Doc Rivers has been with the Celtics since 2004, and while he was criticized at the start of his tenure, bringing home a title to the Hub in 2008 quieted most doubters. He was successfully able to meld the highly publicized aquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen with longtime star Paul Pierce, to give the C's their first championship since 1986. After contemplating retirement last year, Rivers signed a five-year extension and is now cemented with the Celtics.
Patriots fans often boast about the genius of Bill Belichik, who took over in Foxboro in 2000. It didn't take long for Belichick to achieve success, winning Super Bowls in three of his first five seasons. Often seen on the sidelines with his trademark sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off, Belichick has guided the Pats to eight division titles, and took home The Associated Press Coach of the Year award in '03, '07, and '10.
Claude Julien can take credit for the most recent Boston title, won by the Bruins in June. The B's bench boss led the team to 48 wins and a division title on their way to a Cup win that silenced critics after the Bruins disastrous end in 2010. With a new championship under his belt and all of his young talent in place for the future, Julien should be around awhile.
Since Jerry York took over behind the Boston College bench in 1994, the Eagles have been nothing short of spectacular, winning eight Hockey East titles and three national championships. York has a career record of 383-204-58 in 16 years at BC and is No. 2 on college hockey's all-time wins list with 880. His teams continually bring in top talent and he has recruited NHL players such as Brian Gionta, Nathan Gerbe, and Mike Mottau.
Right behind York on that all-time wins list is Jack Parker, head coach at Boston University since 1973. When the Terriers' season kicks off next weekend, Parker will be starting his 39th season on Commonwealth Avenue. Parker also has three national championships ('78, '95, '09), and has a career record of 852-442-112. A lifelong Terrier, Parker has coached such players as Tony Amonte, Chris Drury, and Keith Tkachuk.
With his third national championship this past spring, UConn's Jim Calhoun became the oldest coach to win a Division 1 basketball title. Calhoun has had tremendous success with the Huskies, taking over in 1986 and has since won seven Big East titles. He is currently eighth on the list of all-time winningest coaches with 855 wins at Northeastern and Connecticut.
