The Big 12 coaches showed themselves to be a bitter bunch by voting MIzzou coach Frank Haith as the 3rd best coach in the conference in the conference award voting.
Haith finished behind Kansas coach Bill Self and Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg for the conference honors. No disrespect to Self or Hoiberg, they are both fine coaches but Haith was the obvious choice, as evidenced with the Associated Press’ Big 12 COY award.
Self’s Kansas team, which clenched its eighth-consecutive conference title this season, was expected to win the league. Hoiberg’s job was notable, taking a 16-16 team with a horrible conference record (3-13) to a very good 22-9 (12-6) and its first Top 25 ranking in years.
However, to all unbiased observers, Haith is the clear choice. Though the Tigers finished a respectable 23-11 last season, the Mike Anderson-led team floundered down the stretch, losing five of it’s final six games, including a first-round loss in the NCAA tourney. Then Anderson announced he was headed to Arkansas. After failing to woo bigger name coaches such as Purdue’s Matt Painter, Mizzou “settled” on Haith despite an uproar from many fans and boosters.
If that weren’t enough chaos to deal with, Haith’s best post player, Laurence Bowers was lost his season to injury before the season ever started. Despite the drama, Haith has led the Tigers to a 27-4 record (most wins in school history) and a legitimate Top 5 ranking.
But the coaches of the Big 12 would rather hold petty grudges against Haith and Mizzou as the squad is leaving for the greener pastures of the SEC. It’s not Haith’s fault Texas held Big 12 teams hostage so often at the negotiating table. The exodus was began by Nebraska and Colorado and continued by Texas A&M and Missouri.
But don’t think Haith minds one bit. The coach is squarely focused on helping Missouri reach its first Final Four in school history. If he can accomplish that lofty goal, his accomplishments will tell his peers who’s really number one.
