Generation Hex: How Can 3 Regional Finals in 5 Years Be Deemed Failure?

Sean Miller has won more than two-thirds of his NCAA playoff games (17-8 mark). He has four regional final appearances in the last eight years, including three with Arizona in last five seasons. How in the world can Miller already be considered the best coach never to reach a Final Four while Notre Dame's Mike Brey is given a pass despite participating in 50% more tourneys and compiling a losing playoff record? Ditto Gonzaga's Mark Few, who has appeared in twice as many NCAA tourneys as Miller.

Actually, Miller doesn't even meet the minimum standards to be on such a list and is justified in telling any willfully-ignorant critics where they can go. Have misguided observers addressing such a topic ever heard of all-time great coaches such as John Chaney, Lefty Driesell, Gene Keady and Norm Stewart? None of these four luminaries advanced to the national semifinals in a total of 64 NCAA Tournament appearances. "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 recently resurfaced as coach of an NAIA school in Texas. This year, North Carolina State's Mark Gottfried joined the following list of prominent coaches without a Final Four berth on their resume despite more than 10 NCAA Tournament appearances: