Big Ten Icons: Coaches

[thejumper5]

BTN will be doing its second season of Icons this year, and they will focus on coaches. How do you think the rankings will fall? Where will Dan Gable and Hayden Fry land (if they're on the list at all)? Is Bob Knight the obvious #1, or will there be someone ahead of him?

 

[DwayneTwill]

I don't think Bob Knight is the unanimous #1. Gable should be in the top 5. Fry won't be in the top 20, unless they weight it toward football.

 

[thejumper5]

I just read on another site that they will do it a little bit differently this year and instead of ranking them, they will have a 12-episode season in which they feature one coach from each school. That certainly takes the fun out of it a little bit.

 

[DwayneTwill]

I just read on another site that they will do it a little bit differently this year and instead of ranking them, they will have a 12-episode season in which they feature one coach from each school. That certainly takes the fun out of it a little bit.

Kind of takes the fun out of it, but really, it's so hard to rank coaches from different sports and different eras. It also allows them to keep doing this sort of thing year after year, and is more politically correct.

 

[hawkeyescott]

I know wrestling isn't popular at other schools like it is at Iowa but based on performance and titles Gable would have to be #1. Nobody has done what he did Iowa:

In 21 years:

355-21-5 good for a .931 winning percentage
21 Big Ten Titles in 21 years
15 National Titles in 21 years

There isn't a coach on the planet with these kinds of numbers.