Best Past Coach?

Natty

Natty

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Posted this poll on the front page...

Between JD Barnett, Jeff Capel, and Anthony Grant.... who do you think was the best Coach we've had here?

I had to go with Barnett based on the national ranking, tournament success...and I wasn't old enough to be bitter about him leaving our team
 
..and I mean...is that not hands down the correct answer? 132-48...6 NCAA tournament's in 5 seasons...4 tournament wins.. that's pretty solid
 
Natty said:
..and I mean...is that not hands down the correct answer? 132-48...6 NCAA tournament's in 5 seasons...4 tournament wins.. that's pretty solid
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I would say that 6 tourneys in 5 seasons would make him the greatest any school has ever had. That is darn solid.

I like what AG did here, and he may have been the best coach, but to know that for sure I would have had to see what he could do without Maynor. Can't argue with his record while he was here, I just don't think he stayed long enough to be the best VCU has ever had.

Although I never saw him coach my vote goes to JD Barnett based on his record here. With that said his highly rated teams underachieved in the NCAA tourney. There have been some heartbreaking close losses but VCU doesn't have many NCAA tourney wins and has still never been to the sweet 16. My future vote goes to the coach that gets us over that hump and finishes his career with the most NCAA tourney wins. Hopefully that is Coach Smart.
 
J.D. was an intense basketball coach who was a perfect fit for VCU. I know that he and his family loved living in Richmond. His players bought into his concept of team play and gritty defense. J.D. seemed to attract a high caliber of assistant coach and I can still visualize he, Tubbby and David Hobbs sitting on the VCU bench. Quite the troika.

It's too bad J.D. didn't stay here as I believe he could have had great success for years. I would have loved to see him reap some of the benefits in terms of pay, better facilities, better fan support and some national recognition. In my opinion, he was our quintessential coach.

I really liked that VCU honored him at the tournament the year before. It is important to recognize and keep alive the memories of those who have created this thing called VCU Rams basketball.
 
FWIW:

VCU Coaches Winning Percentages

Anthony Grant 75%
J.D. Barnett 73%
Dana Kirk 71%
Chuck Noe 69%
Jeff Capel 66%
Mack McCarthy 55%
Benny Dees 54%
Mike Polio 53%
Sonny Smith 52%
 
Interesting that we have never had a coach that won less than 50%. I didn't realize that.
 
J.D. Barnett and it's not that close. AG rode a single player, especially last year. He didn't show great in-game coaching much last season. When Maynor was off the floor, nothing was going. It's not that we lack talent. We certainly had that. I have to put that on the coaching staff. While I don't think AG will be exposed at Alabama, he won't be as successful there as he was here. Just my opinion.
 
districtballer said:
J.D. Barnett and it's not that close. AG rode a single player, especially last year. He didn't show great in-game coaching much last season. When Maynor was off the floor, nothing was going. It's not that we lack talent. We certainly had that. I have to put that on the coaching staff. While I don't think AG will be exposed at Alabama, he won't be as successful there as he was here. Just my opinion.
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its not a slam dunk because Barnett came into a D1 program that was ready to go to the next level after the ground work had been laid by great coaches before him. Coaches that brought VCU into the NCAA, brought it from D2 to D1 and then began to mine the fertile field of black Virginia basketball talent so he could comfortable go into the homes and be received by the families.
 
BigE said:
districtballer said:
J.D. Barnett and it's not that close. AG rode a single player, especially last year. He didn't show great in-game coaching much last season. When Maynor was off the floor, nothing was going. It's not that we lack talent. We certainly had that. I have to put that on the coaching staff. While I don't think AG will be exposed at Alabama, he won't be as successful there as he was here. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...

its not a slam dunk because Barnett came into a D1 program that was ready to go to the next level after the ground work had been laid by great coaches before him. Coaches that brought VCU into the NCAA, brought it from D2 to D1 and then began to mine the fertile field of black Virginia basketball talent so he could comfortable go into the homes and be received by the families.
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E there is certainly truth in what you are saying and the program owes much to messers. Dees, Noe and Kirk. but J.D. not only took the program to the next level, he put us on the map. Before him, we had never been to the NCAA tourney, never been ranked and never formally belonged to a conference, much less been a conference champ. J.D. not only recruited in state, but also out. Calvin was from out of state and so was Schlegel.
 
ViCtorioUs said:
BigE said:
districtballer said:
J.D. Barnett and it's not that close. AG rode a single player, especially last year. He didn't show great in-game coaching much last season. When Maynor was off the floor, nothing was going. It's not that we lack talent. We certainly had that. I have to put that on the coaching staff. While I don't think AG will be exposed at Alabama, he won't be as successful there as he was here. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...

its not a slam dunk because Barnett came into a D1 program that was ready to go to the next level after the ground work had been laid by great coaches before him. Coaches that brought VCU into the NCAA, brought it from D2 to D1 and then began to mine the fertile field of black Virginia basketball talent so he could comfortable go into the homes and be received by the families.
Click to expand...

E there is certainly truth in what you are saying and the program owes much to messers. Dees, Noe and Kirk. but J.D. not only took the program to the next level, he put us on the map. Before him, we had never been to the NCAA tourney, never been ranked and never formally belonged to a conference, much less been a conference champ. J.D. not only recruited in state, but also out. Calvin was from out of state and so was Schlegel.
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Calvin was Jersey and Schlegel was New York, correct?
 
We're at a pretty good place as a program right now....but where (ie: what conference...how much "team prestige", etc) would we be as a program had Barnett stayed?
 
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