The Men of March: A Season Inside the Lives of College Basketball Coaches [Hardcover]

Brian Curtis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 24, 2003

The Men of March: A Season Inside the Lives of College Basketball Coaches is a one-of-a kind look at what it means, and what it takes to be a head coach in the college arena of the new millennium. Granted extensive access to the locker rooms, practices, offices, sidelines and homes of four of the nations leading coaches and their programs (Mike Brey, Notre Dame; Steve Lavin, UCLA; Bill Self, Illinois and Steve Alford, Iowa), the author lays bare the forces that make coaches tick. From upset losses and recruiting wars, to the mounting frenzy of March Madness and the fierce rivalries played out through long winters under the brightest, hottest spotlight in college sports, readers gain a true respect for men who choose, and excel at, this roller coaster ride profession. With candid comments from over fifty college coaches, including Lute Olson, Roy Williams and John Chaney, in addition to perspectives from Dick Vitale, John Wooden, John Feinstein and many others, The Men of March provides an in-depth look at some of the major issues facing coaches in the game today. Among the many considerations of the college basketball pressure cooker are recruiting, graduation rates, hirings and firings, media relations and the influence of volatile social issues such as race and religion on the game's participants and leaders.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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 Season on the Brink, John Feinstein's remarkable account of Bobby Knight's Indiana University 1985-1986 team. However, this effort falls short. Like most TV commentators, Curtis is given access most fans only dream of. And like many TV commentators, he squanders it. Commentator platitudes like "take it to the next level" pop up repeatedly in what are essentially puff pieces. Instead of using his hours at practice to garner real insight, the author spends too much time apologizing for coaches like the embattled Lavin and steeping his prose in unrevealing anecdotes that confirm his unsurprising thesis: "The responsibilities of a college coach are time-intensive and the job is a never-ending one."
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

...rich in detail about the business of coaching at this level. (Mike DeCourcy Sporting News.Com )

His (Brian Curtis) work, The Men of March, looks into the family lives and day-to-day work of the coaches as they recruit, teach, coach, and cope with their teams. For fans interested in how coaches cope with contracts, academics, scouting and game preparation, a detailed look is offered. (Steve Batterson Quad- City Times )

His (Brian Curtis) work, The Men of March, looks into the family lives and day-to-day work of the coaches as they recruit, teach, coach, and cope with their teams. For fans interested in how coaches cope with contracts, academics, scouting and game preparation, a detailed look is offered. (Steve Batterson Quad- City Times )

...this is a book you must read. If you want to know what it was like last season in the locker room, at practice, at halftime, and you want to know what it was like to be with Coach Alford, that this is the perfect book for you. (Tom Kakert Hawkeyenation.Com )

Listed as competition book for String Music (another book on SEC basketball) (Carol Herwig Usa Today )

Listed as competition book for String Music (another book on SEC basketball) (Carol Herwig Usa Today )

Brian Curtis has put together a rare, insightful and thoroughy reported look at the highest levels of college basketball. In researching his book, Curtis went inside the locker rooms, practices, team meetings, offices, and homes of four of the nations' top coaches. (Greenville Community News )

I have found the perfect companion for all of you March Madness addicts for those moments when you are not glued to the television. (Thom Loverro Washington Times )

...the book, published in time for the Final Four, is sure to get attention from fans of college hoops. (Publishers Weekly )

Curtis's illuminating book reveals much more about the college coaching profession. If you want to take a peek behind the curtain while you are watching this fantasy world of college basketball, The Men of Marchwould be a good place to start (Thom Loverro Washington Post )

Curtis's illuminating book reveals much more about the college coaching profession. If you want to take a peek behind the curtain while you are watching this fantasy world of college basketball, The Men of Marchwould be a good place to start (Thom Loverro Washington Post )

A season-long journey with Steve Alford, Mike Brey, Steve Lavin and Bill Self helps to define what it means to be a head coach in the new millenium. The author goes in-depth and behind the scenes to paint a picture of...The Men Of March. (Basketball Times )

A season-long journey with Steve Alford, Mike Brey, Steve Lavin and Bill Self helps to define what it means to be a head coach in the new millenium. The author goes in-depth and behind the scenes to paint a picture of...The Men Of March. (Basketball Times )

The Men of March: A Season Inside the Lives of College Basketball Coaches, by Brian Curtis gives a well-written account into the lives of four coaches... (Kirby Pringle The News-Gazette )

The Men of March: A Season Inside the Lives of College Basketball Coaches, by Brian Curtis gives a well-written account into the lives of four coaches... (Kirby Pringle The News-Gazette )

...this view of the college basketball industry moves beyond the locker to encompass family dining rooms, the offices of athletic directors, the homes of recruits and the hallways of the NCAA tournmament. (Notre Dame Magazine )

A highly recommended read for college basketball junkies... (Larry Cotlar The Local Sports Connection )

A rare, insightful, and thoroughly reported look at the highest levels college basketball, wrote Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated. Anyone who watched and follows college hoops is going to love this book. (Greg Stewart Peoria Journal Star )

A rare, insightful, and thoroughly reported look at the highest levels college basketball, wrote Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated. Anyone who watched and follows college hoops is going to love this book. (Greg Stewart Peoria Journal Star )

...which is rich in detail about the business of coaching at this level (Mike DeCourcy Msnbc.Com )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing (January 24, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878333134
• ISBN-13: 978-0878333134
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,002,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic behind the scenes book!, February 9, 2003

By 

Leo Stern (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Men of March: A Season Inside the Lives of College Basketball Coaches (Hardcover)

A must for any college basketball junkie. Some of the stories were simply incredible and I felt like a "fly on the wall." I loved the feeling of being right there in the locker room and getting inside the coaches' heads. I highly recommend this book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Could not put this book down!!!!!, February 13, 2003

By 

Jeff Podell (Los Angeles, Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Men of March: A Season Inside the Lives of College Basketball Coaches (Hardcover)

This book was awesome. Once I picked it up I could not stop reading it. I even broke up with my girlfriend so that I could have time to finish it. We see the games on TV but this book goes where the cameras stop. These young, slick coaches know how to get the most out of their players. Now when I see coaches like Lavin and Self on TV I know what they might say at halftime or what they are thinking during the game. As a high school prospect myself, this books tells me all the things they don't send you in recruit letters, but should. I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in College basketball. Bravo Mr. Curtis, thanks a lot!!!!!!!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really good read, March 1, 2003

By 

Marcus Petrie (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Men of March: A Season Inside the Lives of College Basketball Coaches (Hardcover)

This was a really terrific read. The anecdotes about players, coaches, recruiters, officials, and sports reporters are all interesting and some really funny. It's a pretty big book but it reads very fast. The politics of college basketball, from race conflicts, to academics, to the often nasty seduction of recruits, opened my eyes in a big way to these issues that usually get only brief treatment from the media. The coaches that the author followed are pretty stunning characters. I had no idea of the extent of their day-to-day obligations, or their perks. I strongly recommend this book for anybody with even a causual interest in sports. What'll stick with me most for a long time are incredible individual and group moments of pain, and victory, and laugh-out-loud humor. Definitely a good book.