Jim Calhoun and Steve Fisher have combined for three nationial championships and six trips to the Final Four. Add Duke's Mike Krzyezewski and you've got quite a trio of accomplished coaches and combined national titles (seven) in the Honda Center these next few days. Too bad Lute Olson isn't still coaching Arizona.
However, one of the more surprising stats surrounding Thursday's UConn-San Diego State Sweet 16 bout is that, despite all their respective accomplishments, Calhoun and Fisher have never faced each other on the hardwood. Figured somewhere along the line they would have met, but nope, not 'til Thursday night.
Here's a quick tale of the tape between the two head coaches:
National championships: Calhoun 2, Fisher 1.
Trips to national championship game: Fisher 3, Calhoun 2.
Final Four appearances: Fisher 3, Calhoun 3
Trips to the Elite Eight: Calhoun 8, Fisher 4.
Trips to the Sweet Sixteen: Calhoun 13, Fisher 5.
NCAA tournament appearances: Calhoun 17, Fisher 11
NCAA tournament record: Calhoun 42-13, Fisher 22-9
Career victories: Calhoun 851 (39 seasons), Fisher 416 (20 seasons)
Age: Calhoun 68, Fisher 66 (tomorrow)
Games it took to win first NCAA title: Calhoun 809, Fisher 6
Most famous team: Calhoun -- 1999 or 2004 national champs, 1990 Impossible Dream team; Fisher -- Fab Five.
Scandal: Calhoun -- Recruitment of Nate Miles; Fisher -- Ed Martin paying players at Michigan.
Duke moment: Beat Blue Devils in 1999 national title game, 2004 Final Four; lost to Blue Devils in 1992 national title game, players later labeled Duke's black players as "Uncle Toms."
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