Powered by:
as known from New York Timesas known from USA Todayas known from yahoo!
VA
Contains commercial content
The Grueling Truth - Where Legends Speak / Top 10 Basketball Coaches of all time in Indiana(High School, College, and Pro)

Top 10 Basketball Coaches of all time in Indiana(High School, College, and Pro)

Publish Date: 10/27/2023
Fact checked by: Simon Briffa

Top 10

Today we will look at the greatest basketball coaches in Indiana basketball history. I know John Wooden was from Indiana, but I am talking about what these coaches did while coaching in the state of Indiana. I know Wooden coached at Indiana State and did well, but I don’t think he did well enough to break this top ten. High School, College, and Pro coaches will be on this list. My guess is that if I do this list five years from now, Matt Painter will be on it.

10) Digger Phelps

To this day, Digger is the only coach to lead the Irish to the Final Four, as he did in 1978. Phelps may be best known for upsetting the UCLA Bruins and ending their 88 game winning streak. While Phelps was at Notre Dame they were known for upsetting highly ranked teams that dared to play at Notre Dame. Phelps was a great recruiter and built a very good program at Notre Dame.

Video: Irish in the ACC: Digger Phelps: Ring of Honor Night

Irish in the ACC: Digger Phelps: Ring of Honor Night

9) Tony Hinkle

Tony Hinkle was Butler university as he coached three sports and won over 1,000 games in those three sports combined while at Butler. He is the reason the Hinkle Fieldhouse still stands and bears his name. Hinkle was also the inventor of the Orange basketball. Up until Hinkle came out with the orange ball, basketballs were brown.

Video: About Tony Hinkle

About Tony Hinkle

8) Gene Keady

Gene Keady, for two decades, went blow for blow with Bob Knight; the difference between the two? Tournament success, Knight had these successes Keady did not. Keady took over during Knight’s heyday and gave Knight fits as he won six Big Ten Titles. Keady’s teams were always hard-nosed and fun to watch.

Video: Remembering Gene Keady and Bob Knight's rivalry

Remembering Gene Keady and Bob Knight’s rivalry

7) Jack Butcher

Butcher was an outstanding player in High School and College. He turned down an offer from Boston Celtics to return to his southern Indiana hometown to coach…four unbeaten seasons, seven regional championships…in 1970 and ’75 semistate championships that gave the Lions two trips to the Final Four…the ’75 team, which included Butcher’s son, Bill, went undefeated to the state championship game, where Marion won out.

Video: Across Indiana - Butcher Basketball

Across Indiana – Butcher Basketball

6) Bob “Slick” Leonard

Outside of Reggie Miller, Leonard is probably the most loved Pacer in history. He led the Pacers to three ABA Championships and was a huge reason the Pacers made the transition from the ABA to the NBA. Leonard and his wife authored the telethon that would sell season tickets and eventually got the Pacers into the NBA.

Video: Bobby

Bobby “Slick” Leonard’s Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech

5) Brad Stevens

I know Stevens was only at Butler for six short years, but in those six years, he took the Bulldogs from playing in the Horizon conference to the Big East. He made the Bulldogs a mainstay in March Madness and led the Bulldogs to two straight championship game appearances, and almost beat Coach K and Duke at the buzzer of the first one.

Video: All-Access with Brad Stevens and Butler Basketball

All-Access with Brad Stevens and Butler Basketball

4) Bill Green

Green started his coaching career with 6 seasons at Sacred Heart H. S. and four at Cathedral … victories were hard to come by. Still, fortunes changed when he landed the varsity coaching job at Indianapolis Washington in 1969 … won the state championship with one of the greatest teams in IHSAA history … moved to Marion, where Giants won back-to-back titles in ’75 and ’76 … a 5-year sabbatical followed, before returning to Marion in ’81 … he then became the second coach to win three straight state titles 1985-1987, giving him a record six championships. Green was an outstanding coach who affected many lives in his communities.

