With an 88-83 win over Xavier, NCAA basketball recognizes Rick Pitino 900 wins, which officially moves the St John’s coach ahead of Bobby Knight for sole custody of fourth place on the all-time list. He trails only Mike Krzyzewski (1,202), Jim Boeheim (1,116), and Roy Williams (903). Pitino is the only one who is still actively coaching, but there is little chance he could ever reach the top spot.

College basketball teams typically play 35 to 40 games per year, so to take over the top spot all-time, Pitino would have to go undefeated for a little over the next eight straight seasons, pushing him until he was 81 years old. He could, and probably will, catch Williams, but Pitino will likely retire in third place on the all-time wins list for college coaches. Where would he rank all-time, though?

John Wooden 664 Wins

The Wizard of Westwood may be ranked 34th all-time in total wins, but Wooden is widely considered not just the greatest college basketball coach of all time, but among the greatest coaches in any sport, at any level, of all time. He took over the program at UCLA in 1948-49, but the true testament to his greatness would be the team’s success from 1963-64 until 1974-75.

Over that duration, Wooden would go 335-22, winning 10 NCAA Championships (including seven in a row at one point) and posting four undefeated seasons (out of seven teams to do it all-time). His pyramid of success hangs on the walls of high school football coaches, professional basketball coaches, and even in Ted Lasso’s office on AppleTV.

Mike Krzyzewski 1,202 Wins

Coach K began his career at Army, and didn’t make it to Duke until 1980-81. He really started having success around 1984-85, and from that point on, he made it to 12 Final Fours (including his final season in 2021-22) and won five NCAA Championships. He won six gold medals (including as an assistant coach on the 1992 Dream Team), and had an international record with Team USA of 60-1.

There were rumors that Kobe Bryant had wanted Krzyzewski to be the Los Angeleses Lakers’ head coach at one point, but it never came to pass. Coach K retired as the all-time leader in wins, commanding respect from every player who ever played for him and every opponent he ever coached against.

Dean Smith 879 Wins

Like Wooden, Smith was a lovable cuddle bear at times, who got the most out of every player he coached. More than 50 of those players went on to the NBA, including
first-round picks Rasheed Wallace, Antawn Jamison, and Sam Perkins. He also coached Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, James Worthy, and Vince Carter, to name a few.

Smith was the ACC Coach of the Year eight times, and the Naismith Coach of the Year in 1992-93. He made 11 Final Four Appearances and won two National Championships. Notable coaches who came from his ranks included Larry Brown, George Karl, Phil Ford, Matt Doherty, and Roy Williams (who would eventually pass his mentor in career wins).

Bobby Knight 899 Wins

Even though Pitino just passed Knight, he is not a better coach. Though he may be remembered more for his temper and colorful press conferences, Coach Knight could turn any team into a winner. For example, 152 of his wins came while he was coaching Army, and he made the Final Four in just his second season at Indiana. He took a 9-19 Texas Tech team to 23-9 in his first year, and the Red Raiders followed with four more 20-win seasons.

He will be remembered for his red sweaters and for throwing chairs onto the court more than he will as a great leader, but it’s important to remember that not only did he coach the last undefeated team in NCAA history and make it to five Final Fours (with three National Championships), but he was also the head coach of the last amateur olympic team to win a gold medal.

Rick Pitino 900 Wins

This is the highest anyone will rank Pitino when all is said and done. He will be in the conversation with guys like John Calipari, Adolph Rupp, and Bill Self. Would he be ranked higher if he hadn’t tried to coach in the NBA? Maybe, maybe not.

Pitino took Boston University to the NCAA Tournament in 1982-83 and then Providence to the Final Four in 1986-87. He became the first coach in history to make the Final Four with three different teams (1987 Providence, three times with Kentucky, and three times with Louisville). We won NCAA Championships in 1996 and 2013.
Even though he may never crack the top three of coaches all-time, and in some minds, he maybe isn’t even top 10, getting to 900 wins is an amazing accomplishment, and one that he, his family, and the universities he coached are guaranteed to be proud of.