Keeping the Haith

Patrick Stevens The Washington Times - January 31, 2009, 10:26AM

Here’s a project I meant to get to a little earlier in the month, but better late than never, you know?

Miami coach Frank Haith is 6-1 against Maryland and coach Gary Williams since arriving in Coral Gables earlier this decade. For whatever reason, the Terrapins have struggled against Miami more than anyone —- Duke, North Carolina, anyone.

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So it seemed like an interesting project to see how Williams stacked up against all the ACC coaches he went up against over the course of his career. Only games against then-members of the ACC are counted, and some of Williams’ games at American (against Maryland and Wake Forest) and Boston College (against Duke, Maryland, Virginia and Wake Forest) make the cut.

Williams’ worst record: An 0-2 against Lefty Driesell. Next up is Haith.

Some of these numbers have to be evaluated against context. Williams was 6-12 (.333) against Dean Smith, whose career winning percentage was .776 overall and .728 in ACC games. Williams beat that curve.

Oh, one other thing —- none of this Pete Gaudet asterisk business permitted in this chart. College basketball should have a “you build it, you buy it” rule, but this is an old argument that will never be won in the official record books.

No matter what, of course, Mike Krzyzewski‘s record is exceptionally good. Mainly, of course, because he’s an exceptional coach who has spent more than two decades attracting exceptional players to Durham.

Anyway, here’s Williams’ success against his ACC peers over the years, in order of winning percentage:

Coach, School	GW record	Pct.
Larry Shyatt, CU	10-0	1.000
Sidney Lowe, NCSU	3-0	1.000
Dino Gaudio, WF	2-0	1.000
Bob Staak, WF	1-0	1.000
Steve Robinson, FSU	12-1	.923
Les Robinson, NCSU	10-3	.769
Paul Hewitt, GT	11-4	.733
Pete Gillen, UVA	10-4	.714
Herb Sendek, NCSU	16-7	.696
Terry Holland, UVA	2-1	.667
Pat Kennedy, FSU	8-5	.615
Leonard Hamilton, FSU	6-4	.600
Skip Prosser, WF	6-4	.600
Matt Doherty, UNC	4-3	.571
Dave Leitao, UVA	4-3	.571
Rick Barnes, CU	5-4	.556
Dave Odom, WF	13-12	.520
Bobby Cremins, GT	12-12	.500
Bill Guthridge, UNC	4-4	.500
Jim Valvano, NCSU	1-1	.500
Jeff Jones, UVA	8-9	.471
Oliver Purnell, CU	4-5	.444
Roy Williams, UNC	3-5	.375
Cliff Ellis, CU	4-7	.364
Dean Smith, UNC	6-12	.333
Seth Greenberg, VT	2-4	.333
Carl Tacy, WF	1-2	.333
Mike Krzyzewski, DU	14-33	.298
Al Skinner, BC	2-5	.286
Frank Haith, THE U	1-6	.143
Lefty Driesell, UM	0-2	.000