Video: 1975 IHSAA State Championship: Marion 58, Loogootee 46

1975 IHSAA State Championship: Marion 58, Loogootee 46

3) Branch McCracken

McCracken broke the color barrier when he recruited Bill Garrett to Bloomington. Mccracken won the Hoosiers their first National Championship in 1940 and followed it up by winning it again in 1953. He also led the Hoosiers to four Big Ten Championships and put Indiana University on the map as a college basketball power.

Video: Branch McCracken interview

Branch McCracken interview

2) Piggy Lambert

Talk about innovation; Lambert had a lot to do with the formation of the NBA. He is also the coach that taught John Wooden. While at Purdue, he won 11 Big Ten Titles and was the man that is generally credited with the invention of the fast break.

Video: Wooden's Wisdom: What influence did Ward Piggy Lambert have on you?

Wooden’s Wisdom: What influence did Ward Piggy Lambert have on you?

1) Bob Knight

There has never been a better basketball coach anywhere than Bob Knight. Three NCAA Championship while at Indiana. People forget that the Hoosiers had not even made it to the NCAA tournament in over a decade before Bob Knight. Knight had the Hoosiers in the Final four two years after arriving. Throw in 11 Big Ten Titles and you have the man that sits at number one on this all-time list.

Video: Bobby Knight Top 10 Soundbites

Bobby Knight Top 10 Soundbites

Read Also
The Complexities of Bob Knight: The Greatest Coach of All-Time
  Bob Knight, born in 1940 and raised in Orrville, Ohio, was ...
Top 28 Indiana High School Basketball players of all time: Big O, Larry, Damon and more
This list is based solely on what these guys did in their ...
BetMGM Promo
Top 18 Greatest College Football Coaches of All-time
Current active coaches are not included in this list. That means don't ...
The Greatest College Basketball Team of All Time
Rating the greatest college basketball teams ever has been done many times ...
Esteban de Jesus, Roberto Duran y AIDS (1972-89)
Many of us dream of celebrity sports fame, but only cruel individuals ...
Every NFL team’s best player not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame- NFC East
The Pro Football Hall of Fame houses the greatest players in NFL ...
Predicting the next five Pro Football Hall of Fame classes
Induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio is ...
Ranking the top 200 players in the NFL ahead of the 2021 season
This list isn’t based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. ...
Top 100 NFL free agents entering the 2021 offseason
Below is a list of the top 100 free agents available this ...
Sportsbook of the month
PointsBet - Get your Bonus Bet now!
-
Top Brands
Top Bonuses
Stake.us
Stake.us
Stake.us Review
4.6/5
Wow Vegas
Wow Vegas
Wow Vegas Review
4.6/5
Sweeptastic
Sweeptastic
Sweeptastic Review
4.5/5
High5Casino
High5Casino
High5Casino Review
4.5/5
Fortune Coins
Fortune Coins
Fortune Coins Review
4.5/5
Stake.us
Stake.us Bonus
$25 No Deposit + 250,000 Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
Wow Vegas
Wow Vegas Bonus
30 SCs on 1st Purchase + 4.5 SCs FREE
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
Sweeptastic
Sweeptastic Bonus
25 SCs extra free on first purchases + 2 SCs FREE to claim
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
High5Casino
High5Casino Bonus
$5 No Deposit + 250 GameCoins + 600 Diamonds
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Fortune Coins
Fortune Coins Bonus
1,000 ($10) No Deposit Free Coins + 360,000 Gold Coins
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Latest News
Devin Haney vs. Regis Prograis: Talking All That Jazz  
The back and forth between the fighters and ...
Top 10 NFL Play by Play Broadcasters of All Time
This list will be National Guys, so no ...
Top-10 Indiana High School Basketball Teams of All-Time
Of course, nothing was better than Hoosier Hysteria, ...
