Bennett 50, Rose Left Off ESPN’s Top 50 Coaches List

Randy Bennett is not assumed.

You know it’s the offseason when various lists are being compiled left and right.

ESPN is taking their hand at ranking the top 50 college coaches in America. A few WCC coaches were mentioned in them. Here’s where ESPN ranked them and what they had to say.

Randy Bennett: Tied for No. 50

ESPN has Saint Mary’s Head Man coming in at No. 50, tied with Baylor’s Scott Drew. Here’s what ESPN has to say about Bennett:

"Bennett, meanwhile, has elevated Saint Mary’s to consistent tournament contention alongside rival Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference, even if 2013’s recruiting violations and the subsequent four-year probation cast a shadow over that success."

Too high, too low or just right?

These are a list of coaches ahead of Bennett: first year head coach Richard Pitino of Minnesota, Utah State’s Stew Morrill (who has only won one NCAA tournament game in 16 years) and Mercer’s Bob Hoffman.

Recruiting violations or not, Bennett is way too low on this list.

Dave Rose: Not ranked, but mentioned

BYU’s Dave Rose is not ranked in the top 50. ESPN listed Rose as a de facto honorable mention, along with 24 other coaches. We know Rose is somewhere in the top 75 based on that logic, but we don’t know where.

Too high, too low or just right?

The Cougars in-state rivals Utah State have a coach on the top 50 list – Stew Morrill. In 16 years, Morrill has only won a single NCAA tournament game, while Dave Rose has three in only nine years.

Too low for Mr. Rose.

ESPN has yet to release their top 25, and Mark Few will most likely be mentioned. I will write something up when the moment comes.