A Final Four Minyan (Updated)

Three of the four head coaches in the Men's Final Four are Jewish--Jon Scheyer (Duke), Todd Golden (UF), and Bruce Pearl (Auburn). All are explicit and open in their Jewish identities. As an undergrad, Scheyer participated in a Duke improv video showing everything he could do in 75 seconds (as a high-schooler in suburban Chicago, he scored 21 points in 75 seconds of game time); among the things is biking to the campus Jewish center, emerging with a tallis and long beard, and spinning a dreidel. Pearl spoke about Israeli hostages following a post-game press conference. Golden played in the Maccabi Games and for two seasons in Israel. (He also has been accused of sexually harassing and stalking female students at UF, although the Title IX office found no statutory violations).

We may not be done. USC women's coach Lindsay Gottlieb is Jewish; the Women of Troy play in the Elite Eight tonight, although without superstar JuJu Watkins, who tore her ACL in the Second Round. (Update: UConn beat USC by 14. USC made them work for it even without Watkins--they cut a 19-point deficit to 5 late in the third).

Finally, on the overall theme: Nine Jewish players were on MLB Opening Day rosters, with three more players on the injured list.