Football and men’s basketball have historically headlined college athletic departments, but finding success in both sports remains an elusive task for many schools. Hitting on both hires and supporting them successfully has been a challenge for even the most high-profile colleges, but a select few have managed to stand apart.
The past few years have been a rapid period of change across both sports. At one time, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Alabama’s Nick Saban could swing this list. Now, both are retired. So is North Carolina’s Roy Williams, while Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh is back in the NFL. Other tremendous combos were also recently split up as Mike Elko left Duke for Texas A&M, while Arizona’s Jedd Fisch abandoned Tommy Lloyd for Washington. None of this factors in women’s college basketball — otherwise, LSU with Brian Kelly and Kim Mulkey would make a strong case for the top spot.
With so much turnover, the coaching landscape is shifting almost daily. Even a strong appearance in the 2024 NCAA Tournament could be enough to shake up the list. But heading into the 2024 NCAA Tournament, let’s have a look at the top 10 college football/men’s basketball coaching combinations in the country.
1. Kansas: Lance Leipold/Bill Self
The best coaching combo in college athletics resides in … Lawrence, Kansas? Self is the consensus best coach in college basketball with 16 Big 12 regular-season titles, two national titles and an 809-247 career record. Leipold, meanwhile, is the fastest-rising veteran on the football side, transforming woeful Buffalo and now Kansas programs into consistent winners. He’s coming off a 9-4 season in 2023 with this Jayhawks program and back-to-back bowl berths (for Kansas!).
2. Kentucky: Mark Stoops/John Calipari
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