“W” Coaches Have Many “W”ins, Few Losses In NCAA Basketball Title Tilts

The title victory by Jay Wright was the eighteenth against but 4 losses (two of those vs another “W” coach), by a coach whose last name starts with “W.” (ode to the giant “W” in the classic comedy, “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”).

Of course John Wooden heads the list, going (10-0) in title tilts.

Wright joins Phil Woolpert, who coached the San Francisco Dons to back to back crowns in 1955 and 1956 with the great winners, college and even more so pro, Bill Russell and K.C. Jones, with (2-0) title tilt records.

Coaches named Williams are involved in all the other “w”ins and losses, by “W” coaches, all but one of the remaining 7 games, involving Roy Williams.

The current “N.C.” coach is (3-3) in title tilts, his first title win, all of which are with North Carolina, coming vs the Bruce “W’eber coached Illinois team, a result I gave to Beano Cook, after I made an expensive “sports scores” call from Rome, Italy, where I stood on the street watching Pope John Paul II’s funeral, 4 days hence.

Gary Williams won in his only title tilt, Maryland’s only crown, in 2002.

The other “W” vs “W” final resulted in Villanova coached by “W”right defeating “N.C.” coached by Williams in the ’16 final game.

Jay Wright, pictured above, guided Villanova to its second title in 3 seasons this past Monday night.