"Cal St. Who" - No more.

Cal St. Fullerton basketball coach Bob Burton joined me at Dave & Buster's in Irvine today, and he's a helluva guy. In fact, he might be one of the nicest people I've ever met.

Coach Burton led the Titans to the Big West Championship and their first berth in the NCAA Tournament in 30 years. He clearly had a great time and so did his kids, despite being ousted by Wisconsin in the first round. (Here's a link to the full interview.)

Back in 1978, Cal St. Fullerton made it all the way to the Elite 8, prompting then CBS announcer Al Maguire to call them "Cal St. Who," a nickname that stuck for that gutty little bunch.

Burton took the long road to a Division I coaching job. He spent 21 years at West Valley Community College in Saratoga in Northern California, where he compiled a 488-158. That's a lot of practices and scrimmages and games, and whether or not Coach ever gets back to The Big Dance, this was one of the great moments of his life.

The NCAA Tournament isn't only about winning. Being in it can be life-changing for small schools along with their coaches and players.