(06-14-2020 05:57 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote: Any coach that can win 49 games in 2 years at Cal State Bakersfield and take them to Madison Square Garden for the NIT is a stud.
If Barnes was able to continue that feat throughout his WAC tenure, I might agree with you. But reflecting back on those two years, I feel it was more a case of Barnes catching lightening in a bottle with a specific group of players (Basile, Wrapp, Airington, Mays, and Aly with their team chemistry) than Barnes ability to coach. Otherwise, he would have been able to duplicate that feat time and time again. Keep in mind, Barnes is barely a winning coach (333-329) at only 4 games above 0.500 from his career. At no time was Barnes more successful than that two year window; when the Runners went to the NCAA and followed it up with a NIT run to MSG.
I would also point out that Barnes let a first year coach in Paul Weir (without Pascal Siakam) get the better of him and his team in the following retribution year; after the Runners stunned NMSU in the WAC Tournament. I would argue that at one time, Barnes might have been the best coach in the WAC but that was short lived after NMSU replaced Menzies with Weir and, Majerle, Pope, and Hill gained traction with their respective programs. And, further exacerbated by the addition of Chris Jans, Rick Croy, Jim Hayford, and Billy Donlon to the conference. At this point, if CSUB & UMKC had remained in the WAC, I would only put Barnes clearly ahead of Madsen and Irvin in coaching ability. But Jans, Drew, Gillispie, Croy, Hayford, Hill, Donlon, and Judkins are arguably better coaches than Barnes these days.
I think the move to the BWC might revitalize Barnes' career; as no one in that conference has had to deal with CSUB's brand of aggressive defense and above average athleticism on its roster.
Below is the hierarchy of the coaches (winning percentage at four year institutions) in the WAC, BWC, and Summit. Admittedly various coaches have participated at various levels of competition (P5, G5, DII, DIII, NAIA). But it does show a coach's desire to win at whatever level of competition.
WAC
1. Chris Jans... Overall... 104-29 (0.784)... @ New Mexico State... 83-17 (0.830)
2. Rick Croy... Overall... 169-54 (0.758)... @ California Baptist... 169-54 (0.758)
3. Jon Judkins... Overall... 265-121 (0.678)... @ Dixie State... 265-121 (0.678)
4. Jim Hayford... Overall... 412-219 (0.653)... @ Seattle University... 52-44 (0.542)
5. Bryce Drew... Overall... 164-108 (0.603)... @ Grand Canyon... 0-0 (0.000)
6. Billy Gillespie... Overall... 148-108 (0.578)... @ Tarleton State... 0-0 (0.000)
7. Lew Hill... Overall... 59-73 (0.447)... @ UT Rio Grande Valley... 59-77 (0.447)
8. Mark Madsen... Overall... 11-19 (0.367)... @ Utah Valley... 11-19 (0.367)
9. Lance Irvin... Overall... 7-54 (0.115)... @ Chicago State... 7-54 (0.115)
https://www.coachesdatabase.com/wac-basketball-coaches/
Big West
1. Eric Olen... Overall 159-56 (0.740)... @ UC San Diego... (0.740)
2. Mark Gottfried... Overall... 429-279 (0.606)... @ Cal State Northridge... 28-38 (0.424)
3. Eran Ganot... Overall... 89-58 (0.605)... @ Hawaii... 86-56 (0.606)
4. Russell Turner... Overall 209-139 (0.601)... @ UC Irvine... 209-139 (0.601)
5. Joe Pasternack... Overall 104-83 (0.556)... @ UC Santa Barbara 66-29 (0.695)
6. Don Monson... Overall... 381-340 (0.528)... @ Long Beach State... 211-217 (0.493)
7. Rod Barnes... Overall... 333-329 (0.503)... @ Cal State Bakersfield... 148-141 (0.512)
8. Jim Les... Overall... 288-293 (0.496)... @ UC Davis... 134-153 (0.467)
9. Dedrique Taylor... Overall... 94-127 (0.425)... @ Cal State Fullerton... 94-127 (0.425)
10. David Patrick... Overall 27-38 (0.415)... @ UC Riverside... 27-38 (0.415)
11. John Smith... Overall... 7-23 (0.233)... @ Cal Poly... 7-23 (0.233)
https://www.coachesdatabase.com/big-west...l-coaches/
Summit
1. Eric Henderson... Overall... 22-10 (0.688)... @ South Dakota State... 22-10 (0.688)
2. Paul Sather... Overall... 297-169 (0.637)... @ North Dakota... 15-18 (0.455)
3. Todd Lee... Overall... 187-110 (0.630)... @ South Dakota... 33-29 (0.532)
4. David Richman... Overall... 121-75 (0.617)... @ North Dakota State... 121-75 (0.617)
5. Billy Donlon... Overall... 125-108 (0.536)... @ UM Kansas City... 16-14 (0.533)
6. Derrin Hansen... 243-215 (0.531)... @ UN Omaha... 243-215 (0.531)
7. Rod Jeter... Overall... 184-170 (0.520)... @ Western Illinois 0-0 (0.000)
8. Paul Mills... Overall... 39-56 (0.411)... @ Oral Roberts... 39-56 (0.411)
9. Rodney Billups... Overall... 46-75 (0.380)... @ Denver University... 46-75 (0.380)
https://www.coachesdatabase.com/summit-l...l-coaches/
All coaches combined (four of the top six winningest coaches are in the WAC)...
