[Xs & Joes #61] Where Have All the Character Coaches Gone?
Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth are joined by Scott Caulfield for a fun and thought-provoking discussion about the evolution of college basketball coaching
Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth are joined by Scott Caulfield for a fun and thought-provoking discussion about the evolution of college basketball coaching. Looking back at some of the sport’s most memorable personalities, the guys explore why coaching icons once loomed so large over the game—and why today’s coaches often feel very different.
The Golden Age of Coaching Personalities
The conversation begins with a trip down memory lane as Bob, Mike, and Scott revisit some of the unforgettable characters who once dominated college basketball.
Why coaches like Bob Knight, Jim Valvano, John Thompson, Jerry Tarkanian, Lou Carnesecca, and Rollie Massimino became household names
The quirks, stories, and larger-than-life personalities that made coaches stars in their own right
How many of these coaches became synonymous with their programs and even their conferences
Which legendary coaches would make the best dinner companions
Along the way, the guys share plenty of stories, laughs, and memories from college basketball’s colorful past.
Why Today’s Coaches Feel Different
The discussion then turns to the modern game and why today’s coaches often seem more corporate, measured, and interchangeable.
Topics include:
The “nerdification” and professionalization of coaching
How media scrutiny, social media, and 24/7 coverage have changed coaching behavior
Why modern coaches often look more like executives than old-school basketball lifers
The impact of shorter coaching tenures and increased job movement
The group also debates whether the sport has simply changed—or whether we’ve lost something valuable along the way.
NIL, Realignment, and the New Coaching Reality
As the conversation evolves, Bob, Mike, and Scott examine how NIL, the transfer portal, and the changing economics of college sports have fundamentally altered the coaching profession.
Why college coaching may now be more difficult than NBA coaching
How roster management and fundraising have reshaped the head coach’s job
Whether today’s coaches are being hired primarily to win games rather than build programs and young men
Why the modern environment may discourage the kind of eccentric personalities that once thrived in the sport
The guys also discuss Dusty May’s departure for the NBA and what it says about the future of college basketball coaching.
Is There Room for Characters to Return?
The episode closes with a fascinating discussion about whether coaching personalities could eventually make a comeback.
Could larger support staffs and general managers eventually free coaches to simply coach again? Or has college basketball permanently moved into a more corporate era?
It’s a thoughtful conversation about leadership, culture, nostalgia, and where the sport may be headed next.
Bottom line: This episode is equal parts basketball history, cultural analysis, and old-school storytelling as Bob, Mike, and Scott explore why college basketball once felt full of unforgettable characters—and whether those days are truly gone for good.
This episode brought to you by the Back Home Network and Homefield Apparel.
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