When former Wagner coach Tim Capstraw first suggested the idea of rating the attire of some of his fellow coaches, it was viewed as a feature that would most certainly get a chuckle or two from some of his piers.

But what started as simply a welcome distraction to coaches has -- surprisingly -- become a favorite among coaches and fans alike. One of those fans is none other than, former "Fab Five" member and current Chicago Bull, Jalen Rose.

"I knew about the Runway to the Fashionable Four a while ago," says Rose, "but when Tony Jones started getting a lot of attention I started following it even more closely."

Rose is referring to University of Milwaukee assistant coach Tony Jones who coached Rose in high school. The two have remained close friends since.

"Jalen follows it real closely," says Jones. "He keeps tabs on the FPI and takes great interest when the brackets are announced for the runway tournament. When he saw me moving up the fashion power index he told me that I could use the services of his tailor."

Last season Jones burst onto the scene with his fashion flair, climbing as high as No. 1 in the FPI and finishing second in the assistant coaches fashion tournament to Marist assistant Steve Sauers.

A great deal of Jones' success can be attributed to the man he once coached.

"The tailor connection came about because Tony and I are long time friends," says Rose. "I try to be one of the best-dressed professionals and Tony is the same way so it was only right to let him use my tailor."

In addition to dishing out an alluring assist to Jones, Rose also passed along some thoughts on some of the coaches he believes are among America's most stylish.

"It starts with Tony," laughs Rose, "but I have to give my man Tommy Amaker [Michigan] some love too. He has a different type of look. He goes shirt and tie, but he also goes with the jacket and sweater. He tries to mix it up a little bit."

Rose is impressed with the current Michigan mentor's fashion sense, but he hasn't forgotten about a one-time Wolverine assistant who has since built a consistent winner at the University of Detroit.

"I can't forget about Perry Watson," says Rose. "He's very sharp. Being a couple of years older than some of the other stylish guys I think he has set an example for a lot of the younger guys on how to dress and how to coach."

Another that Rose points to as both a leader in style and coaching is St. John's coach Mike Jarvis, who was ranked No. 1 in the Feb. 10 FPI.

"Mike Jarvis is definitely one of the sharper dressers," says Rose. "He was coaching at George Washington, when I played against his team. He was sharp then and he's sharp now. He's right up there with Perry Watson in terms of being a role model for the younger generation."

Some of the others that Rose regards are two former Runway champions and a third that may lay claim to the title of best-dressed soon -- Drexel's Bruiser Flint (2001), Rice's Willis Wilson (2002) and Louisville's Rick Pitino.

"Bruiser Flint is versatile," says Rose. "He does a really nice job with different looks and Willis Wilson is a big time leader to his players in terms of style. If I am not mistaken, he has a dress code for his players. He has also done a really nice job of improving his program. I also like [Rick] Pitino. He normally has that elegant and responsible look. He has the experience of having coached in the pros and he has taken that look to the college ranks."

Pitino is one of many that have brought NBA dollars and an NBA wardrobe back to college basketball, which some may view as an unfair advantage on the Runway to the Fashionable Four.

According to Rose, fashion in the NBA is at an entirely different level.

"The thing about NBA fashion is that you have to dress for a lot of things," says Rose, "but it's all about personal style. You'll see the suit and tie look, the casual jeans look, the turtleneck look, the jersey look and all different types of personal styles. Some things work better for different guys."

Rose's list of the NBA's elite wardrobes starts with Michael Jordan, but he also notes that former Michigan teammates Juwan Howard and Chris Webber are very sharp as well. And while he didn't mention himself, there is little doubt that Jalen Rose is as ravishing as they come.

Speaking of which, Rose is easy to spot during pre-game shoot-around, with ravishing Runway to the Fashionable Four t-shirt. New York Knicks guard Howard Eisley, another regular follower of the fashion madness, also sports Fashionable Four gear during pre-game workouts.

For the ravishing record -- shortly after he began sporting his Runway t-shirt -- Eisley recorded a career-high 30 points, against Memphis (Jan. 31). And Rose has tallied 30 or more five times since donning the attire.

Like the shirt says -- No Gear, No Game.

THE CAPTIVATING CONFERENCE CHAMPS

Jalen Rose will be back to help to breakdown the 2003 Runway to the Fashionable Four field, which will be unveiled on March 17, otherwise known as "Majestic Monday." As has become the custom, sixty-five stylish head coaches will be bracketed into four regions, keeping in step with the traditional NCAA Tournament brackets.

Between now and March 17, thirty-four bids are still to be determined, but the first thirty-one are confirmed with the announcement of the 2003 conference champions.

Not to be forgotten, America's most stylish assistant coaches will also vie for the title of best-dressed understudy. Taking a page from the National Invitation Tournament, the assistant coach field has previously consisted of thirty-two assistants, bracketed into four regions. That field expanded to forty last season and this season will expand again to sixty-five.

That entire field will be announced on "Majestic Monday" as well.

And now, here are the first thirty-one to qualify for 2003 Runway to the Fashionable Four field. Here are your captivating conference champions.

America East: Tom Brennan (Vermont)
ACC: Paul Hewitt (Georgia Tech)
Atlantic Sun: Rick Scruggs (Gardner-Webb)
Atlantic 10: Bob Hill (Fordham)
Big East: Gary Waters (Rutgers)
Big Sky: Doug Oliver (Idaho State)
Big South: Byron Samuels (Radford)
Big Ten: Jim O'Brien (Ohio State)
Big 12: Melvin Watkins (Texas A&M)
Big West: Bobby Braswell (Cal State Northridge)
Colonial: Sherman Dillard (James Madison)
C-USA: John Calipari (Memphis)
Horizon: Ed Schilling (Wright State)
Ivy League: James Jones (Yale)
Metro Atlantic: Jeff Ruland (Iona)
Mid-American: Reggie Witherspoon (Buffalo)
Mid-Continent: Ron Hunter (IUPUI)
MEAC: Cy Alexander (South Carolina State)
Missouri Valley: Barry Hinson (Southwest Missouri State)
Mountain West: Steve Fisher (San Diego State)
Northeast: Jim Phelan (Mount St. Mary's)
Ohio Valley: Teresa Phillips (Tennessee State)
Pac-10: Lute Olson (Arizona)
Patriot: Jeff Jones (American)
Southeastern: Tubby Smith (Kentucky)
Southern: Bob McKillop (Davidson)
Southland: Tic Price (McNeese State)
SWAC: Vann Pettaway (Alabama A&M)
Sun Belt: Jessie Evans (Louisiana-Lafayette)
West Coast: Brad Holland (San Diego)
WAC: Willis Wilson (Rice).