Without fail, in every NCAA Tournament, a team comes from out of nowhere to capture the attention of the nation. The colossal upsets, the buzzer-beaters and the players that become household names overnight are what make March Madness a truly unique spectacle. But behind every memorable moment, there’s a coach. With a philosophy, vision and dry erase board at the ready, coaches can be the difference between an early exit and tournament run that transcends the game of basketball. We’ve scoured the field to bring you four coaches who could conjure up some March magic.
Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa
You may as well label Jacobson the “Giant Killer” because his teams are lethal in the underdog role. Jacobson was calling the shots in 2010 when Ali Farokhmanesh and the Panthers shocked the world with their two-point upset of the number one-seeded Kansas Jayhawks. Jacobson, the three-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, may have another team capable of ruining more than a few brackets this March. They’re certainly comfortable playing in a tournament setting, evidenced by UNI’s 5-1 record when playing on a neutral court.
Just this season, Northern Iowa has upset North Carolina and Iowa State, beating both power programs as seven-point underdogs. They also dealt Wichita State back-to-back losses, including their overtime triumph against the Shockers in the MVC tournament semifinals. The secret to Jacobson’s success may be his team’s discipline. You really have to earn it against UNI because they won’t send you to the charity stripe. Teams average just 13 foul shot attempts per game against the Panthers, the lowest total in Division-I.
Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s
Martelli, the 2004 Naismith Coach of the Year, has led Saint Joe’s to the NCAA Tournament on six occasions. Half of his tournament exits have come against Final Four-bound teams, including a first round, overtime defeat to the eventual national champs (UConn) in 2014. Those three losses don’t even include running into the then number-one ranked Stanford Cardinal in the second round back in 2001 or his first-round meeting with Blake Griffin’s Oklahoma team in 2008. It’s hard to blame the four-time A-10 Coach of the Year for dropping those games.
His crowning achievement as a coach came in 2004. After ascending to the top of the AP poll, the Hawks won three NCAA Tournament games, dispatching Bobby Knight’s Texas Tech team and the Chris Paul-led Wake Forest Demon Deacons to reach the Elite Eight. That SJU squad, led by Jameer Nelson and Delonte West, fell by just two points in the regional final to Oklahoma State. Simply put, Martelli has coached in and won games against top flight competition and has never wilted under the bright lights. Just for good measure, Martelli is approaching a milestone. With one win in the A-10 Tournament, Martelli will join the exclusive 400-win club before the Big Dance begins.
Randy Bennett, Saint Mary’s (CA)
The three-time WCC Coach of the Year has done a masterful job with the Gaels this season. No Gael averages more than 14 points per game, yet the team finished the regular season as the nation’s most efficient offense. Their ball movement within Bennett’s offense leads to so many open looks that they’re just the third team in six years to shoot over 51 percent from the floor. Further evidence of SMC’s offensive dominance is its assist-to-turnover ratio, which is the second best in the nation.
This year’s team isn’t just a flash in the pan for Bennett. The 53-year-old orchestrated the program’s most memorable NCAA Tournament run back in 2010 when the Gaels upset the second-seeded Villanova Wildcats in the Round of 32. The Gaels finished that season 19th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Nearly every offensive metric indicates that this is an excellent team, and their smooth ball movement helps them pass the eye test with flying colors. Bennett’s blend of past success and perfected offensive philosophy make his team an incredibly tough out in this year’s tournament.
Kevin Keatts, UNC Wilmington
The hardest part of a turnaround is taking a team from bad to competitive. Before Coach Keatts arrived in Wilmington, the Seahawks had won just 29 games in the previous three seasons combined. In Keatts’ debut season, UNCW captured the CAA regular season title for the first time since 2006. The former Rick Pitino assistant has won CAA Coach of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons, making him the first coach to accomplish the feat in the 33-year history of the award.
This season, Keatts’ trademark pressure defense has forced 14.4 turnovers per game, which has translated to the 11th-best turnover margin in all of college basketball (plus-3.8). The constant pressure applied by Keatts’ defense has resulted in the Seahawks averaging the third-most fouls per game, something to watch for if they’re facing a premier foul shooting team. Winners of 15 of their last 17 games, UNCW and their rising star head coach have a great chance to be this tournament’s darling Cinderella story.
