Hall of Fame coaches open March Madness together, hoping more history awaits
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Chris Crutchfield knows he’s the odd man out. And, for the record, totally gets it.
When you’re in a four-team pod for the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament and the three other head coaches in said pod are all Hall of Famers, you’re going to notice. Rick Pitino, Bill Self and John Calipari have combined to win five national championships; the trio accounts for 17 total Final Four appearances.
"It's definitely the who's who of college coaching,” Crutchfield said. “I'm sure a lot of people are asking, 'Who the hell is that other guy in the bracket?'"
That would be the 56-year-old head coach of the Omaha Mavericks, who are first-time participants in the Division I men’s NCAA Tournament. Crutchfield’s crew will face Pitino and his second-seeded St. John’s team on Thursday night. The winner of that game gets either Self’s Kansas squad or Calipari’s Arkansas team in the second round on Saturday.
For fans, the Providence site is something close to college basketball nirvana, with three of the four active Hall of Fame coaches sharing this court on Thursday night. They also make up half of the six current men’s college basketball coaches with a national title to their name (even with one championship and a few Final Fours later vacated by the NCAA).
In an era perhaps best known for its exodus of HOFers, it’s a genuine treat to see so many in one place in the month of March.
Calipari, for one, doesn’t think that’s an accident. He loves a good old fashioned selection committee conspiracy theory.
Before Selection Sunday, Calipari saw that Arkansas was projected to be a No. 10 seed, which meant the Razorbacks would play a No. 7 seed. He predicted that they’d draw Kansas, projected on or around that seed line. He told his players they’d for sure get St. John’s as the No. 2 seed in their region, too. The selection committee wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation of these storylines.
“I thought it may be played somewhere else,” Calipari said.
Like … Lexington?
“When I saw we weren't there, I'm like, wow, somebody (on the selection committee) must have been sick and went to the bathroom or something for them not the put us there,” Calipari joked.
Self said that he, too, thought he’d draw Calipari’s squad. It’s just the way the math of 7-10 matchups was likely to work out, with both of those teams in the right ranges.
“I said, ‘You watch, we're going to play Arkansas,’” Self said. “I didn't have any idea who the No. 2 would be, but I think it's fine for us.”
He chuckled. Sure, there have been lots of questions about the history between Arkansas and Kansas as well as the history between the two head coaches. But nothing here has gotten more attention than the possibility of a Calipari-Pitino matchup in the second round. Which means no one is really talking about the seventh-seeded Jayhawks.
“We've been talked about enough over the years and over time,” Self said. “I'm kind of looking forward to having people talk about others. Maybe we can kind of sneak up on somebody.”
Frankly, it’s a weird place for Kansas to be, both literally and figuratively. The Jayhawks are usually a much higher seed, assigned a first-weekend site closer to home. But Kansas has been quite inconsistent this season, finishing sixth in the Big 12 standings. So, this is a team that is not being discussed as a favorite to cut down the nets. Or even in the mix to do so.
Pitino has obvious history with Providence; he reached his first Final Four with the Friars in 1987. Calipari’s Final Four run at UMass included an early stop in this city. Meanwhile, Self is trying to get out of the first weekend for the first time since his Jayhawks won it all in 2022. And Crutchfield wants to capture some of the March magic other double-digit seeds have found in the past.
And that’s what’s so great about this tournament. Three of these head coaches have combined to account for nearly 2,500 career wins. The fourth hasn’t cracked win No. 100. But here they are, sharing a court — and the opportunity to do something special.
“I told my team this: Do you understand what March can do for you in life?” Pitino said. “Some of my (former championship-winning) players in Lexington, I don't know if they're working, but they're living a good life.
"If you have that type of run in March, you become part of basketball history.”
Topics
-
West Region will feature 3 Hall of Fame coaches, another with consecutive national titles
Rick Pitino's latest rebuilding project will take him to Providence, where he pulled off one of the biggest surprises in March Madness history by leading the Friars to the 1987 Final Four. Pitino ...Yahoo Sports - 3d -
March Madness: Rick Pitino has No. 2 seed St. John's back in NCAAs after latest coaching revival
Standing in the middle of a sold-out Madison Square Garden, confetti sticking to his suit, Rick Pitino was asked about his remarkable basketball odyssey and latest Big East championship. “I saved ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Coaches Bill Self and John Calipari preview the Kansas and Arkansas NCAA Tournament game
Self is 7-6 all-time against Calipari and the duo have two national championship matches against each other.Yahoo Sports - 10h -
Rick Pitino prepared St. John’s for underdog Omaha by showing players his biggest upset loss in NCAA Tournament
NEW YORK — Rick Pitino knows what it’s like to be on the losing end of an all-time opening-round upset. In 2011, Pitino was the head coach of the No. 4 Louisville team that suffered a 62-61 stunner ...Yahoo Sports - 8h -
Calipari, Self gearing up for another high-stakes matchup
Thursday's NCAA Tournament game isn't the first high-stakes matchup between John Calipari and Bill Self.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
What coaches Rick Pitino and Chris Crutchfield said before their teams meet in NCAA Tournament
The Omaha and St. John's coaches spoke with media on Wednesday before the teams meet in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday in Providence.Yahoo Sports - 9h -
Just asking: Is Rick Pitino the best coach in the history of college basketball?
Pitino is rarely, if ever, mentioned in the debate, but this much is true: He wins wherever he goes.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 11 -
Which seed does Kansas basketball coach Bill Self think KU will have in NCAA tournament?
Kansas basketball is awaiting the news of which seed it will have for the NCAA tournament this year. How will this path start in March Madness?Yahoo Sports - 3d -
What Kansas coach Bill Self said about Arkansas, Calipari
Arkansas basketball continues its 2024-25 season Thursday against Kansas in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament, and Jayhawks head coach Bill Self spoke to the media Sunday to preview the ...Yahoo Sports - 2d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Alabama and Robert Morris square off in first round of NCAA Tournament
Yahoo Sports - 28m -
Houston Cougars play the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars in first round of NCAA Tournament
Yahoo Sports - 28m -
Louisville and Creighton square off in opening round of NCAA Tournament
Yahoo Sports - 28m -
Clemson Tigers play the McNeese Cowboys in first round of NCAA Tournament
Yahoo Sports - 28m -
Kentucky takes on Troy in opening round of NCAA Tournament
Yahoo Sports - 28m
More in Sports
-
Houston Cougars play the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars in first round of NCAA Tournament
Yahoo Sports - 28m -
Alabama and Robert Morris square off in first round of NCAA Tournament
Yahoo Sports - 28m -
Louisville and Creighton square off in opening round of NCAA Tournament
Yahoo Sports - 28m -
Illinois Fighting Illini face Xavier Musketeers in first round of NCAA Tournament
Yahoo Sports - 28m -
Clemson Tigers play the McNeese Cowboys in first round of NCAA Tournament
Yahoo Sports - 28m