Coach Behind Wisconsin’s March Madness Exit Holds Unique Packers Connection
Wisconsin held an open practice at the Moda Center on the eve of its March 19 NCAA first-round game. Filmogaz.com observed the session in Portland, Ore.
High Point upset Wisconsin 83-82 in that March 19 matchup. The loss eliminated the Badgers from the tournament.
The coach behind Wisconsin’s March Madness ouster has a unique Packers connection. High Point head coach Flynn Clayman traces that link to his father.
From theater to the Hall of Fame
Richard Clayman directed a one-man play about Vince Lombardi. The production was called “Vince: The Life & Times Of Vince Lombardi” and debuted in Los Angeles in the 1990s.
Flynn Clayman sometimes ran lights for the show as a youth. Press attention brought members of the Green Bay Packers to performances.
Encounters with Packers legends
Those events led Flynn to meet figures like Bart Starr and Willie Davis. The play also ran at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and opened a Super Bowl once.
The family involvement helped turn Flynn into a Packers fan. He said the team became his favorite during youth moves between cities.
What comes next for High Point
High Point entered the tournament as a 12th seed. The Panthers face John Calipari’s fourth-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks on March 21 in the second round.
Clayman celebrated the upset as fun and said the team plans to keep enjoying the run. The win extended High Point’s spotlight in March Madness.
- Game: High Point 83, Wisconsin 82 — March 19, first round
- Location: Moda Center, Portland, Ore.
- High Point seed: 12th; Arkansas seed: 4th — second round on March 21
- Badgers: eighth season without reaching the Sweet 16 (excluding COVID-shortened year)
