Heady Kruger: Coaching Quartet Has Guided 3 Different Schools to Elite Eight
March 25th, 2016 - 21:18
Lon Kruger is frequently overlooked in his profession despite status as only coach ever to direct five different schools in the NCAA Tournament. This year, he added to his credentials by becoming only the fifth mentor in playoff history guiding three different schools to an Elite Eight before earning acclaim as the 13th coach taking two different institutions to the Final Four.
Gene Bartow achieved the feat in a 10-year span from 1973 through 1982. Three of the five coaches advanced to a regional final piloting Kentucky. John Calipari is the only individual on the following list to be bench boss for three different schools reaching a regional final multiple times:
| Elite Eight Coach | First School | Second School | Third School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Bartow | Memphis State (1973) | UCLA (1976) | UAB (1982) |
| John Calipari | Massachusetts (1995 and 1996) | Memphis (2006 through 2008) | Kentucky (2010 through 2012, 2014 and 2015) |
| Lon Kruger | Kansas State (1988) | Florida (1994) | Oklahoma (2016) |
| Rick Pitino | Providence (1987) | Kentucky (1992, 1993 and 1995 through 1997) | Louisville (2005, 2008, 2009, 2013 and 2015) |
| Eddie Sutton | Arkansas (1978 and 1979) | Kentucky (1986) | Oklahoma State (1995, 2000 and 2004) |