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Notre Dames Niele Ivey is doing it the way she learned how to coach, pacing the sideline in stylish attire in a time when most coaches favor far more casual attire.When I first got into coaching, I learned under a Hall of Fame coach, Ivey said. Being coached under Coach (Muffet) McGraw, her whole staff dressed up. Coaching with her we dressed up. Thats kind of the fabric of Notre Dame, and what Im used to style-wise.As the NCAA Tournament heats up, the styles of Ivey, LSUs Kim Mulkey, Alabamas Nate Oats and South Carolinas Dawn Staley stand out in a sea of coaches in team polo shirts and quarter-zip pullovers. There are a handful of coaches on the mens side who evoke memories of a time when John Wooden, John Thompson and Denny Crum roamed the sidelines immaculately dressed.Oats, who routinely reminds fans of former Crimson Tide coach Wimp Sanderson with his colorful tailored sports coats, will stand out on the mens side in the Sweet 16. Fans saw two other throwbacks Texas A&Ms Buzz Williams and Rick Pitino of St. Johns beforethe Aggiesandthe Red Stormwere eliminated in the second round last weekend.I dont fish, I dont golf, I dont hunt, I dont do all the things that youre supposed to do as a hobby, Williams recently said when asked about his dapper attire. Thats just always been my hobby.Most coaches moved to casual sideline attire during the COVID-19 pandemic and many simply never went back to dressing up for games. Count Auburn coach Bruce Pearl among those who have completely abandoned sideline suits after wearing them for years.Some think that not dressing up on the sideline is disrespectful to the game. But for Pearl its simply a matter of comfort.Think about what a suit is, he said. You put on a 100% cotton shirt and you button it all the way at the top, OK? And then what you do is you put a tie on and then you bring it all the way up and then you choke yourself with it, then you throw a coat on it. And then you go out there and you coach and you just sweat through it.Ivey and Pitino just believe in dressing upLike Williams, Pitino always dresses up for games and has been doing it throughout a career thats spanned decades. His duds have inspired others to follow in his footsteps, notably former assistants UCLA coach Mick Cronin and Kevin Willard, the Maryland coach.And though the 72-year-old Pitino loves his suits and will never change his sideline attire, he wont stand for anybody who criticizes the casual coaching look.Its my preference to just dress up rather than dress down, Pitino said. My son (newly named Xavier coach Richard Pitino), who is the closest person to me in coaching, he wears a quarter-zip and he looks great. Hes more comfortable doing that, and Ive just been doing it for so many years 50 years that I believe in dressing up.The elder Pitino made headlines for his attire when he suited up in an all-white Armani ensemble for St. Johns whiteout at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 16. His players raved about the suit after the 79-73 win and Jimmy Fallon wore an identical one alongside Pitino during a skit that opened The Tonight Show earlier this month.Pitino said his stark white suits are one small way he connects with fans.The white suits started at Kentucky, and I did it just to join in with the fans, join in with the student body, just as a fun thing, he said. Theyre all different suits, different outfits throughout the years and Im just having fun with everybody. Its a fun thing. Everybody laughs about it. Everybody has fun.Ivey noted that fashion has taken on a life of its own the last couple of years.You get a chance to really showcase your personality, the coach of the Irish said. For me, I like to look nice. I feel the way you look, you play good, feel good, and also just bringing power and elegance to the sideline.Houstons Sampson was once chided for wearing sweatpantsKelvin Sampson, the 69-year-old Houston coach, wore suits on the sideline for decades before the pandemic. Though hed be in a full suit at tipoff, hed famously rip off his tie before the first TV timeout in almost every game while coaching at Oklahoma and Indiana.Though casual wear is the norm for college coaches these days, Sampson admits he might have taken it a bit too far. He said that Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, a quarter-zip-wearer himself, once chided him for wearing sweatpants on the sideline.I really hadnt noticed that I was wearing sweatpants, Sampson said. So, I went to more of I guess athletic slacks, whatever they call it golf pants, whatever. So, people get on me for the way I look on the sidelines sometimes, but I dont really care.On the womens side some of the male coaches have adopted a more casual look since the pandemic. But the style of many of the female coaches has become part of the game narrative, led by Ivey, Staley and Mulkey.Staley has become a style icon in the last few years as her team has won two of the last three national titles. The former standout player was photographed on the front row at the Gucci show sitting alongside NFL starStefon Diggsat Milan Fashion Week last year.I dress for comfort. Anything I wear Im comfortable, like I could probably have on the entire day, Staley said. So its more geared to comfort. Im so glad I dont have to wear heels anymore.Staley doesnt know what people will see her don next.I will try on an outfit. If its really nice, I might save it for a later round, she said. Sometimes I havent been able to wear them because we dont advance. But I have quite a few just ideas. I cant wait until the season is over because I can clean my closet. Its not in a good position right now.Mulkeys outfits becoming must-see TVMany fans cant wait to see what bold, unpredictable outfit Mulkey will be wearing when she walks out of the LSU locker room.That includes Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico, who has found herself in the fan fashion zone when coaching against Mulkey.Weve had to play against each other a lot. I always wonder when were playing against her, Whats the wear going to be? I know its something that people think about, Barnes Arico said. But for me, I try to do it a little bit for our players. Even in the locker room just now, Cmon, coach, put the hat on. They want to get a selfie. Its fun. I think its good to have some fun with it.But Im not Kim Mulkey. Im the other Kim, Barnes Arico said with a laugh.Ivey is also one of one, and she takes pride in continuing the Notre Dame fashion tradition.I feel very confident in the choices that I choose as far as clothing, fashion, Ivey said. Its fun, but also I feel powerful. Its just something that has been a fabric of myself being a part of this program for a long time.Kristie Rieken, AP sports writerAP Writers Pete Iacobelli and Curt Rallo contributed to this report.This story has been corrected throughout to show Alabamas coach is named Nate Oats.
