Most impressive single game coaching performance in UK modern history

[JDHoss]

I’ll go with Tubby playing “Chicken” with Coach Rodent, and Coach Rodent swerving off the road and into the ditch.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

I’ll go with Tubby playing “Chicken” with Coach Rodent, and Coach Rodent swerving off the road and into the ditch.

A moment of silence for Billy Packer.

 

[HerrosHeroes]

I’ll go with Tubby playing “Chicken” with Coach Rodent, and Coach Rodent swerving off the road and into the ditch.

“Padgett! UK 84-81!”
Jim Nantz CBS

 

[Blueisbest]

My favorite is Tubby in 98 vs Duke. Rat face out of Time Outs. We steam rolled back. Classic.

This is the right answer.

 

[Fox2monk]

What game would you choose?

Hall beating Indiana in 74-75
Hall beating Michigan State in 77-78
Sutton beating Louisville by 34 in 86-87
Pitino beating LSU in 89-90
Pitino losing to Duke in 91-92
Pitino beating Tennessee in 92-93
Pitino beating LSU in 93-94
Pitino beating Arkansas in 94-95
Pitino beating LSU in 95-96
Smith beating Duke in 97-98
Smith beating Utah in 97-98
Smith beating Vandy in 02-03
Calipari beating Ohio St in 10-11
Calipari beating Louisville in 11-12
Calipari beating Wich St in 13-14
Calipari beating Wisconsin in 13-14
Calipari beating UCLA in 14-15
Calipari beating W. VA in 14-15
Other

Pitino losing to Duke is the best coaching performance I’ve ever seen. Hall beating IU is probably second. Tubby coming back against 98 Duke is up there. Cal against Ohio State was probably his best coaching performance but I don’t know about all time.

 

[Fox2monk]

You could list 100 games where Cal got out coached, but you can't take any of these away from him.

Ohio State: His masterpiece
Louisville: Had the better team, but think of the pressure in that game. Louisville tied it with like five minutes to go. Many coaches fold in that situation.
Wichita State: Another great team we went toe to toe with, without blinking
Wisconsin: No one remembers this game because of what happened the next year. Wisconsin was a 2 seed that probably destroys UConn in title game.
UCLA: Which is more impressive....86-42 at halftime or 41-7?
WVU: Complete dismantling of a team most people expected to give us fits

If Cal coached half as competently as he did against UofL every game he would still be here.

 

[bradyjames]

What game would you choose?

Hall beating Indiana in 74-75
Hall beating Michigan State in 77-78
Sutton beating Louisville by 34 in 86-87
Pitino beating LSU in 89-90
Pitino losing to Duke in 91-92
Pitino beating Tennessee in 92-93
Pitino beating LSU in 93-94
Pitino beating Arkansas in 94-95
Pitino beating LSU in 95-96
Smith beating Duke in 97-98
Smith beating Utah in 97-98
Smith beating Vandy in 02-03
Calipari beating Ohio St in 10-11
Calipari beating Louisville in 11-12
Calipari beating Wich St in 13-14
Calipari beating Wisconsin in 13-14
Calipari beating UCLA in 14-15
Calipari beating W. VA in 14-15
Other

Brooks beating Les Miles

 

[Hjack]

I hope it hasn't happened yet.

 

[BlueSince92]

Pitino losing to Duke is the best coaching performance I’ve ever seen. Hall beating IU is probably second. Tubby coming back against 98 Duke is up there. Cal against Ohio State was probably his best coaching performance but I don’t know about all time.

I didn't get a chance to watch Joe B. coach but the rest of this I second. Most of Pitino's games against Indiana were incredibly well coached too, frankly on both sides. I think it was really Rick's consistent outmaneuvering of Bobby Knight that shows best what he could have been if he had stayed put in Camelot.

 

[Fox2monk]

I didn't get a chance to watch Joe B. coach but the rest of this I second. Most of Pitino's games against Indiana were incredibly well coached too, frankly on both sides. I think it was really Rick's consistent outmaneuvering of Bobby Knight that shows best what he could have been if he had stayed put in Camelot.

I didn’t see Hall coach either but I’ve watched some old games. I say that because of how dominate Indiana was and Bob Knight was the best coach in the nation around then.

 

[FurdTerguson]

Most of Pitino's games against Indiana were incredibly well coached too, frankly on both sides.

Dakich said the year Indiana beat us in that period (94 maybe?) Knight came up with something to beat our press that Pitino was forced to address, which made UK better.

 

[jeffky]

Pitino and the 14 and 14 season unbelievable coaching job and no games lost at home also the huge comeback in 94 against lsu pitino you can say what you want to about him and alot is warranted but man what a great coaching mind

 

[NC Weasel]

One other thing not mentioned about that great '75 game vs. IU ..... Coach Hall took heat all the time for not letting his guards shoot. We preferred to pound the ball inside because we had two huge, talented guys that could score. But in that IU game, Hall turned those boys loose! Mike Flynn and Jimmy Dan Connor wore them out! Great move by Hall and those seniors responded.

 

[Mike-McD]

I believe Tubbys game against Utah for the championship should be in there.

Agreed, that game is top 5.

 

[Aike]

This is a great list, and most of the games that came to my mind were on it.

I might add the Kansas game in December 1990. The way we returned the favor for the epic beat down the previous season was masterful, and a sign of things to come.

 

[TopCatCal]

Pitino losing to Duke is the best coaching performance I’ve ever seen. Hall beating IU is probably second. Tubby coming back against 98 Duke is up there. Cal against Ohio State was probably his best coaching performance but I don’t know about all time.

You're right about Pitino's loss to Duke in 92. On paper that Duke team should have beat that UK team by 30 points. Just another example of what a great coach that Rick Pitino was.

 

[TucsonCat]

2003 Tubby Cats were so much better than they should've been.
26 wins in a row. Undefeated in a loaded SEC.
Number 1 seed with Keith Bogans and Gerald Fitch?
No better example in Kentucky history of whole more than the sum of its parts.
Florida came in ranked 1. And we just dominated them.
Up 23 at halftime.
Again, Marquis Estill and Erik Daniels?

That was all coaching performance.

 

[kyrx]

Regular season: Mardi Gras Miracle
NCAAT: "What's he doing to Wojo" game

 

[52T]

Hall against Florida St. 1978. Huge balls to do what he did to start the second half

I agree

 

[notelvis]

The Calipari games you listed. Every one of these games Calipari had as much, probably more talent than the other team.

To answer your question. The 2 that comes to mind are

1 - When Joe B Hall & his 74-75 team beat #1 ranked & undefeated Indiana in the Elite-8 by a 92-90 score.
2 - Also when Tubby & his 97-98 team beat #1 seed Duke in the Elite-8.

These are the two which stand out to me as well. Joe Hall vs. Indiana in 1975 and Tubby vs. Duke in 1998.

Others that are nearly this remarkable, in no particular order, Tubby vs. Stanford in the 1998 final four, Joe Hall's FSU game in 1978, Cal's UNC game in the 2011 elite 8.

 

[ccukuk]

And K laid a complete egg as Wojo was getting abused by Turner and he kept his little pet in the game instead of putting in Avery.

Poor wojo and butt packer

 

[ccukuk]

Hall against Florida St. 1978. Huge balls to do what he did to start the second half

What did he do? Too young to remember.

 

[baseball is life]

What did he do? Too young to remember.

He benched his 2 All American starters Rick Robey and Jack Givens and another starter Truman Claytor.