OCEANSIDE —— Clete Adelman has not seen the movie "Coach Carter," but he sure knows the movie's plot.

That because Adelman, who has coached men's basketball at MiraCosta College for 25 of the past 27 years, has lived it.

"Coach Carter" tells the true story of high school basketball coach Ken Carter of Richmond High in the Bay Area who six years ago benched an entire undefeated team for poor academic performance. The story created national headlines and led to the movie starring Samuel L. Jackson.

After reading many of the reviews of the movie, I'm surprised the critics weren't kinder.

"Too preachy" and "a morality play" were two quotes from reviews that stood out.

What is wrong with having a movie with a message that education is important to all students, even athletes? Jackson does rant and rave a bit in the movie, but as I watched it, I thought of Adelman.

Jackson's message and mannerisms are clearly Clete Adelman.

Adelman, who took a two-year sabbatical from coaching MiraCosta starting in 2001, is a no-nonsense coach who demands perfection out of his players and himself.

No, he never has closed the gym, but he has never wavered from his stern code of conduct.

Many players over the years couldn't handle the discipline Adelman demands and dropped out. It is their loss. For those who played for him and survived his strict hands-on approach to teaching, they are better men today.

Adelman, the brother of Sacramento Kings head coach Rick Adelman, is at the top of my long list of educators who put academic performance ahead of winning.

I include former Oceanside and El Camino track and wrestling coach Dayle Mazzarella in that group, as well. I'm sure there are more because North County has many great, dedicated teachers, something we often forget.

Numerous times, Mazzarella has encouraged athletes to forgo a sport —— the one he was coaching —— in favor of spending more time getting better grades. Mazzarella is a teacher who sees and understands the bigger picture beyond next week's opponent.

Adelman's situation at the community college level is different because he is trying to direct his players on to four-year schools where they can graduate.

So how many times has Adelman held back a player because of grades?

"It happens almost every year, too many to count," Adelman said.

He will convince a player to sit out the year but allow them to attend practice.

"As long as they have the right attitude, they can stay around. If not, I ask them to leave," Adelman said.

The one I remember the most happened 12 years ago. He asked Larry Tanner Jr. to sit out a year.

Adelman figured Tanner needed the time to get his academics together. It worked. He sat out a season and then came back and helped MiraCosta win a league title. More important, Tanner had the grades to go on to a four-year college.

"He went on to Chico State and is now a sheriff in Redding," Adelman said.

In his first year at MiraCosta, Adelman coached the younger Tanner's father, Larry Tanner Sr..

Did Adelman have a strict 2.0 GPA standard for his players or was it higher?

"It depended on the individual," he said, noting that some people attending community college are at risk academically.

"I talk to the teachers to find out if they are attending and working up to their capabilities," he said.

One such player was Escondido High grad Chris Nelson.

"I asked his biology teacher how he was doing and he told me, 'Chris is cruising.' So we had a talk," Adelman said.

Obviously, Nelson got back on track without sitting out a season. He ended up being one of Adelman's best players and the Pacific Coast Conference's most valuable player last year. He now is playing for Chaminade in Hawaii.

The first piece of advice Adelman gives to his students is this: "You have to be better than normal students. You are looked at with a jaundiced eye. There are some people who want athletes to fail."

With Clete Adelman on board, few fail at MiraCosta.

He's the "Coach Carter" of the North County.

Steve Scholfield is senior sports columnist for the North County Times. He can be reached at (760) 740-3509 or stevescho@cox.net.