ESPN: Best head coaches to never win a national title

The nets are cut, the Final Four is finalized and an accolade has been added to the legacies of the qualifying coaches. The key word is added, as Lon Kruger, Jay Wright, Jim Boeheim and Roy Williams all have been here before.

Postseason milestones are a popular way to appraise college coaches. The Final Four is a merit badge for those who guide their teams through four elimination games. Though regular-season accolades carry greater weight in football, the new playoff system (and even the BCS National Championship Game before it), creates a helpful coaching partition.

But it’s not everything. There have been great college coaches who never played for a national championship. Some coached at smaller schools where national-title runs, especially in football, are virtually impossible. Others enjoyed some postseason glory but stumbled just shy of the championship stage.

Today, they will be recognized. With help from my ESPN colleagues, I’ve identified the best college basketball and college football coaches who never guided their teams into a direct position for the national title. …

Jamie Dixon, TCU: Dixon seemed certain to make a Final Four early in his Pitt tenure, as he reached three Sweet 16s and an Elite Eight in his first six seasons. He never again reached the tournament’s second weekend, but he still claimed two regular-season Big East titles, a Big East tournament championship and national coaching awards in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Gary Patterson, TCU: Patterson is the reason TCU returned to a major conference — and why it has quickly become a championship contender. He led the Horned Frogs to championships in three leagues (Big 12, Mountain West and Conference USA) and twice claimed national coach of the year honors (2009, 2014). TCU went 13-0 in 2010 but didn’t qualify for the BCS title game because of its league affiliation. The 2014 Frogs looked national-title worthy but ended up two spots outside the inaugural playoff.