Humble Backgrounds: Three Final Four Coaches Graduated From Small School

In a caste-like era separating haves from have-nots, imperial universities are seeking mega-conferences and, perhaps in the not-too-distant future, a restrictive upper division. But the socially elite won't ever be able to exclude small schools from making a big impact on the NCAA playoffs. Three of the coaches directing teams to this year's Final Four graduated from a non-Division I institution. Kentucky's John Calipari (Clarion State PA) will oppose Wisconsin's Bo Ryan (Wilkes PA) for the second straight season in the national semifinals.

Smaller colleges, many of them in the hinterlands, have supplied a striking number of the biggest names in coaching. From 1995 through 2000, five of the six NCAA Tournament championship coaches (Jim Calhoun, Jim Harrick, Tom Izzo, Lute Olson and Tubby Smith) graduated from obscure colleges with smaller enrollments. In fact, it is a rarity for a Final Four not to feature at least one coach such as Izzo who graduated from a non-DI school.

Calipari guided Kentucky to the 2012 national championship before Michigan's John Beilein (Wheeling Jesuit NY) and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon VA) directed teams to the Final Four two years ago. Following is an alphabetical list of mentors who worked their way up the ladder to an NCAA DI title after graduating from a small school:

NOTE: Fresno State, High Point, Illinois State and Vermont subsequently were classified NCAA DI universities.