Assorted notes on coaches
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By Mike Douchant
QUICK SUCCESS
Illinois' Bill Self joined the following exclusive list of coaches who guided
their school to a #1 seed in their first year at the helm of the program:
Coach, School Year (Regional) What Happened in Tourney?
Bill Hodges, Indiana State 1979 (Midwest) Lost in national final.
Eddie Sutton, Kentucky 1986 (Southeast) Lost in regional final.
Bill Guthridge, North Carolina 1998 (East) Lost in national semifinal.
Bill Self, Illinois 2001 (Midwest) To be determined.
FROM ROCK BOTTOM TO ROCK SOLID
It wasn't always basking in the spotlight of appearing in the NCAA
Tournament. Here is a list of coaches participating in the NCAA playoffs this
year after previously posting the most defeats in a single season in the history
of their current school:
School (Worst Season) W-L Pct. Coach (Year at School)
Alabama State (1996-97) 8-21 .276 Rob Spivery (1st of first five)
Boston College (1998-99) 6-21 .222 Al Skinner (2nd of four)
Duke (1994-95) 13-18 .419 Mike Krzyzewski* (15th of 21)
Eastern Illinois (1986-87) 9-19 .321 Rick Samuels (7th of 21)
Iowa (1999-2000) 14-16 .467 Steve Alford (1st of two)
Ohio State (1997-98) 8-22 .267 Jim O'Brien (1st of four)
Southern Utah (1997-98) 7-20 .259 Bill Evans (7th of 10)
Stanford (1992-93) 7-23 .233 Mike Montgomery (7th of 15)
*Krzyzewski wasn't in charge of team the entire season. Pete Gaudet
substituted for him the last 19 games while he was sidelined because of an
ailing back.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
It must be an extra special feeling this year for the following 15
individuals who coach their alma mater and directed it to college basketball's
grandest prize--the 2001 NCAA Tournament:
Coach, Graduating Class
Rod Barnes, Mississippi '88
Jim Boeheim,
Syracuse '66
*Bobby Braswell, Cal State Northridge '84
*Dave Calloway,
Monmouth '91
*Matt Doherty, North Carolina '84
*Craig Esherick,
Georgetown '78
*Bill Evans, Southern Utah '72
Bobby Lutz, Charlotte '80
*Thad Matta, Butler '90
Jeff Ruland, Iona '81
Eddie Sutton, Oklahoma
State '58
Jerry Tarkanian, Fresno State '55
*John Thompson III,
Princeton '88
*Ralph Willard, Holy Cross '67
Gary Williams, Maryland '67
*Making first coaching appearance with alma mater in NCAA playoffs.
