PORTLAND, OR – Everyone knows the sacrifices the spouse of a coach goes through, but what if both people in a marriage are coaches?
Even crazier, what if they’re both in the NCAA Tournament at the same time?
It’s made for a March Madness family affair unlike any other at High Point. Men’s basketball coach Flynn Clayman and women’s basketball assistant coach Katie Clayman each have their teams in the Big Dance, achieving new heights with their respective programs.
What makes it even more fun? They’re getting to experience the run together.
“It’s just been perfect. I love the game of basketball. Then to find a woman that I love more than the game of basketball, I thought that was impossible, but it happened,” Flynn said.
High Point Panthers head coach Flynn Clayman watches his players during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center.
The couple have been with each other nearly every step of the way in their careers. They met while they were both assistants at Southern Utah, connecting simply because they were in the same athletic department. They spent multiple seasons at Southern Utah before they tied the knot.
In fact, Flynn and Katie got married in May 2023, and not long after saying “I do,” they were packing up a U-Haul and on their way to begin their new roles at High Point. In April, Flynn was promoted to his first head coaching role.
Both men’s and women’s programs had successful seasons, each sweeping the Big South regular season and conference tournaments to punch their tickets to March Madness. When the men’s and women’s brackets were announced, it made for an interesting draw.
No. 12 seed High Point men played Thursday, March 19 against Wisconsin in Portland. No. 15 seed High Point women play Saturday, March 21 against Vanderbilt in Nashville.
Could Katie go see her husband’s first NCAA Tournament game before her team played? Absolutely, as she said head coach Chelsea Banbury insisted she’d make the trip.
“My boss was great. It wasn’t even an ask,” Katie told USA TODAY Sports. “She’s a mom and a wife, and she’s like, ‘No, you have to be there.’”
So, Katie flew with her husband to Portland, along with their 19-month old son, Quinn. While she did as much scouting and prep as she could while being nearly 2,000 miles away from her team, she enjoyed being “a wife and a mom” during a memorable time for the family.
It was a trip of a lifetime.
The Panthers kicked off March Madness with a bang, knocking down Wisconsin thanks to a last-second shot. It was the first tournament win in High Point men’s history.
Whether it was the heroics of March’s newest sensation Chase Johnston or the fiery postgame comments from Flynn, High Point propelled itself to the national spotlight, arguably the biggest moment in the program’s nearly 100-year history.
It was even sweeter Katie and Quinn were able to soak it all in with Flynn.
“I’m so proud of him. I mean, the team did phenomenal, what a game it was. It was a surreal moment, and I’m really glad that Quinn and I were here,” Katie said. “Everybody was watching the game, and I was watching the game, but I was watching Flynn. He was just having so much fun, so I know what that feels like. I was just so happy for him in that moment. He’s so deserving.”
There was enough time for them to celebrate, too. After the victory, the Clayman family sat courtside in the Moda Center during the Arkansas vs. Hawai’i contest, all smiles as they went through their buzzing phones. They were able to spend the rest of the day together before Katie and Quinn left for Nashville the morning of March 20.
Now comes the hard part of being able to continue supporting one another. Both Claymans will be coaching roughly at the same time. The women play Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. ET, and the men play Arkansas at 9:45 p.m. ET.
They’ll try to watch each other’s game. Flynn said he’ll watch a little bit before his game begins, and then Katie likely can catch the second half of her husband’s team. They’re used to doing this, and now they hope Cinderella runs continue so they can keep playing. Yet, the Claymans know they wouldn’t be in their current position without each other.
“I wouldn’t be sitting here without my wife and her sacrifices. When we first met, she had opportunities to be D-I head coach, to be high-major associate head coach, all those things. She made a decision to support me and to follow where I was going,” Flynn said. “I just love her to death. I’m just so happy that she got to this game and got to watch it.”
To Katie, it’s no big deal. They understand how the coaching lifestyle is unlike any other. It takes a true team effort, and one they built their marriage on.
“We’re each other’s best supporters, best teammates,” Katie said. “When we said our vows, it was that we’re gonna be our best teammate. So we’re just living the best life right now.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: High Point married coaches living ‘best life’ in March Madness
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