PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Chris Crutchfield smiled. It was a soft grin, a simple pose, but it was a moment of pure bliss — genuine happiness in recollection.
This is what comes when you lead your alma mater to parts unknown.
The former Arkansas basketball assistant coach, now the lead man at Omaha, has led his Mavericks to their first Division I NCAA Tournament.
This is his school, his alma mater, his home.
And he has built it with players and staff he has clear affinity for.
Crutchfield was a two-sport athlete at Omaha, playing both football and basketball in Nebraska’s largest city.