Generation Hex: Altman, Brey, Dunphy & Few Never Have Reached Final Four
Despite a total of 58 NCAA playoff appearances, Dana Altman, Mike Brey, Fran Dunphy and Mark Few remain among the best coaches never to reach a Final Four. They are among all-time greats such as John Chaney, Lefty Driesell, Gene Keady and Norm Stewart - four retired luminaries failing to advance to the national semifinals in a total of 64 NCAA Tournaments. "It's so difficult not being able to make that final step," said Chaney, who lost five regional finals with Temple.
Driesell made 11 NCAA playoff appearances with Davidson and Maryland from 1966 through 1986. "I always wanted to get to the Final Four, but not as much as some people think," said Driesell, who lost four regional finals. "I'm not obsessed with it."
Only four schools - North Carolina, Duke, Georgetown and Syracuse - supplied more NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans from 1982 through 1992 than Stewart-coached Missouri (seven). It must have been particularly frustrating for Mizzou fans when the Tigers compiled a 4-8 NCAA tourney worksheet in that span.
But some mentors never will receive the accolades they deserve because of failing to reach the Promised Land, including maligned Dave Bliss, who resurfaced as coach of an NAIA school in Texas. Let's hope they didn't seek a safe space on campus to curl up in a fetal position, but the following "Generation Hex" list includes prominent coaches without a Final Four berth on their resume despite more than 10 NCAA Tournament appearances:
Coach | NCAA Tourneys | Playoff Record (Pct.) | Closest to Reaching Final Four |
---|---|---|---|
Gene Keady | 18 | 19-18 (.514) | regional runner-up with Purdue in 1994 and 2000 |
John Chaney | 17 | 23-17 (.575) | regional runner-up with Temple five times (1988-91-93-99-01) |
Mark Few | 17 | 21-17 (.553) | regional runner-up with Gonzaga in 2015 |
Fran Dunphy | 16 | 3-16 (.158) | won three opening-round games with Penn and Temple (1994, 2011 and 2013) |
Norm Stewart | 16 | 12-16 (.429) | regional runner-up with Missouri in 1976 and 1994 |
Mike Brey | 13 | 12-13 (.480) | regional runner-up with Notre Dame in 2015 and 2016 |
Lefty Driesell | 13 | 16-14 (.533) | regional runner-up four times with Davidson and Maryland (1968-69-73-75) |
Dana Altman | 12 | 9-12 (.429) | regional runner-up with Oregon in 2016 |
Dave Bliss | 11 | 8-11 (.421) | regional semifinals with Oklahoma in 1979 |
Pete Carril | 11 | 4-11 (.267) | won two games with Princeton in 1983 |
Gale Catlett | 11 | 7-11 (.389) | regional semifinals with West Virginia in 1998 |
Tom Davis | 11 | 18-11 (.621) | regional runner-up with Boston College in 1982 and Iowa in 1987 |
Mark Gottfried | 11 | 10-11 (.476) | regional final with Alabama in 2004 |
Tom Penders | 11 | 12-11 (.522) | regional final with Texas in 1990 |