Betting Tips
12/09/2023 - 3:00 pm
Gillett Stadium
Tip:
Navy to Cover
3.00
FanDuel
12/07/2023 - 8:15 pm
Acrisure
Tip:
Patriots to Cover
6.00
FanDuel
12/05/2023 - 9:00 pm
Chrysler
Tip:
Indiana to Cover
7.50
FanDuel
Our Latest YouTube Videos
Video: Indiana Basketball weekly W/Steve Risley: IU/Harvard Preview and UCONN and Louisville Recaps!
Indiana Basketball weekly W/Steve Risley: IU/Harvard Preview and UCONN and Louisville Recaps!
Video: #NFC East Clash - #Eagles at #Cowboys
#NFC East Clash - #Eagles at #Cowboys
Video: NFL *Betting* Show*: Week 14 Picking all games against the spread!
NFL *Betting* Show*: Week 14 Picking all games against the spread!
Sportsbook of the month
PointsBet - Get your Bonus Bet now!
-
Find out what the legends have to say about sports this week....
Top Online Casinos
Top Casinos Bonuses
Stake.us
Stake.us
Stake.us Review
4.6/5
Wow Vegas
Wow Vegas
Wow Vegas Review
4.6/5
Sweeptastic
Sweeptastic
Sweeptastic Review
4.5/5
High5Casino
High5Casino
High5Casino Review
4.5/5
Fortune Coins
Fortune Coins
Fortune Coins Review
4.5/5
Stake.us
Stake.us Bonus
$25 No Deposit + 250,000 Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
Wow Vegas
Wow Vegas Bonus
30 SCs on 1st Purchase + 4.5 SCs FREE
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
Sweeptastic
Sweeptastic Bonus
25 SCs extra free on first purchases + 2 SCs FREE to claim
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
High5Casino
High5Casino Bonus
$5 No Deposit + 250 GameCoins + 600 Diamonds
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Fortune Coins
Fortune Coins Bonus
1,000 ($10) No Deposit Free Coins + 360,000 Gold Coins
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Top Betting Sites
Top Betting Bonuses
DraftKings
DraftKings
DraftKings Review
4.6/5
FanDuel
FanDuel
FanDuel Review
4.6/5
BetMGM
BetMGM
BetMGM Review
4.5/5
Bet365
Bet365
Bet365 Review
4.5/5
BetRivers.com
BetRivers.com
BetRivers.com Review
4.5/5
DraftKings
DraftKings Bonus
Bet $5 Get $150 Instantly
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
FanDuel
FanDuel Bonus
Bet $5 Get $150 in Bonus Bets
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
BetMGM
BetMGM Bonus
up to $1,500 back in Bonus Bets
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Bet365
Bet365 Bonus
$1000 in Bonus Bets
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Place your first cash bet up to $1,000, and if the bet loses, you will have your wager refunded in Bonus Bets. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
Caesars
Caesars Bonus
100% up to $1000
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Our Team
Mike GoodpasterJosh SchwartzAuthor IconSimon BriffaMark Lewis
+10
Mike Goodpaster
Mike Goodpaster
Chief Editor
Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
Editor
Author Icon
Christopher Carlson
Content Writer
Simon Briffa
Simon Briffa
Sports Editor
Mark Lewis
Mark Lewis
Editor
Samuel Teets
Samuel Teets
US Sports Veteran
John Raspanti
John Raspanti
Author
Chris Benedict
Chris Benedict
Editor
Author Icon
Daniel Kornhauser
Author
Author Icon
Malik Zorrok
Author
Author Icon
Buddy Gibbs
Author
Brian Coburn
Brian Coburn
Author
aukje
aukje
Author
Peter Bonahoom
Peter Bonahoom
Author
berina
berina
Author
Find out what the legends have to say about sports this week....

Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.

This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times.

21+NCPG
Move to Top
Close
Players accepted in the US US Flag
Stake.us Exclusive Bonus
$25 No Deposit + 250,000 Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Promo Code
Copy
Visit Site
T&Cs apply, 18+
Payment Methods
Bitcoin
Litecoin
Ethereum
Dogecoin
Highlights
  • Exclusive promo code: TGTSOCIAL
  • Play Plinko, Hilo, Crash and more!
  • Get Stake Cash bonuses every day!
Stake Originals
Dice
Crash
Plinko
Mines
×
Your Promo Code:
The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link:
Visit Site