when you take recruiting out of the equation. Pappy has posed this question in his blog. Well it's difficult with over 300 D1 coaches, and you can't take recruiting out of the equation. But if we're guessing anyway, I would have to put Bo Ryan in there somewhere. He seems to win with mostly real college players, and not apprentice pros.

The best gauge might be the coaches of mid majors who go to the post season every year, and some who win against the big boys when they get there. I'm sure there are even DIII coaches who have compiled great records who are great motivators and x's and o's guys. It is an interesting question. But most coaches will even tell you that recruiting is at least 90% of the success of any coach at a high level. So taking recruiting out of the equation might not really tell us anything, because we can't take it out. Good coaches win. That's really the only true gauge we have.