North Dakota State coach keeps it casual with T-shirt under blazer at NCAA Tournament

David Richman is definitely one of the most comfortable coaches on the sidelines in the NCAA Tournament this year.

The North Dakota State coach isn’t donning a full suit for his team’s First Four game against the North Carolina Central Eagles on Wednesday.

He’s not even going with the khakis-and-polo look or a mock turtleneck. Instead, Richman is keeping it ultra casual in Dayton, Ohio, with just a T-shirt underneath his suit jacket.

The shirt actually does have a special meaning to this North Dakota State team. “Landon’s Light” are the two words partially covered by the flaps of his open jacket and they’re being sold as a fundraiser for Landon Solberg, a boy from Fargo, North Dakota, who is battling a rare type of brain cancer.

The Bison have partially dedicated their season to the 11-year-old.

The actual look, however, is impossible not to take notice of in a sport full of screaming coaches, sweating through their button-down shirts. It’s certainly a polarizing look. Some wonder why he’s not a bit more dressed up for a March Madness showcase. Others respect his apparent laid-back attitude.

Everyone, at least for a while, was just a little confused.

North Dakota State took a six-point lead into halftime, which meant Richman was interviewed going into the locker room and the nation could get a good look at how he was dressed.

If they hang on against fellow No. 16-seed North Carolina Central, the Bison will advance to face the No. 1-seed Duke Blue Devils at 7:10 p.m. EST in Columbia, South Carolina. If his outfit is any indication, Richman might be a little more calm than you’d expect the coach of a No. 16 seed to be against Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and the Tourney’s No. 1 overall seed.

This story was originally published March 20, 2019 at 8:20 PM.