NCAA Tournament 2014: Tourney coaches who also coached high school teams

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo (pictured above) is a legendary college coach. He also has experience coaching at the high school level.

College basketball is the next level of achievement for high school players. And if you take a look at the 68 coaches participating in March Madness this year, it's apparent that the same has held true for some of them.

Players who played in the college ranks definitely got an inside track in their race to join the collegiate coaching fraternity, and a good number took advantage. Others, though, had to climb the ladder. And for some, that bottom rung was in prep gymnasiums in small towns and large cities alike.

Check out blurbs below about the 22 coaches in this year's tournament who have high school coaching experience. And below all that, check out the alma maters of all 68 coaches. Note how coaching at the high school level isn't just for the coaches at the lower seeds, or lesser-known universities. Guys like Roy Williams, Bo Ryan and Tom Izzo spent time in the prep ranks before ascending to the big-time.

For more tournament-related coach content, check out CBS Senior Editor Tony Moss' piece ranking the NCAA Tournament coaches by their playing careers.


John Beilein, Michigan (2 seed)
Beilein coached three years at Newfane (N.Y.), two as the head coach. He was also a history teacher before moving on to the junior college ranks.

Bo Ryan, Wisconsin (2)
Ryan (pictured, right) began his high school coaching career in 1972 at Brookhaven High in Delaware County, Pa. The school is no longer there. He taught history and coached for one year before going into the college ranks, but came back to preps in 1974, working at Sun Valley (Aston, Pa.). His Wisconsin bio states that he was named Delaware County Coach of the Year in his first season after finishing in second place in the Philadelphia Suburban League. In the 1975-76 season, Ryan led the team to its first state tournament berth in school history.

Tom Izzo, Michigan State (4)
Izzo coached the 1977-78 season at Ishpeming (Mich.) and turned around a losing team. The Hematites went 16-7 that year and took a league title under the 22-year-old Izzo, who rankled some parents by instituting two-a-day practices. See more in this article from the Escanaba Daily Press.

Steve Fisher, San Diego State (4)
Before he coached the "Fab 5" at Michigan, Fisher was a very successful head coach from 1971-78 at Rich East (Park Forest, Ill.). He went 141-70 over an eight-year career there, according to to his San Diego State bio. He was an assistant before getting the head job, and was quoted as saying "I probably could have stayed in the high school ranks my entire career and been happy," Fisher said. "I coached basketball and taught math and that was fine with me." 

Mick Cronin, Cincinnati (5)
Cronin was the JV coach at Woodward (Cincinnati) from 1991-96.

Roy Williams, North Carolina (6)
Williams knows more than basketball. While at Owen (Black Mountain, N.C.) from 1973-78, Williams coached boys basketball, golf and even freshman football. He was even the athletic director for two years, according to USA Today. Williams is in the Owen High Hall of Fame.

Tad Boyle, Colorado (8)
Boyle was the JV coach at his alma mater's rival Greeley West (Colo.), then was head coach at Longmont (Colo.) for three years. His final prep gig was as an assistant at Loveland (Colo.) for two years, according to his Colorado bio.

Mark Few, Gonzaga (8)
Few took Creswell (Ore.) to the state title game as a senior and then ended up working there as an assistant starting in 1983. He also spent time assisting at Sheldon (Eugene, Ore.) in 1988 while attending the University of Oregon.

Bruce Weber, Kansas State (9)
Weber was a volunteer assistant at Madison University (Milwaukee) and then was a varsity assistant at Marquette University (Milwaukee) according to his Kansas State bio. His bio from Southern Illinois states that he was a head coach from 1975-79 at Marquette University High.

Phil Martelli, St. Joseph's (10)
Martelli (pictured, right) was the head coach for seven seasons at Kenrick Catholic (Norristown, Pa.), which merged to become Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic (Norristown, Pa.) and is now Pope John Paul II (Royersford, Pa.). At Bishop Kenrick, he groomed one of the greatest women's basketball coaches ever in UConn's Geno Auriemma, according to the New Haven Register. Martelli left the school in 1985.

Dave Rose, BYU (10)
According to his BYU bio, Rose coached multiple sports at little Millard (Fillmore, Utah) before he left to become an assistant at Pine View (St. George, Utah). He led Millard from 1983-86.

