Crean of the crop: Marquette's Tom Crean has solidified his place among the nation's elite head coaches.

WHEN TOM CREAN LED MARQUETTE TO THE 2003 FINAL FOUR IN NEW ORLEANS, HE REACHED THE PINNACLE OF HIS HEAD-COACHING CAREER IN JUST FOUR SHORT YEARS. ALTHOUGH THE GOLDEN EAGLES DIDN'T GET TO CUT DOWN THE NETS, CREAN COULD TAKE SOLACE IN THE FACT THAT HE HAD RETURNED THE FABLED PROGRAM TO NATIONAL PROMINENCE.

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SOMEWHERE AL MCGUIRE WAS FLASHING HIS FAMOUS CHESHIRE CAT GRIN.

CREAN, A MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. NATIVE AND CENTRAL MICHIGAN ALUM, BUILT HIS RESUME AS A TIRELESS ASSISTANT UNDER JUD HEATHCOTE AND TOM IZZO AT MICHIGAN STATE, RALPH WILLARD AT PITTSBURGH, AND RALPH PIM AT WESTERN KENTUCKY. NOW, HIS UNSURPASSED WORK ETHIC AND EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS HAVE RECRUITS AND FANS ONCE AGAIN FLOCKING EN MASSE TO THE TINY JESUIT UNIVERSITY IN MILWAUKEE.

COACH: Looking back on last season, did your team meet your expectations or did they overachieve? At what point did you realize you had a Final Four caliber squad?

CREAN: You hate to say that a team overachieved. But as we continued to play, I think we learned that we could play with basically anybody in the country. With that, I think we learned how to create our own expectations at time went along. That's what was most important about last year's team. It was exciting to watch them get better. The win at Louisville, after being down 19, was a big win for our confidence and our understanding of what we needed to know. But in all honesty, losing in the Conference USA tournament to Alabama-Birmingham probably brought us to a reality that we had to be at a high energy level every day and that we could truly beat ourselves if we didn't do the things we needed to be the best at in order to be successful.

COACH: How do you get players at a smaller school to buy into the system and succeed on a national level?

CREAN: It is two things. It's belief and attitude. Your players have to believe in each other. They have to believe in the system. And they have to believe that whenever they play a game, they are capable of winning it. If you think that, and the attitude is infectious to the point of making everybody else better, then you have a chance to play with anybody in country. That's exactly what a program like Gonzaga has done over a long period of time. They have elevated themselves to become one of the elite programs in America. That's the goal we have at Marquette.

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COACH: Now that you and your staff have returned the Golden Eagles to national prominence, how do you keep your players from resting on their laurels?

CREAN: We have to understand that the two words, Final Four, attached to Marquette University have an incredible significance to any opponent we play. At the same time, we cannot lose the mentality of being a team that is constantly trying to get better.

COACH: How has your recent success helped in the recruiting process?

CREAN: It's helped a great deal. I think it has created even more awareness that Marquette can compete with anybody. And if we can continue to get the players we need to do that, then we can continue to elevate our program. Our success has allowed us to have a product that speaks for itself. That's always a good thing.

COACH: What kind of player do you recruit at Marquette?

CREAN: We place a real value on toughness. Do they love to play? Certainly the talent has got to be there, but is there some versatility inside that talent? Do they have a high upside? There are three things we really try to adhere to on a daily basis: character, toughness, and unselfishness. If you can find recruits who possess all those qualities, then you have a chance to have a very solid program.

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COACH: Illinois among other "big-time" schools have courted you. What has kept you at Marquette?

CREAN: I have always felt that Marquette is an incredible job. It's an incredible place to be. I grew up a Marquette fan, even living in Michigan. So I have always considered Marquette a big-time program. Now, we're getting ourselves to the point where we can really be considered that. The people that are here want to give you the opportunity to win. They want to give you the things your program needs to win. My family and I have been incredibly happy here.

COACH: Who are your coaching mentors?

CREAN: I have to begin with my high school coach, Denny Kuiper, who is now our staff academic advisor. I probably learned the most from him. But every coach I've worked for--Jud Heathcote, Ralph Willard, Ralph Pim, and Tom Izzo--they have certainly taught me a great deal. Along the way I have made a lot of tremendous friendships with people that I feel I can learn from and hopefully they learn something from me too.

COACH: Where was your very first coaching job at any level?

CREAN: I was an assistant coach at Mount Pleasant High School in Michigan beginning in 1984.

COACH: What would you say is the biggest problem facing college basketball coaches today?

CREAN: I would say perception. Coaching is always going to be competitive and challenging. There's always going to be a certain amount of gamesmanship, just like in any other business. But what happens sometimes is that people forget that when a couple of isolated incidents arise and have an adverse effect on the profession.

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COACH: What is the basis of your methodology?

CREAN: It is relationship-based, not performance-based. You have to have relationships with your players to the point of constantly trying to make them better. Everything you do has to end by knowing that your players got better. Whether it is a team meeting, practice, a weight room session, or an individual instruction session. Players respond to that above all else. They respond to competency. But they also respond to how much you care.

COACH: What changes, if any, would you like to see implemented in the college game?

CREAN: Being able to work with your players more in the off-season. I really respect the way college football conducts spring practice. I think it makes their programs so much better. It helps them recruit. It helps develop the talent on their teams. It never made sense to me as a basketball coach that you recruit a kid for three or four years then basically only coach them for half a year.

COACH: Last question. What one word defines Marquette basketball?

CREAN: The one word? Toughness.

INTERVIEW BY KEVIN NEWELL

ABOVE PHOTO BY GARY DINEEN/MARQUETTE ATHLETICS | OPPOSITE PHOTO BY CRAIG JONES/GETTY IMAGES