Of all time....regardless of sport.
Here is the top ten:
SPORTING NEWS' TOP 50 COACHES
1. John Wooden, college basketball
2. Vince Lombardi, NFL
3. Bear Bryant, college football
4. Phil Jackson, NBA
5. Don Shula, NFL
6. Red Auerbach, NBA
7. Scotty Bowman, NHL
8. Dean Smith, college basketball
9. Casey Stengel, MLB
10. Knute Rockne, college football
The voting was done by 118 coaches, including Roy Williams. It is an interesting list, especially since evaluating coaches from different levels and sports is nearly impossible. Dean Smith's inclusion in the top ten says volumes about his standing in the eyes of the other coaches who voted for him. Incindentally, Mike Krzyzewski came in 19th on the list, three spots behind his mentor Bob Knight. A fair number of folks would argue both Knight and Krzyzewski ahead of Dean on this list which begs to question what factors the voters took into considertion when making their selections. Obviously championships was not a compelling reason and given that Krzyzewski will overtake Dean in wins at some point in the 2010-11 season that apparently is not a key reason. I imagine historical impact was probably the major reason most voters chose to elevate Dean into the company of those in top ten. Whatever the real reasons, this is a pretty solid indicator of Dean's reputation among his brethern in the coaching profession.
Update: According to Caulton Tudor, Roy was 51st just missing the list. According to Tudor, Roy does not get nearly the respect he deserves.