60. Gene
Stephenson
Stephenson winning a national championship at Wichita State is more impressive than any single championship on this list. However, he only did it one time. Still, he won a championship with the Shockers before the basketball team was shocking anybody. This happened in 1989 when the small team from the Missouri Valley Conference ruled all of college baseball. That alone gets him on the list, but he also advanced to six other appearances in the College World Series. Stephenson made Wichita State a name in college baseball. He coached them brilliantly from 1978-2013. Then in 2013 in one of the most disrespectful moves ever, Wichita State fired the man who put that program on the map. No loyalty to Gene Stephenson at the end, but his impact at Wichita State is everlasting.
59. Tony
Dungy
Tony Dungy is my personal favorite coach because of how he does things, but I had to rank him here at 59 to remain unbiased. His resume deserves to be ranked here instead of in the Top 10 where I would like to put him. However, don't discount the resume of Tony Dungy.
He is the only coach in history to win a major championship with Peyton Manning. Manning is the best regular season QB of all-time, but his postseason resume is less than stellar. To put it frank, most call Manning a choke artist. It has been said that he can't win the big game. However, under Tony Dungy Manning won the big game. The Colts won Super Bowl XLI in spite of Peyton Manning. Sure, Manning won the MVP, but didn't really deserve it and threw an interception. The real story of that Colts team was the defense and the running game in the playoffs. Dungy did something that others have failed at, he won when Manning was not at his best.
Don't discount what he did in Tampa either. He turned around a dreadful franchise with no hope and made them a perennial contender. Dungy couldn't get Tampa over the hump, but 4 playoff appearances in 6 years of that historically awful franchise is nothing to sneeze at. He changed the whole perception of that organization and that is no small task. Gruden couldn't win that championship if Dungy didn't change that whole organization. I better move on before I make Dungy the one coach with one championship in my top 50.
58. Bobby
Cox
Bobby Cox is a straight up coaching legend. He was enshrined a few weeks ago in the Baseball Hall of Fame. His induction was well deserved as he led Atlanta to unparalleled success in the 1990s and 2000s. Cox is a four time manager of the year and one time MLB champion. Along with that one World Series title, Cox has won 5 NL Pennants. The Yankees won 2 of the World Series that Cox's Braves lost, while Toronto and Minnesota claimed the other titles the Braves lost. If any of those had gone the other way, Cox is top 50 material. His Braves virtually won the NL East every year that Cox managed. His Braves won the division for 14 straight seasons. That alone would have gotten Cox on the list and the WS victory bumps him up a bit, just shy of the Top 50. However, those wins and having the most ejections in history, do not match up with the resumes that rank above him. Still, Cox is one of the best managers ever.
57. Roy
Williams
Roy Williams actually had a higher winning percentage at Kansas, but is on this list more for what he has done at North Carolina. That is because at North Carolina, Williams won both of his NCAA Championships. He led the Tar Heels to the 04-05 title and the 08-09 title. Those two championships are more than several other high profile coaches. He has also won 21 conference championships if you combine regular and postseason championships. Additionally, Williams has had teams make 7 Final Four trips. His teams have been among the most talented and he has led prestigious programs there, but there is no denying Williams' excellence. You don't make seven Final Four trips and win two championships out of thin air. The guy can coach.
56. Earl Weaver
Earl Weaver is certainly one of the greatest coaches with one championship. He had a lot of talent on his roster, but he also was highly successful. That one World Series title was huge for Oriole fans everywhere. So were his 4 AL Pennants. Weaver is widely regarded as the greatest manager in Oriole history and is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He twice lost World Series games against the Pirates in 1971 and 1979 and once against the miracle Mets of 1969. The Orioles were able to win the 1970 World Series against the Big Red Machine in Cincinnati. 4 World Series appearances are unheard of for a Baltimore Orioles coach, but he did have the best players in club history. Weaver also famously moved Cal Ripken Jr. to Shortstop which helps his case. Still, Weaver just has the one championship and can't crack the top 50 where every coach has multiple championships. Although Weaver's record is impressive he can't crack that top echelon where the coaches have multiple league titles. He is quite close though and if it wasn't for those dang Pirates he is probably top 25 material.
