Nonprofit Profile | Filling Out the Only NCAA Bracket That Matters

We’re in the second day of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament’s first round, which means we’ve already seen lots of shots of well-dressed coaches pacing frantically along sidelines, gesticulating wildly, yelling out plays, berating officials, and exhorting their players.

You’d be forgiven, especially if you’re not a sports fan, for yawning, silently cursing these arrogant blowhards, and switching the channel to the Food Network. But consider this: Coaches vs. Cancer, a joint effort between the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society, has raised more than $30 million in the fight against cancer. Coaches in Division I, II, and III have participated since former Missouri coach Norm Stewart, a survivor of the disease, "started the program by challenging fans to pledge a dollar amount for every three points made by his team during the season."

I’ve been around my share of college basketball coaches, and when you see them on such a human scale — not magnified and made larger than life by your wide-screen TV or their appearances on SportsCenter — you’re touched by their normalness. They are simply men and women who happen to have very public jobs, and when you hear about such efforts as Coaches vs. Cancer, you’re reminded that all of us, regardless of our station in life, have a role to play.

(Oh, and FYI: My Final Four are Tennessee, Wisconsin, Memphis, and UCLA.) | 501(c)

Tags: Coaches vs. Cancer, National Association of Basketball Coaches, American Cancer Society, NCAA tournament, Final Four