THE MEN OF MARCH: A Season Inside the Lives of College Basketball Coaches
Brian Curtis, . . Taylor, $26.95 (300pp) ISBN 978-0-87833-313-4
Nearly everything about this look at four college basketball coaches during the 2002 season betrays the TV background of its author, a former commentator for Fox's cable sports affiliate in L.A. This should not necessarily be a bad thing; the increasing vigor with which television has covered the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament has shone a much-needed light on that complicated world, and Curtis admirably picks up on the interest. But mostly this is a sophomoric effort. The author followed UCLA's Steve Lavin, Iowa's Steve Alford, Notre Dame's Mike Brey and Illinois's Bill Self during the 2001–2002 campaign. He interweaves the stories of their seasons, from the "midnight madness" that marks the first day of practice to their respective tournament runs in March, with background about their recruiting efforts and how they got their jobs. Some aspects of the book—such as the conceit of following around Division I coaches for a season and the subtitle—suggest another
Reviewed on: 02/17/2003
Genre: Nonfiction
Open Ebook - 360 pages - 978-1-4616-2524-7