Percentage Rises Among Top College Coaches Under Fire or Recently Unemployed

By Mel Greenberg

With the reported news of Vanderbilt's veteran women's basketball coach Melanie Balcomb ousted for reasons to be or not be made public, a large number of coaches on the all-time and active list of appearances in The Associated Press women's poll exists who have recently left jobs or have been under fire in recent seasons, particularly criticized by local media or fan base or under some sort of review either by the NCAA or internally at their current school..

These are just notes added off the news onto the running rankings of coaches in the poll kept by the Guru. The asterisks in the first group are for those coaches no longer active in collegiate ball, some of whom are deceased but not noted that way or happily retired but only seven of the first 30 have no negativity attached.

The list contains schools that they got rankings with footnotes for their current schools.

The active list follows underneath the all-time list with a cut at tied for No. 29 because of a big gap for the next coach to move up.

The list will be refined over the summer as to the one kept in the event some of the departed coaches land elsewhere in head coach Division I jobs.

These are only highlighted number of appearances in the two categories since many more on the entire all-time list have moved on in the 40-year history of the poll. The bold face on a ranking numnber accents those coaches who have been in the news or on the carousel. 

  By Mel Greenberg

Women’s Hoops Guru

(Mar.. 14, 2016) – Final

 Quick hits on AP poll (week 19 – final for coaches’ appearances week No. 19)

(This is 710th poll after week 19 for 2015-16). (Records on pages through week 19)

Coaches with Four Ranked Teams

Jim Foster (St. Joe-35), (Vanderbilt-164), (Ohio St.-171), (Chattanooga-10), 380

Coaches with Three Ranked Teams  

C. Vivian Stringer (Cheyney-85), (Iowa-155), (Rutgers-188), 428

Gary Blair (Stephen F. Austin-79), (Arkansas-67), (Texas A&M-190), 336

Marianne Stanley (Old Dominion-141), (Southern Cal-24), (Stanford*-18), 183

Lin Dunn (Miami-2), (Mississippi-1), (Purdue-130), 133

Joe McKeown (New Mexico St.-6), (George Washington-110), (Northwestern-13) 129

Don Perrelli (Northwestern-52), (S. Conn.-20), (St. John’s-1), 73

Tom Collen (Colorado St.-34), (Louisville-17), (Arkansas-9), 60

Sharon Fanning-Otis (Kentucky-4), (Miss. St.-48), (Chattannoga-4), 56

Debbie Yow (Florida-2), (Kentucky-21), (Oral Roberts-1), 24 

Co-Coaches

Kittie Blakemore, Scott Harrelson – West Virginia 8 

Sonja Hogg, Leon Barmore – Louisiana Tech 51

Jill Hutchison, Linda Fischer – Illinois St. 3

Jim Jarrett, Joyce Patterson – Georgia St. 1

Marianne Stanley, Amy Tucker – Stanford 18

Jim Bolla, Sheila Strike – UNLV 18

Coaches All Time Ranking Appearances

1. **- Pat Summitt, Tennessee – 618 (missed just 14 polls in entire AP history)

2. **-Andy Landers, Georgia – 522

3.  Tara VanDerveer (2 schools – Ohio St., Stanford) – 504

4.  Geno Auriemma, Connecticut – 464

5. C. Vivian Stringer (3 schools – Cheyney, Iowa, Rutgers) – 487 -- been embattled in recent seasons.

6. **-Jody Conradt, Texas – 395

7. Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina – 384 -- program under NCAA scrutiny.

8. Jim Foster (4 schools – St. Joseph’s, Vanderbilt, Ohio St., Chattanooga) – 380

9. Gary Blair, (3 schools – Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas, Texas A&M) – 336

9. **-Rene Portland (2 schools – St. Joseph, Penn St.) – 336

11.  **-Debbie Ryan, Virginia – 328

12. **- Kay Yow, North Caro. St. – 326

13. **-Leon Barmore, Louisiana Tech (51-shared with Sonja Hogg) – 325

14. Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame – 313

15.**- Gail Goestenkors (2 schools – Duke, Texas) – 295

16. **-Joe Ciampi, Auburn – 290

17. **-Sue Gunter (2 schools – Stephen F. Austin, LSU) – 270

18. &&-Joan Bonvicini (2 schools – Long Beach, Arizona) – 267 -- recentlyl left Seattle.

