a lot of season left and seems implausible we could keep up this pace, so may as well ask when the bball frenzy is peaking. when you look at the 2 rosters, what is the more impressive coaching job? I would have to say that so far, '23 NU bball's overachieving is pretty close to the '95 football team when you just look at the roster make-up. The '95 football team came on the heels of a '94 team that was pretty competitive against good teams (and may have won some if not for the Lundy scandal) and that roster, although not full of NFL talent, was experienced and pretty solid top to bottom with a few all-american types in Bates, Autry etc.. The bball team would probably have to make the final 4 to shock the world to the degree the '95 cats did, but in terms of pure coaching the difference is not that big at this moment in time.
better coaching job so far...'23 NU bball or '95 NU football
- Thread starter torque-cat
- Start date
Nothing will ever beat Gary Barnett taking the Purple to Pasadena, in my opinion, other than a national title.
I feel like this year is more like the 2000 team, in that we came off some horrible years, decided to remake the team’s strategies, and then shocked the world by getting so good so quickly. Boo is Zak Kustok and Chase is Damien Anderson.
Let’s hope we don’t meet Eric Crouch in the tournament…
In terms of coaching achievement, here’s my top 4.
1. What Kelly Amonte Hiller did with Women’s Lacrosse - building from scratch and then sustaining a national power - ranks #1 in my opinion.
2. Barnett’s 1995 accomplishment was probably the single greatest turnaround in the game’s history. But he soon digressed to winless ways in the BIG.
3. Collins will need a Final 4 to be compared to Barnett’s Rose Bowl team. But he’s the leader down the stretch for conference coach of the year.
4. Only Fitz could have inspired a billion dollars worth of facility improvements.
GOUNUII
I know I'll get some pushback on this one, but Collins was preceded by Cormady, and despite his shortcomings (lack of enthusiastic recruiting purported to be one), he certainly was a stabilizing influence for the program. Barnett was pretty much preceded by an abyss. On that criteria, I would certainly pick Coach Gary. I also think that a lot of the success that our athletic programs have had over the years since owe at least a bit of that success to Coach Barnett. He really got the ball rolling. That said, Coach Collins has done an amazing job so far this year! Not only his great record, but the way that he has met adversity aplenty and has more than risen to the occasion. Congrat, CCC, keep her goin!
I agree. I'm not even sure a national title in basketball or football could beat it, to be honest, though ask me this again when THAT happens!
Barnett 1995. Because of the extent of the turn-around, the completely unexpected nature of it, and the height it reached (Big Ten title, #3 AP ranking going into the Rose Bowl)
Also consider this: had we pulled out a win against USC (and I still contend this would have happened had Fitz not been injured), there would have been a serious argument about whether Florida, Tennessee, or NU was most deserving of the #2 ranking in the final poll.
Also consider this: had we pulled out a win against USC (and I still contend this would have happened had Fitz not been injured), there would have been a serious argument about whether Florida, Tennessee, or NU was most deserving of the #2 ranking in the final poll.
USC also played Keyshawn Johnson who should not have been eligible.
Also, had we beat Miami OH (which we should have but for a fluke) AND beat USC, we’d have a legitimate claim to being #1.
As my Medill classmate Sam Valenzisi said in a bit of a humble brag, "Our All-Americans didn't play because of injuries. Theirs did."
If there'd been repay, Musso's fumble would have been reversed... and so on, and so on.
The transformation by Gary Barnett of Northwestern's football program (I was there the night he told the crowd at a hoops game that we were going to take the Purple to Pasadena, and wondered who this crazy guy was that we'd hired as football coach) is unmatched in the annals of college football. KAH's success creating the lacrosse dynasty was/is great, but GB gets my vote as #1.
The transformation by Gary Barnett of Northwestern's football program (I was there the night he told the crowd at a hoops game that we were going to take the Purple to Pasadena, and wondered who this crazy guy was that we'd hired as football coach) is unmatched in the annals of college football. KAH's success creating the lacrosse dynasty was/is great, but GB gets my vote as #1.
Similar threads
