He admits that, like any coach trying to curry favor with future millionaires, he is not squeaky clean: twice he has had Final Four appearances vacated, first when it was revealed that one of his players had accepted money from an agent, then when another submitted fraudulent S.A.T. scores.
Kentucky's coach, John Calipari, reached the Final Four twice previously with Massachusetts and Memphis, but both appearances were vacated because of N.C.A.A. infractions.
Donahue earns from $200,000 to $300,000 a year, while Calipari makes more than any other coach in Division I. Calipari has taken two programs to the Final Four, but both appearances were vacated because of rules violations.
Todd's reference to "sticking" referred to Calipari's history of trouble following his success at the University of Massachusetts and Memphis, in which their Final Four appearances were vacated by the N.C.A.A.
As the only Division 1 athletic department in the state, they enjoy one of the largest local fan bases in the U.S. Also, just three years into his role as head coach, Tubby Smith has led the team to consecutive NCAA tournaments for the first time in 15 years (though officially it's the first time in school history, since those earlier appearances were vacated by the NCAA).
Massachusetts beat Memphis, 73-72, in a game between teams that had a Final Four appearance under John Calipari vacated by the N.C.A.A.
At 39, a bench player who has not appeared in the finals, Howard is the last active member of the Fab Five, which had its consecutive championship game appearances at Michigan vacated in 2002 because of N.C.A.A. violations.
Calipari has never personally been sanctioned, but his 1996 Final Four appearance at Massachusetts was vacated because of Marcus Camby's dealings with an agent.
The previous judge overseeing the case had ordered Major Hasan to be shaved, but a military appeals court removed the judge because of an appearance of bias and vacated the shaving order.
The four teams that advanced to play in New Orleans on Saturday — top-seeded Kentucky, the No. 2 seeds Kansas and Ohio State and No. 4 Louisville — all have potential Hall of Fame coaches, generate an eye-popping amount of revenue (almost $90 million annually) and have a combined 50 Final Four appearances, including the Buckeyes' vacated 1999 trip.