19. Kim Mulkey, Baylor 266

20. **-Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech – 264

21. **-Van Chancellor (2 schools – Mississippi, LSU) – 261

22. Sherri Coale, Oklahoma 243

23. Joanne P. McCallie (2 schools – Michigan St., Duke) – 235 -- program under internal review.

24. **-Chris Weller, Maryland - 227

25. )(-Theresa Grentz (2 schools – Rutgers, Illinois) – 225 -- came out of long retirement in 2016

26. Brenda Frese (2 schools – Minnesota, Maryland) -- 218

27. **-Marianne Stanley (3 schools – Old Dominion, Southern Cal, Stanford*) – 183

28. **-Paul Sanderford (2 schools – W. Kentucky, Nebraska) – 182

29. **-Marian Washington, Kansas – 176

      **-Not in college or not in as a head coach

Active Coaches-All Time AP Ranking Appearances

1. Tara VanDerveer (2 schools – Ohio St., Stanford) – 504

2. Geno Auriemma, Connecticut – 464

3. C.Vivian Stringer (3 schools – Cheyney, Iowa, Rutgers) – 428 -- Been embattled in press/fans

4. Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina – 384 -- program under NCAA investigation.

5. Jim Foster (3 schools – St. Joseph’s, Vanderbilt, Ohio St., Chattanooga) – 380

6. Gary Blair, (3 schools – Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas, Texas A&M) – 336

7. Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame – 313

8.&&--Joan Bonvicini (2 schools – Long Beach, Arizona) - 267 -- recently left Seattle. 

9. Kim Mulkey, Baylor – 266

10. Sherri Coale, Oklahoma – 243

11. Joanne P. McCallie (2 schools - Michigan St., Duke) – 235 -- program under internal review.

12. )(-Theresa Grentz (3 schools – Saint Joseph’s, Rutgers, and Illinois) - 225 became active in 2016

13. Brenda Frese (2 schools, Minnesota, Maryland) – 218

14. Doug Bruno, DePaul – 162

15. Melanie Balcomb (2 schools – Xavier, Vanderbilt) – 161 -- reportedly ousted at Vanderbilt

16. Bill Fennelly, (2 schools – Toledo, Iowa St.) – 155 -- subject of a player lawsuit.

17. @!@!-Kristy Curry (2 schools – Purdue, Texas Tech) – 136

18. Joe McKeown (3 schools – New Mexico St., George Washington, Northwestern) – 129

19. Matthew Mitchell, Kentucky – 122 -- player defections in recent seasons.

20. Charli Turner Thorne, Arizona St. – 116

20. Jeff Walz, Louisville – 116

22. Sue Semrau, Florida St. – 108

23. ==== Jim Davis, Clemson, 106 -- recently retired from Tennessee Tech for normal reasons.

24.)))-Chris Gobrecht (Washington) - 104 

24. Dawn Staley (Temple, South Carolina) – 104

26. !!!- Jane Albright (2 schools – N. Illinois, Wisconsin) – 96

27. Sharon Versyp, Purdue – 84

27. Connie Yori (Creighton, Nebraska) – 84 -- recently resigned from Nebraska.

29. Suzy Merchant, Michigan St. – 80

30. Mike Carey, West Virginia – 76

31. Holly Warlick, Tennessee – 74 (missed Tennessee’s 15th/15th17th.18th) Vols dropped from poll.

32. Kevin McGuff, (2 schools –Xavier, Ohio St.) – 71

33. Joanne Boyle, California (2 schools – California, Virginia) – 61 -- Was on hot seat at Virginia.

33. Coquese Washington, Penn State – 61

35. Lisa Bluder (2 schools – Iowa, Drake) – 59

36. Lindsay Gottlieb, California 57

37.  ***-Kathy Olivier, UCLA 52

38. Quentin Hillsman, Syracuse – 49

38. Jim Littell, Oklahoma State – 49

40. ____Terri Williams-Flournoy, Georgetown – 48

41. Katie Meier, Miami –47

42. Harry Perretta, Villanova – 44

43. Karen Aston, Texas 39

44. @@@@- Kelly Graves, Gonzaga – 38

44.Cori Close, UCLA—38

44. #####-Jeff  Mittie, TCU – 38

44. Scott Rueck, Oregon State – 38

48. Vic Schaefer, Mississippi State – 35

48.%=%=  Matt Bollant, Wis.-Green Bay – 35 -- Been under fire from Illinois players.

48. Lisa Stockton, Tulane – 35

51. $$$- June Daugherty (2 schools – Boise St.,Washington) – 32

52. MaChelle Joseph, Georgia Tech – 31

&&-Active at Seattle;  )))-Active at Yale; $$$-Active at Wash. St.;  !!!-Active at Nevada; @@@@-Active at Oregon; ==== Active at Tenn Tech; ____Active at Auburn; %=%= Active at Illinois; @!@!-Active at Alabama, #####-active at Kansas State.)(-Active at Lafayette.