Once again, coaches with Inland Northwest connections are strewn throughout the NCAA Tournament field.
Former Washington State coach Tony Bennett has Virginia rolling into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed for the second straight year. The third-seeded Houston Cougars are peaking under another ex-WSU boss, Kelvin Sampson. And couple of familiar Gonzaga faces are now on the staff of ninth-seeded Baylor. They could be on a crash course with the Bulldogs in Salt Lake City.
Here’s a breakdown of eight head coaches, assistants and grad assistants with local ties who’ll be appearing in this year’s Big Dance.