a one trick pony and the game can only be slowed down so much, eventually he is going to have to recruit a credible athlete.

by **CaseyGarrisonforPrez** » July 11th, 2011, 8:43 pm

I don't really see how a case can be made for anyone but Jacobson. But I honestly think McDermott has played a big part in his success and put him at number two being that he has coached in a BCS conference and probably learned something from it. But Jake got UNI further so it'd go to him. I too think there is somewhat of a comparison for C-Lo. It would be unfair to say that he would necessarily crash and burn but the possibility exists. Marshall would probably have more appeal if he had stayed at Winthrop and wracked up more tournament appearances. The track record in the Valley puts him in the next strata with Lowery actually a hair in front because of his early success.

by **valleychamp** » July 11th, 2011, 8:46 pm

beatingrillz wrote:Exactly, not saying Ben can't but his first year without McD recruits will be this year. Yes, he has a great class coming in, and is trying to ride the tails of the sweet16 appearance. Last year they under achieved by his standards. I know my reputation is sour but I just can't help but imagine that Ben is the next Lowery. He is a one trick pony and the game can only be slowed down so much, eventually he is going to have to recruit a credible athlete.

lol, wow.

UNI was on the cusp of another conference championship last year until the O'Rear injury. Throw that on top of the fact that we essentially played a man down all last year because of the Doug McDermott fiasco. (who ended up being one of the best players in the league from day 1) You could very easily argue that UNI OVER-achieved last year.

And as I said in my earlier post, the argument that Jake has only won with McD players is a HUGE stretch to begin with, if not just plain incorrect.

by **CaseyGarrisonforPrez** » July 11th, 2011, 8:54 pm

valleychamp wrote:
beatingrillz wrote:Exactly, not saying Ben can't but his first year without McD recruits will be this year. Yes, he has a great class coming in, and is trying to ride the tails of the sweet16 appearance. Last year they under achieved by his standards. I know my reputation is sour but I just can't help but imagine that Ben is the next Lowery. He is a one trick pony and the game can only be slowed down so much, eventually he is going to have to recruit a credible athlete.

lol, wow.

UNI was on the cusp of another conference championship last year until the O'Rear injury. Throw that on top of the fact that we essentially played a man down all last year because of the Doug McDermott fiasco. (who ended up being one of the best players in the league from day 1) You could very easily argue that UNI OVER-achieved last year.

And as I said in my earlier post, the argument that Jake has only won with McD players is a HUGE stretch to begin with, if not just plain incorrect.

Golly. I promise to stop sparring with UNI people but I cannot let this one go. "one the cusp of another championship" that is a stretch. "Played a man down?' what is this USA/Brazil Women's World Cup? Coach Jake is a good coach and a decent human being but come on. He LET McDermott go without a fight so I cannot offer much sympathy there.

by **hot nuts** » July 11th, 2011, 8:56 pm

My vote is for Marty Simmons.