Herb Sendek, Arizona State (10)
Sendek was still a graduate student at Carnegie-Mellon University in 1984 when he took on an assistant coach job at Central Catholic (Pittsburgh) under legendary coach Chuck Crummie, who won his 600th career game this season. According to a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Crummie said: "I remember we took the varsity to Las Vegas for a tournament. Herbie stayed back and coached our JV and freshman teams. When we came back, the players said, 'Coach, don't leave us with him again. He killed us.' He stayed for one year, and the next thing you know the next year he gets a graduate assistant's job at Providence under Rick Pitino."

Cuonzo Martin, Tennessee (11)
Martin was an assistant coach at West Lafayette (Ind.) during the 1999-2000 season.

Chris Mack, Xavier (12)
Mack was a very successful coach in Cincinnati in the girls' ranks. He was the JV coach at McAuley (Cincinnati) for two years, leading the squad at the all-girls school beginning in 1993. In 1995 he moved on to become the head coach at Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati), and a year later he was named the Cincinnati Post's Coach of the Year. According to CBS Sports, Mount Notre Dame was 7-14 when he showed up and immediately moved to 19-4 in his first season.

Marvin Menzies, New Mexico State (13)
Menzies graduated from and coached at Hamilton (Los Angeles), according to his NMSU bio. He was an assistant for eight years.

LeVelle Moton, North Carolina Central (14)
Moton got his first coaching job in his home city, beginning his coaching career at Sanderson (Raleigh, N.C.) in 2004. He took a struggling program back to respectability, including a campaign that set the school record for wins. In three years he went 59-25, won back-to-back titles in the CAP 7 Tournament and reached the final four in the NCHSAA Eastern Region.

Bob Hoffman, Mercer (14)
Hoffman was an assistant coach at Piedmont (Okla.) for two years before he got the chance to lead the way. He ended up going 79-30 at Piedmont (1983-85) and took the team to the state tournament three times after it had been only once previously in its history, according to Ryan Aber of the Oklahoman.

Steve Hawkins, Western Michigan (14)
Hawkins was just 19 when he took over as the JV coach at Villanova Prep (Ojai, Calif.) and he stayed there for two seasons. Next up was a one-year stint in his hometown at St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.). And another note: Hawkins was a chauffeur for UCLA coaching legend John Wooden and the two would talk basketball while sitting in traffic. If you have ever been to West Los Angeles, you can surmise that Hawkins gained a ton of wisdom in that notorious traffic.

Mike Brennan, American (15)
After graduating from Elizabeth (N.J.), Brennan (pictured, right) went off to Princeton. He came back one year to coach the freshman team at his alma mater and also assisted with the JV squad. He went 14-4 as the frosh coach.

Randy Rahe, Weber State (16)
Rahe got his first head coaching job at Bethune (Colo.) in 1985, later calling the school "Hoosiers-esque" and talking about borrowing the janitor and superintendent to be able to have 5-on-5 practices. He then moved on a year later to a similar school in the area, Stratton (Colo.), and coached there until 1988. He was the District Coach of the Year twice at Stratton, with district and league titles in 1986, 87 and 88. He went 54-17 there, with third-place finishes in the state tournament two times.

Joe Callero, Cal Poly (16)
Callero was a coach and guidance counselor at Sumner (Wash.) from 1992-95, in between successful junior college coaching stints. At Sumner, he took a team that had a losing record for six straight seasons, and produced a winning record.

Cliff Ellis, Coastal Carolina (16)
Ellis, also a well-known musician, got his first prep coaching job as a JV coach at Niceville (Fla.) and went 34-4 from 1969 to 1971. He then went to Vanguard (Ocala, Fla.), a school battling racial tension, and turned around an eight-win team with a 20-5 record in 1971-72. In his book he wrote how he would play James Brown songs for the first 20 minutes of practice to get his players in the right frame of mind. He also coached JV football at Niceville.


