Rival Views: Best head coaching job outside the elite programs

Ohio State's separation with Thad Matta this week has kicked up a lot of talk about just how good of a head-coaching job Ohio State is compared with others nationally.

So, we wondered, what are the best jobs outside of the blueblood schools out there?

At some point we'll need to talk about redefining which programs should - or should not - have blueblood status. But for the sake of today's debate, we'll include the usual six suspects of Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA in the group of "blueblood" programs.

National analysts Eric Bossi and Corey Evans debate which school outside of that select group has the most desirable head coaching position. Each was allowed to select two schools for the debate.

MORE: Bossi on fired Final Four coaches | Twitter Tuesday mailbag

First, I'll explain why I think Louisville is one of the nation's best jobs.

Even though many in the state of Kentucky favor the University of Kentucky, the Louisville fanbase is as good as they come. Rick Pitino's Cardinals play in a state of the art arena that is always full, they have top-notch practice facilities, and their budget and resources are never a concern. Louisville also has a rich tradition. It appeared in 10 Final Fours – three of them under Pitino – and the program has won three national titles. Louisville has name and brand recognition that allows it to recruit regionally and nationally, and the proof is in the results. Since 2010, 27 of the 32 players to commit to Louisville out of high school have been ranked as four-star or better prospects. On top of all of that, the emergence of the football program has no doubt helped with the athletic program's overall exposure and brand.

Neck-and-neck with Louisville for me is Michigan State. Much of it has to do with the job Tom Izzo has done in turning the Spartans into a national power. Yes, the Spartans won their first of two NCAA National Championships in 1979 while Jud Heathcote was the coach and some guy named Earvin Johnson was running the show. But, it's the seven Final Fours and seven Big Ten conference titles won under Izzo that have defined Michigan State as a program built on toughness, hard work and consistent results. Much like Louisville, at Michigan State the fan support, facilities and resources are not an issue. Most critically, Izzo has dominated recruiting in the state of Michigan while also having great success in surrounding states such as Ohio and Indiana. Consider this: In 13 of the last 16 recruiting classes (2002-2017), Michigan State has landed at least one four-star or better prospect from Michigan while its rival Michigan only landed a four-star or better prospect from within the state's borders in five of 16 years.

Given the way that Arizona has been operating on the recruiting trail – the Wildcats have signed seven straight top-seven recruiting classes and currently sit with one of the best already in 2018 – debating whether they are a blueblood program or not is laughable.

Sure, there are some questions surrounding their ability to win at the highest level, as Sean Miller has been labeled as the best coach to not make it to the Final Four. What does get overlooked is the fact that Miller has quickly put the program back on the basketball map, and the Wildcats have won the Pac-12 four times in the past eight seasons. They've appeared in the Elite Eight three times during that same timeframe, and have 15 past players competing in the NBA currently.

While the argument for Arizona is not the most difficult, Texas’ stance is a bit harder. It is one of the largest state universities in America, boasts one of the largest athletic budgets in the NCAA, has missed the NCAA Tournament just twice since 2000 and has helped produced such NBA stars as Tristan Thompson, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Durant.

The program has fallen on hard times of late, as Shaka Smart’s second year did not go as planned. But coming off an 11-22 campaign, the Longhorns will be bolstered by a top-five recruiting class that includes top-ranked center Mohamed Bamba.

Despite UT being a football school and acknowledging its recent struggles, Texas' basketball potential is sky high. It has the funding, the brand name and some of the best talent that grow up hoping to be recruited by the Longhorns, which places the program among the elite for desirable places to coach.