In addition to crowning a first-time champ, the Memorial Day matchup between Duke and Notre Dame guarantees something else.
One of the two head coaches will collect a title after more than a dozen NCAA tournament trips without leading the last team standing.
(Understand, of course, that defining "success" merely 0-for-a-championship terms isn't all that wise. But given the matchup, it is sort of interesting)
Notre Dame's Kevin Corrigan is in his 15th NCAA tournament, Duke's John Danowski his 13th. No matter who wins, it'll be the most postseason trips before winning a title in tournament history.
Only one coach with a national title needed more than six NCAA trips to win his first title. That was Virginia's Dom Starsia, who made five postseason appearances at Brown and then didn't win his first title until seven seasons/NCAA invitations into his stint in Charlottesville.
And as for coaches who had a chance to collect a crown relatively late in their careers? Former Maryland coach Dick Edell's 12th, 14th and 15th tournament trips ended in title game losses, as did the 10th postseason visits for Jim Adams (Virginia) and Mike Pressler (Duke).
The rundown of the coaches with the most postseason trips without a national title:
22: Dave Cottle, Loyola and Maryland
19: Tony Seaman, Penn, Johns Hopkins and Towson
17: Dick Edell, Army and Maryland
16: Jack Emmer, Cortland, Washington & Lee and Army
15: Kevin Corrigan, Notre Dame
14: Jim Adams, Penn and Virginia
13: John Danowski, C.W. Post, Hofstra and Duke
11: Dick Szlasa, Washington & Lee and Navy
11: Dave Urick, Georgetown
10: Mike Pressler, Duke
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