Ranking the Nation's Top Football-Basketball Coaching Duos

[Wilson’s Mustache]

12.Utah
Football: Kyle Whittingham

Basketball: Larry Krystkowiak

When Utah joined the Pac-12, few expected the Utes to be one of the league’s best football/basketball programs. Instead, Whittingham and Krystkowiak have navigated various challenges to produce top-25 programs in both sports. Krystkowiak took Utah to its first Sweet 16 since 2005 and could deliver a Pac-12 title for the Utes. Whittingham’s team never matched the 62-20 rout at Oregon, but they finished with 10 wins for the fourth time under Whittingham and the first time as a Pac-12 member.

8. Arizona
Football: Rich Rodriguez

Basketball: Sean Miller

After Arizona football went 10–4, won the Pac-12 South and reached the Fiesta Bowl in 2014, last year’s 7–6 campaign, the worst under Rodriguez, was a major let down. It was an injury-plagued year, and Rodriguez still managed to reach a bowl game in each of his four seasons at Arizona. Miller has restored Arizona to national power status with three Pac-10/12 championships, three Elite Eight appearances and one Sweet 16 in his first six seasons.

15. Oregon
Football: Mark Helfrich

Basketball: Dana Altman

With all the success Altman has had at Oregon, it’s hard to believe that the Ducks’ coaching search in 2010 was a comedy of errors. After bigger names passed, Altman turned out to be the right guy. He has topped 20 wins in all six of his seasons in Eugene. All other Oregon coaches have 11 20-win seasons. He’s also heading for a fifth consecutive top-three finish in the league. Helfrich proved a perfect steward of the football program in 2014, taking the Ducks to the national championship game in his second season. In 2015, Oregon slipped back to 9-4, the Ducks’ worst record since 2007, but there’s reason to believe the season would have been different if Vernon Adams had been healthy all year.

24. UCLA
Football: Jim Mora

Basketball: Steve Alford

Mora has lifted UCLA out of a funk, winning 37 games in his first four seasons. No other Bruins coach has won more than 29 in his first four years. At 23-13 in the Pac-12 (and never better than 6-3), however, the Bruins haven’t become the conference elite. Alford hasn’t proven he’s an upgrade over predecessor Ben Howland, but back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances (buoyed by three wins over double-digit seeds and a controversial finish against No. 6 SMU) still count for something.

Athens Top 30 Coaching Duos

Athlon’s Top Pac-12 Coaching Duos

[Wilson’s Mustache]

First thought is that UCLA doesn’t belong anywhere near the top 30 duos in the country. What has either coach really done that is so impressive?

You’re freaking UCLA and you’re sitting in 10th place in the Pac-12 in basketball and really only finished #6 in football. Despite all have the talent UCLA brings it they have been pretty mediocre. Maybe thats a harsh word, but they are middle of the Pac at best when you combine the two sports/coaches.

Oregon is probably too high. I’ll take a wait and see approach with Mark Helfrich, but his first year was all Mariota lets not pretend it wasn’t. Altman is a fantastic basketball coach.

I think one could make an argument for Utah as #1 in the Pac-12, but it might be a little rose colored of me.

Pac-12 aside there are some pretty awful schools in the top 10. A lot the schools get into the top 10 on the merit of a single coach which kind of defeats the purpose of these rankings. ea. Alabama & Duke.

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