Coach Scheyer Becomes A-A Player in NCAA Tourney With Best Playoff Mark

A modest total of 14 individuals have emerged victorious as both an All-American player and head coach in NCAA Tournament competition. Michigan's Juwan Howard was the only one of them to compile winning NCAA tourney records at least three games above .500 in each category. But Howard, after missing the tourney in back-to-back years, was dismissed by the Wolverines following last season. Duke's Jon Scheyer and Memphis' Penny Hardaway were the only former A-As coaching teams in this year's tourney. Scheyer is at least six games above .500 in each category after the Blue Devils reached the 2025 Final Four.

Indiana's Branch McCracken, who directed the Hoosiers to NCAA tourney titles in 1940 and 1953, is the only one of the first 69 All-Americans becoming major-college mentors to finish his coaching career compiling a higher winning percentage as coach. But McCracken and Whitey Baccus, Tom Churchill, Jack Gray, Moose Krause plus John Wooden were A-As before the NCAA Tournament was introduced in 1939. More than 40 All-Americans who became major-college coaches either did not play or coach in NCAA playoffs. Five Duke graduates are among the following alphabetical list of 24 individuals participating in national tourney as an All-American player and bench boss (nine of them guiding their alma mater):