55. Tom Izzo
I was ready to put Tom Izzo into the Top 25. For sure, this guy was a lock to me. Then upon my research I realized that Izzo won just one title and not several. It seems like he won several to me, but it was just the one title with Mateen Cleaves. Izzo has been successful in the tournament, making it to the final game twice, the Final Four 4 times, the Elite Eight 8 times, the Sweet Sixteen 12 times in 17 consecutive tournament bids. The guy has been quite successful. He has only been bounced in the 1st round 3 times in 17 tournament bids. He still is a great tournament coach and does better than most expect, but he does not usually win it all. This past year, his Spartans lost a thriller to UCONN in what I thought was the best game of the tournament. UCONN of course went on to win the whole thing. Perhaps, that is why I overrated the Spartans success, they seem to get as far as they can before losing to the eventual champ in many years. Regardless, Izzo is a fantastic coach and perhaps the best ever with a sole championship.
54. Hank Stram
Hank Stram was one of the leading forces in the merger between the AFL and NFL. His team was near the top of the AFL during the years around the merger. In fact, it was Stram's Chiefs that represented the AFL in the initial Super Bowl. That team would lose to the Packers, but it was still an accomplishment. His team would then win Super Bowl IV against the Minnesota Vikings in dominating fashion. This championship would be the only league championship in Chiefs history. Although the Chiefs did win the AFL title before the merger with Stram as coach. The 3 AFL Championships under Stram are still the only ones in Chiefs history. His impact on that organization was incredible and their first franchise coach is still their best franchise coach. Hank Stram did a fantastic job leading the Chiefs for 15 seasons. Stram even coached the Chiefs before they were the Chiefs. He is well deserving of a spot on this list.
53. Hank Iba
Career Baseball Coaching Record: 90-41 (.687 Winning Percentage)
Although Iba is best known for coaching basketball, it is worth noting that he had a great deal of success as the head coach of Oklahoma State's baseball team. Winning nearly 69% of your games in a sport that is not your primary sport is nothing to sniff at. However, his success on the hardwood is what places Iba so high on this list. He was able to lead Oklahoma State to four Final Fours and he won two championships. The team also took four additional trips to Elite 8s. Iba was clearly a fantastic coach for the university. In addition to all of these college wins, the US National Team took note of Iba's coaching ability. He coached the US in 3 straight Olympics ('64, '68, and '72). During those years, Iba led the United States to 2 Gold Medal Finishes and one Silver Medal. The success at the Olympic level almost got him into the top 50, but not quite.
52. Ara Parseghian
Career Coaching Record: 170-58-6 (.746 Winning Percentage)
Ara Parseghian had two incredibly successful stints as a college football coach, one at Miami and one at Notre Dame. In between, those successful stints was a mediocre stint at Northwestern. However, the Miami and Notre Dame years were fantastic. At Miami, he led the Redskins to a 39-6 record over 5 seasons. That team won the MAC in his final two years at Miami going undefeated in conference both years. The 1955 Miami team finished undefeated and number 15 in the AP poll.
Notre Dame though is the job that Parseghian is known for. At Notre Dame, the Irish went 95-17 under Parseghian for a .848 winning percentage. The Irish won 2 National Championships under Parseghian and contended for several more. He finished in the Top 5 of one of the major polls in 8 of his 11 years at Notre Dame. The guy was brilliant at Notre Dame and is considered by some the best coach in Notre Dame history. It is obvious that Rockne and Leahy had more success, but some like Parseghian the best.
51. Ray Tanner
Ray Tanner was a highly successful baseball coach and is the current athletic director at the University of South Carolina. He had two very successful runs coaching at the collegiate level. He started at NC State where he led the Wolfpack to 7 postseason appearances in 9 years. Following his success at NC State, Tanner took over the South Carolina program in 1997. It was at SC that Tanner would make his mark on the coaching world. In 16 seasons with the Gamecocks, Tanner went to the College World Series 6 times. He went to the playoffs 14 times out of 16. Tanner made the College World Series Final 4 times in 16 years. 25% of the time, the Gamecocks were in the finals of the College World Series under Tanner. He also won 2 championships while coaching the Gamecocks. Those titles were back to back in 2010 and 2011. After making another trip to the College World Series in 2012, Tanner retired to take the AD job full time. There is no telling what Tanner would have accomplished if he stayed in his role as head baseball coach. South Carolina sure is lucky to have this guy leading their athletic program.
-Noland
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