Who Has the Best Coach in the MVC?

[Aargh]

So far, McDermott has the best genes.

[shock]

McD is no where near discussion as a best coach. Marshall and Jacobson are the best. Somebody else cancompile the numbers, but it seems the argument for HCBJ is the job he has done with subpar talent. Sure, he has/had Kochs, and Ali was a sharpshooter, but everyone else. My counterpoint for HCGGGM is this- he doesn't have to worry about subpar talent because he is the better recruiter,hires the better recruiters, and wins with talent he has brought in. The 'does more with less' argument flies darn well for the first two seasons at a job. After that, if you can only bring in subpart talent, with the occasional all valley player, it is not something to be proud of.
And comparing success before the currently held position is completely valid. After all, we are talking about the ability to win games and recruit. I don't know a lot about McD. Didn't he come from Iowa State? If so, and that is indeed a BCS school, Marshall wins that all day long, because HCGGGM had more success at a lower level.

All that said, HCGGG is perfect and all the other coaches can kiss his feet while he rules this conference with an iron fist.

(Just thought I'd throw that in there. Figured if I was going to be accused of being a stuck up elitist a-hole, I might as well do something to warrant it. Then its fun for me, too.)

[DoubleJayAlum]

And comparing success before the currently held position is completely valid. After all, we are talking about the ability to win games and recruit. I don't know a lot about McD. Didn't he come from Iowa State? If so, and that is indeed a BCS school, Marshall wins that all day long, because HCGGGM had more success at a lower level.

You do realize that before he coached at Iowa State, he built the UNI program right? When he coached at UNI, they played basketball games in the football dome for goodness sake! In his five years at UNI, he won one conference tourney, plus garnered two additional at large NCAA bids. Unless I'm mistaken, that means he coached at UNI for the exact same amount of time that Marshall has been at WSU, but earned two more NCAA tourney bids than Marshall has earned in the same time frame.

Might want to do a little research before deeming somebody unworthy.

[Jays26]

Where are the parents of these kids?? What the heck is a 10 year old doing up at 2:33am.

[shock]

Anyway, like I said, I don't know a lot about McD. But I do know if it weren't for Dougie, Creighton would look a lot like ISUR, although not as shiny and cool and a lot more drunk. Pinkie is just not up on the same level a Jackie.

[ShockValue]

Compare McDermott's and Marshall's respective Vslley careers and I think they are pretty comparable. I'd take Gregg over Greg, but might take BJ over them both.

[Jet915]

Ben Jacobson is the best coach in the Valley IMO. He has done more w/less than any other coach here. Marshall and McDermott have better everything than UNI yet UNI always competes year in and year out...

[Jays26]

I like Ben.....

But between Greg and Greggggg.....let's give McD 5 years at Creighton and I think you will have your answer.

[ShockValue]

I like Ben.....

But between Greg and Greggggg.....let's give McD 5 years at Creighton and I think you will have your answer.

Fair point, but Greg probably inherited a better situation and scored a heck of a good recruit with his kid. Both programs have good coaches is probably the best answer.

[uniftw]

And comparing success before the currently held position is completely valid. After all, we are talking about the ability to win games and recruit. I don't know a lot about McD. Didn't he come from Iowa State? If so, and that is indeed a BCS school, Marshall wins that all day long, because HCGGGM had more success at a lower level.

You do realize that before he coached at Iowa State, he built the UNI program right? When he coached at UNI, they played basketball games in the football dome for goodness sake! In his five years at UNI, he won one conference tourney, plus garnered two additional at large NCAA bids. Unless I'm mistaken, that means he coached at UNI for the exact same amount of time that Marshall has been at WSU, but earned two more NCAA tourney bids than Marshall has earned in the same time frame.

Might want to do a little research before deeming somebody unworthy.

I won't say I hate McD, but I've never been a fan of him (including his time at UNI, but he is very much "Yeah, he's a freaking ass clown crybaby...but he's our freaking ass clown crybaby") but what he did at UNI can never be taken away and should never be discredited.

UNI has a very talent team coming this year, and while all of you will talk down the talent because we are mostly white or whatever reason. The "athleticism/talent" that is on this years team is double that of the teams McD coached at UNI.

Now, it could be said that he failed at Iowa State (and did) and UNI continued to get better talent and continued to get better. The constant at UNI over that time, Ben Jacobson.


You could give Lowery Doug and he would compete for for a conference title. He is very lucky to have Doug, and without Doug Creighton is a 4th-6th place team.

Give Gregg or Ben Doug McD and they win the league by 4 or 5 games. Ben because of how good of a X's and O's coach he is, and Gregg because of the overall talent he would have with Doug.


Ben took a UNI team that started 2 true freshman (point guard and center, two pretty important positions in the valley), replacing one of the better PG's in conference history (no I didn't say best or top 3 or 5 I said one of the better) and a team who's only post presence was one of the freshman (due to the infamous friend hat situation that pulled UNI's top recruit away), a team who only had 4 players who had seen significant minutes at any point in their careers, etc... to within 2 points of the NIT quarters and a team that beat that Creighton team (and was within 3 of beating them twice).


To say Ben does more with less has been true. However, for only the second (maybe third) season in his career Ben has a truly experienced team returning.

6 seasons
21.5 wins per season (64.5% win %)
4 post season tournaments
2x coach of the year
2 conference titles
2 tournament titles
2 NCAA's
1 S16


Most successful 6 year stretch in UNI history - and only looking better for the coming years.



Not bad for it being your first head coaching gig and being only 41 years old