1. Wichita State - Gregg Marshall, Cave Spring (Roanoke, Va.)
1. Arizona - Sean Miller, Blackhawk (Beaver Falls, Pa.)
1. Florida - Billy Donovan, St. Agnes (New York City)
1. Virginia - Tony Bennett, Preble (Green Bay, Wis.)
2. Villanova - Jay Wright, Council Rock (Newtown, Pa.), became Council Rock North (Newtown, Pa.)
2. Kansas - Bill Self, Edmond Memorial (Okla.)
2. Michigan - John Beilein, DeSales Catholic (Lockport, N.Y.)
2. Wisconsin - Bo Ryan, Sun Valley (Aston, Pa.)
3. Syracuse - Jim Boeheim, Lyons (N.Y.)
3. Iowa State - Fred Hoiberg, Ames (Iowa)
3. Duke - Mike Krzyzewski, Archbishop Weber (Chicago) *closed
3. Creighton - Greg McDermott, Cascade (Iowa)
4. San Diego State - Steve Fisher, Herrin (Ill.)
4. UCLA - Steve Alford, New Castle Chrysler (Ind.), now New Castle (Ind.)
4. Louisville - Rick Pitino, St. Dominic (Oyster Bay, N.Y.)
4. Michigan State - Tom Izzo, Iron Mountain (Mich.)
5. VCU - Shaka Smart, Oregon (Wis.)
5. Oklahoma - Lon Kruger, Silver Lake (Kan.)
5. Cincinnati - Mick Cronin, La Salle (Cincinnati)
5. Saint Louis - Jim Crews, University (Normal, Ill.)
6. Massachusetts - Derek Kellogg, Cathedral (Springfield, Mass.)
6. North Carolina - Roy Williams, Roberson (Asheville, N.C.)
6. Ohio State - Thad Matta, Hoopeston-East Lynn (Ill.), now Hoopeston (Ill.)
6. Baylor - Scott Drew, Valparaiso (Ind.)
7. Oregon - Dana Altman, Wilber (Neb.), merged to become Wilber-Clatonia (Neb.)
7. Connecticut - Kevin Ollie, Crenshaw (Los Angeles)
7. Texas - Rick Barnes, Hickory (Hickory, N.C.)
7. New Mexico - Craig Neal, Washington (Ind.)
8. Colorado - Tad Boyle, Greeley Central (Colo.)
8. Kentucky - John Calipari, Moon Area (Moon Township, Pa.)
8. Memphis - Josh Pastner, Kingwood (Texas)
8. Gonzaga - Mark Few, Creswell (Ore.)
9. George Washington - Mike Lonergan, Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.)
9. Kansas State - Bruce Weber, Marshall (Milwaukee), now part of Morse Marshall (Milwaukee)
9. Pittsburgh - Jamie Dixon, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
9. Oklahoma State - Travis Ford, North Hopkins (Madisonville, Ky.)
10. Stanford - Johnny Dawkins, Archbishop Mackin (Washington, D.C.), now part of Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.)
10. Arizona State - Herb Sendek, Penn Hills (Pittsburgh)
10. BYU - Dave Rose, Northbrook (Houston)
10. St. Joseph's - Phil Martelli, St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia)
11. Iowa - Fran McCaffery, La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.)
11. Tennessee - Cuonzo Martin, Lincoln (East St. Louis, Ill.) *closed
11. Dayton - Archie Miller, Blackhawk (Beaver Falls, Pa.)
11. Nebraska - Tim Miles, Redfield/Doland (Redfield, S.D.)
11. Providence - Ed Cooley, Central (Providence, R.I.)
12. Xavier - Chris Mack, St. Xavier (Cincinnati)
12. North Carolina State - Mark Gottfried, Carterville (Ill.) and Carbondale (Ill.)
12. North Dakota State - Saul Phillips, Reedsburg (Wis.)
12. Harvard - Tommy Amaker, Woodson (Fairfax, Va.)
12. Stephen F. Austin - Brad Underwood, McPherson (Kan.)
13. New Mexico State - Marvin Menzies, Hamilton (Los Angeles)
13. Delaware - Monte Ross, Bodine (Philadelphia)
13. Tulsa - Danny Manning, Page (Greensboro, N.C.) and Lawrence (Kan.)
13. Manhattan - Steve Masiello, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) and Harvey (Katonah, N.Y.)
14. Mercer - Bob Hoffman, Putnam City (Oklahoma City)
14. Louisiana-Lafayette - Bob Marlin, Tupelo (Miss.)
14. Western Michigan - Steve Hawkins, Ventura (Calif.)
14. North Carolina Central - LeVelle Moton, Enloe (Raleigh, N.C.)
15. Milwaukee - Rob Jeter, Quigley South (Chicago) *closed
15. Eastern Kentucky - Jeff Neubauer, Slidell (La.)
15. American - Mike Brennan, Elizabeth (N.J.)
15. Wofford - Mike Young, Radford (Va.)
16. Albany - Will Brown, Miller Place (Miller Place, N.Y.)
16. Coastal Carolina - Cliff Ellis, Chipley (Fla.)
16. Mount St. Mary's - Jamion Christian, New Kent (Va.)
16. Texas Southern - Mike Davis, Fayette County (Fayette, Ala.)
16. Weber State - Randy Rahe, St. John's (Bancroft, Iowa) *closed
16. Cal Poly - Joe Callero, Enumclaw (Wash.)