Big 12 Coach of the Year?

[Bball Girl]

My vote for Big 12 Coach of the Year is Deb Patterson. To take a team that was 2-12 (isn't that correct?) last year to their first ranking ever and then in the top 10 beats all everything.

[BigUtFan]

Originally posted by Bball Girl:
My vote for Big 12 Coach of the Year is Deb Patterson. To take a team that was 2-12 (isn't that correct?) last year to their first ranking ever and then in the top 10 beats all everything. This one will be a tough call and I am glad I do not have to make it. Patterson, Coale, Mulkey, Sharp and Conradt are all deserving.

[JK]

There certainly are some great coaches in the Big XII, aren't there?! From the old guard of Conradt and Sharp all the way to the newbies like Coale and Mulkey-Robertson. In between, you have the likes of Barry, Fennelly, and others. Having said all of this, I have said for several years that Deb Patterson is one helluva coach and does a great job up there in Manhattan. She and Kamie really have a lot to be proud of in their program. This year's team is a direct reflection of their coaching abilities. Sharp has done a good job with her team after losing two main players. Conradt has got the wonderkids over achieving, Mulkey-Robertson continues to show she's got the right stuff, and Coale has her team almost certainly headed towards San Antonio. But, in my opinion, Deb Patterson is THE coach of the year in the conference. I may be a little premature in calling this one, but she has been kinda overlooked over the past years and this is her year! I sure hope we can beat her KSU team tomorrow night in the Erwin Center, but I wish them all the luck just the same. Patterson and her staff certainly deserve a lot of credit for what they've accomplished so far.

[DblT81]

At this point, Deb Patterson would get my vote.

[YCN]

My vote is with yours, Bball Girl.

Now if some other Big 12 team won the NC, that might change my mind; but then again - it might not!

Coach Patterson's team has a very legitimate chance to win 30 or more games this year when the final tally is done, and they went 2-14 in the conference last year.

If that doesn't sound like National (much less Big 12) Coach of the Year achievement I don't know what does.

I got to watch KSU finally over the weekend, and are they ever impressive. This team just might win multiple NC's before all is said and done. With OU coming to Manhattan, it is very much within the realm of possibility that the Cats could win the conference this year.

And they're just babies! The rest of the conference has just had the bar raised on them - and they were blind-sided by where that bar-raising was to come from.

What a conference the Big 12 is this year! Seven teams in the top 17 in both polls - amazing!

[BEAR SKIN]

At this point in the season, Patterson, no question based on results compared to projections.

What happens if OU wins the Big 12 and KSU ends up a close second? Do you penalize/downgrade Coale for her team's preseason recognition as top caliber????

[YCN]

COTY honors are usually handed out to the coach of a dominant conference championship team, or the team that has improved most dramatically from the previous year.

Since I don't think that any team will be a "dominant" conference champion this year; and since the improvement in KSU has been stunning to say the least - this appears to be a no-brainer to me.

Of course a lot depends on what happens between now and the end of March.

[elfdenmom]

At this point in the season my vote goes to Deb Patterson.

[Bob_Ballew]

Agree 100%. Deb Patterson is COY at this point.

[schooner2]

Well, I guess I'll just have to be different. My vote goes to Conradt. The turn around in Texas this year, especially in conference play, has everything, I think, to do with Conradt focusing only on coaching this year. I can point to that and say it has everything to do with coaching.

No doubt Patterson will win the award though because the award is more about a team's turnaround from year to year than about pure coaching. Patterson should win the award for best recruiting two years running.

[ChipperF1]

"I think, to do with Conradt focusing only on coaching this year. I can point to that and say it has everything to do with coaching.
No doubt Patterson will win the award though because the award is more about a team's turnaround from year to year than about pure coaching. Patterson should win the award for best recruiting two years running."

I would hope that you aren't saying that Deb Patterson hasn't done a good coaching job, because in my mind that would be the biggest misconception going.
I give you exhibit A, Kansas State vs. Texas Tech, where KSU needed to make adjustments to counter what TTU was doing, and especially what Jia Perkins was up to. Yes, the players have to make the plays, but a coach has to make the call, and Deb made the calls that put her kids into position to make plays.
She got the kids, but recruiting is only half the battle. You have to get them ready for business, and Deb has appearantly done that, and proof shows at the top of the standings.
No knock on the job Jody Conradt has done this year. She's done a masterful job as well, and Thursday night's battle will be fun to watch.
If recruiting was end all and be all of it all, than that oversized imbecile in Lincoln would have a first place team.

[BenEClone]

Chipper knows well that recruiting isn't the whole game. NU is a prime example of good recruits who consistently underachieve. KSU has good talent (good recruiting) which performs well (good teaching) and is up (good motivation and preparation) when they need to be. Absent a complete collapse Patterson should prevail.

[schooner2]

I just think it's kind of funny how suddenly a coach can be coach of the year. I guess I'm taking a shot at the nature of the award. I'm definitely not taking any shots at coaches.

It's like we give the award to Patterson because suddenly she showed herself worthy of the award. She's probably been worthy all along. What magnified it all of a sudden is her wonderful job at recruiting the past two years.

Don't forget that Patterson did an amazing job her very first year as a head coach at KSU. She took the same talent as they had the previous year and they ended up going to the NCAA Tourney in her first season.

Have to admit I was beginning to doubt her after the past couple of season, but she is shining through this year.

[mred]

I'm afraid Coach Fennelly has passed his best chance for coach of the year. He managed to take a horrible ISU team and turn it into a national contender without ever receiving the award. Now that ISU is good, it'll take a convincing conference championship to win it. That is no small task.