Clem Haskins wouldn't be surprised if his first Final Four winds up being his last. In fact, he expects his own stubbornness, his own "old school" mentality, to end his coaching career soon.
Most high school stars don't want to play for Minnesota. Haskins doesn't like to use freshmen. He substitutes so often that even his standouts rarely play 30 minutes in a game. He doesn't let his players wear earrings."My dad had a third-grade education. He raised 11 kids on $3,500 a year. That's where I got my values," said Haskins, whose Golden Gophers meet Kentucky in Saturday's national semifinals.
"I don't believe in earrings, long (shorts) . . . tattoos. A few more years, I'm going to be forced out of coaching because young people don't (agree). And I think coaches give in to that. But I can't. To get the blue-chip player, I guess you probably have to, and that's probably why I don't get that many."
That might explain one of the big reasons why, in 17 seasons as a head coach (including six at Western Kentucky before coming to Minnesota), Haskins is just now making his first Final Four appearance.
Meanwhile, Dean Smith has guided North Carolina into the Final Four for the 11th time. Smith's coaching opponent in Saturday's other semifinal, Lute Olson, has Arizona in the national semifinals for the third time in 10 years. And Kentucky coach Rick Pitino is in his third Final Four in five seasons; he's also bidding for his second consecutive championship.
Pitino respects Haskins' methods - and his results.
"At every phase of the game, his kids play well. They execute, and they're well disciplined," Pitino said. "It's great to see it happen for Clem, because he's paid his dues and should be recognized as one of the premier coaches in our game."
Esther Whitley, the mother of Minnesota sophomore Courtney James, said Haskins and his players have "a special bond."
James was a great player at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, but wasn't highly recruited because he had some disciplinary problems.
Haskins' strong personality fits well in this Final Four. The other three programs have become defined by the successes of the men who run them.
Pitino, like Haskins, likes to use a lot of players. But Pitino doesn't have as many to use. Because of injuries, Kentucky (34-4) is using only eight players. But, expect the Wildcats to try to force tempo by pressing Minnesota (31-3).
Smith and Olson had similar seasons. Both North Carolina (28-6) and Arizona (23-9) struggled at times because of lack of experience. For example, each team relies on a freshman point guard - Ed Cota for North Carolina, Mike Bibby for Arizona.