This year’s March Madness was one to remember in more ways than one. In a tournament where top prospects and unsung heroes typically warrant front page status, the predominate headline has revolved around the coach.

From the infamous (Kevin O’Neill and Bruce Pearl) to the instantly famous (Shaka Smart and Muffet McGraw), the rise and fall of the coach took center stage this March.

Regardless of press popularity, no coach has had a journey quite like Kevin Cook of the little-known Gallaudet Bison women's team.

Being the coach of a Division III women’s basketball program doesn’t lend itself to the same kind of perks a high profile position at a major university would.

Cook doesn’t get smothered with multi-year extensions. Top recruits don’t come begging to play for him. And his finest moments from this past season weren’t shown on this year’s “One Shining Moment” montage.

But if ever there were a montage full of cheesy music and heart-warming highlights, one would hope it would pay tribute to a man, his team and a season that transformed the game of basketball into a nightly illustration of what sports can do to blur the line between what is expected and what is actually possible.

Two years ago, Cook - a former college and WNBA assistant coach - found himself stuck between a rock and a proverbial hard place.

After taking over coaching duties at Gallaudet in 2007, his first seasons came and passed with little fanfare and even fewer results - the team won nine of his first 40 games.

Whereas other coaches face the risk of losing players to graduation or professional leagues, Cook’s uphill battle had less to do with keeping his roster intact and more to do with fielding one in the first place.

If you haven’t heard of Gallaudet University, a Washington D.C.-based school of under 2,000 students, no one would blame you.

Its greatest stat line isn’t represented with banners hanging in the gymnasium rafters but a long-standing tradition of being the only university in the world dedicated solely to the education of the deaf and hard of hearing.

When Cook took over the basketball program four years ago, his first practice wasn’t greeted with droves of overbearing boosters, but instead a team of seven girls who, for all intents and purposes, couldn’t communicate with the man they were to now call coach.

Undeterred by the challenge, Cook, with some time and patience, began to tear down the pre-existing barriers that constricted his typical coaching responsibilities.

“In any area of life change is difficult,” Cook said. “When I arrived at Gallaudet, I knew and understood immediately that we had to change our culture from one of losing and acceptance of losing to a winning culture.”

He is taking classes in sign language at the university and prides himself on keeping his players engaged in practice. He stayed true to his ability to recruit.

His first big prospect: Easter Faafiti out of nearby Pasadena Community College.

“Easter demonstrated outstanding work habits that carried over to the rest of the team,” Cook said. “Easter Faafiti has been an important piece of the Gallaudet puzzle.”

Last season, for the first time in his tenure with the Bison, the pieces started to fall into place. The team finished above .500 (14-12), won seven games in conference and led heavily-favored Wesley University at halftime of their first round CAC Conference Tournament matchup before falling 76-58.

It was a marked improvement over past seasons, but Cook wasn’t satisfied.

“He is tough on us,” Faafiti said in an email message. “And he drives home the points on what we need to work on to become better as a team and as players.”

This season, Cook’s team not only got better, they made a monumental leap.

Behind the experience of Faafiti and senior center Nukeitra Hayes, combined with the instant impact of freshmen guards Stephanie Weiss and Britny Latham, the Bison, now 11 players strong, stormed out of the gates. They won their first 20 games (a school record) and even cracked the top 25 with a No. 18 ranking on Feb. 13.

“Our blood, sweat, tears and heart definitely showed and paid off on the court,” Weiss said via email. “Honestly, I have never ever experienced this kind of feeling before, where my team and I were getting noticed, but [we] remained hungry and humble throughout the season. I felt like we were sisters.”

 “We were able to put Gallaudet back on the map and make our program relevant again,” Faafiti said.

The story of the Bison’s magical season should end with a mention about the team’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since Cook’s arrival en route to a 24-4 record.

But it doesn’t.

On the surface this looks like a tale you’ve heard time and again: mislabeled players uniting around an uncommon bond thanks to their venerable coach.

Ask Kevin Cook, though, and he’ll tell you he’s learned as much from his players as they have from him.

Just as his team was coming together on the court, his life hit two severe bumps off it.

More than two years ago, Cook was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He’s been told his quality of life could decline over the next 20 years - a prediction the 50-year-old optimist won’t easily buy into.

The news only got worse.

In the midst of his first winning season last winter, his sister Kelly Preston, 47, was tragically killed in an Ohio house fire. Taking a page out of her brother’s book of courage, Preston was able to save the lives of her grandson and daughter from the flames before she passed.

During this time of strife, Cook looked to his on-court family for support.

From their heartfelt messages in the weeks that followed, to their eagerness in practice and strengthened cohesiveness in games, the Bison gave their coach not only a therapeutic distraction, but an immeasurable gift: a lesson in the power of belief.

“All things are possible,” Cook said, reiterating his life motto. “Yes, all things.”

After all Cook has endured and overcome these past four years, who wouldn’t want to see the world the way he does, through the eyes of a dreamer.

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Email Dave Dulberg.