where he had a record of 43–17. After a 14–14 initial season, Majerus led the team to the second round of the NCAA tournament in the 1988–89 season. The 1988–89 team holds the record for best men's basketball won-lost mark (29–3) in Ball State University history. Utah (1989–2004) Majerus accepted the position at Utah in 1989. In leading the "Runnin Utes" to a 1996 sweet 16 match up against Kentucky, Kentucky Coach Rick Pitino had given the opinion that Utah should be favored to win the game. Majerus responded, "if you put the two of us in a sumo ring I'd crush him. On the basketball court, I think we're in trouble." Majerus led Utah to the Final Four in 1998 NCAA tournament, eventually losing to Kentucky in the National Championship Game. He was greatly affected by the loss, and claimed to be able to recite the last six minutes of play of the championship game second by second. After the 1998 championship game loss to Kentucky, Majerus responded, "When I die, they might as well bury me at the finish line at Churchill Downs so they can run over me again." While at Utah, he was known for living out of a hotel room, noting that he liked that "There's clean towels, my bed is turned down every night and there's a mint on my pillow, no matter what psychological or emotional crisis the maid is going through." 1994 Team USA He was an assistant coach under Don Nelson for the US national team in the 1994 FIBA World Championship, winning the gold medal. Majerus left the Utah team after the opening game of the 2000–01 season to rehabilitate his right knee. Intending to return after the first week of 2001, Majerus was hospitalized on New Year's Day 2001 due to chest pains. Later in January 2001, Majerus announced that he would sit out the rest of the season to recover from his own health problems and to be with his ailing mother. He handed over the team to assistant Dick Hunsaker, who guided the team to a 19–10 record and an NIT appearance. Majerus then returned to Utah in the fall of 2001. Majerus was accused of berating and verbally abuse his players. Lance Allred, who wrote about it in his autobiography Longshot: The Adventures of a Deaf Fundamentalist Mormon Kid and His Journey to the NBA, told