Hall of Fame coaches open March Madness together, hoping more history awaits

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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.

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Publish date : 2025-03-19 22:45:00

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