1. Chris Jans... Overall... 104-29 (0.784)... @ New Mexico State... 83-17 (0.830)... WAC
2. Rick Croy... Overall... 169-54 (0.758)... @ California Baptist... 169-54 (0.758)... WAC
3. Eric Olen... Overall 159-56 (0.740)... @ UC San Diego... (0.740)... Big West
4. Eric Henderson... Overall... 22-10 (0.688)... @ South Dakota State... 22-10 (0.688)... Summit
5. Jon Judkins... Overall... 265-121 (0.678)... @ Dixie State... 265-121 (0.678)... WAC
6. Jim Hayford... Overall... 412-219 (0.653)... @ Seattle University... 52-44 (0.542)... WAC
7. Paul Sather... Overall... 297-169 (0.637)... @ North Dakota... 15-18 (0.455)... Summit
8. Todd Lee... Overall... 187-110 (0.630)... @ South Dakota... 33-29 (0.532)... Summit
9. David Richman... Overall... 121-75 (0.617)... @ North Dakota State... 121-75 (0.617)... Summit
10. Mark Gottfried... Overall... 429-279 (0.606)... @ Cal State Northridge... 28-38 (0.424)... Big West
11. Eran Ganot... Overall... 89-58 (0.605)... @ Hawaii... 86-56 (0.606)... Big West
12. Bryce Drew... Overall... 164-108 (0.603)... @ Grand Canyon... 0-0 (0.000)... WAC
13. Russell Turner... Overall 209-139 (0.601)... @ UC Irvine... 209-139 (0.601)... Big West
14. Billy Gillespie... Overall... 148-108 (0.578)... @ Tarleton State... 0-0 (0.000)... WAC
15. Joe Pasternack... Overall 104-83 (0.556)... @ UC Santa Barbara 66-29 (0.695)... Big West
16. Billy Donlon... Overall... 125-108 (0.536)... @ UM Kansas City... 16-14 (0.533)... Summit
17. Derrin Hansen... 243-215 (0.531)... @ UN Omaha... 243-215 (0.531)... Summit
18. Don Monson... Overall... 381-340 (0.528)... @ Long Beach State... 211-217 (0.493)... Big West
19. Rod Jeter... Overall... 184-170 (0.520)... @ Western Illinois 0-0 (0.000)... Summit
20. Rod Barnes... Overall... 333-329 (0.503)... @ Cal State Bakersfield... 148-141 (0.512)... Big West
21. Jim Les... Overall... 288-293 (0.496)... @ UC Davis... 134-153 (0.467)... Big West
22. Lew Hill... Overall... 59-73 (0.447)... @ UT Rio Grande Valley... 59-77 (0.447)... WAC
23. Dedrique Taylor... Overall... 94-127 (0.425)... @ Cal State Fullerton... 94-127 (0.425)... Big West
24. David Patrick... Overall 27-38 (0.415)... @ UC Riverside... 27-38 (0.415)... Big West
25. Paul Mills... Overall... 39-56 (0.411)... @ Oral Roberts... 39-56 (0.411)... Summit
26. Rodney Billups... Overall... 46-75 (0.380)... @ Denver University... 46-75 (0.380)... Summit
27. Mark Madsen... Overall... 11-19 (0.367)... @ Utah Valley... 11-19 (0.367)... WAC
28. John Smith... Overall... 7-23 (0.233)... @ Cal Poly... 7-23 (0.233)... Big West
29. Lance Irvin... Overall... 7-54 (0.115)... @ Chicago State... 7-54 (0.115)... WAC