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Now I would be excited if we found out that they were going to Philly to meet with Jamie Dixon, who is still a sleeper in this situation to me. He's done so he could talk, and I think he'd be a great hire. Plus we could get him at a reasonable price compared to some other candidates with major experience. And he's only 42 so he'd be here for 20 years theoretically. I'd be very happy, but we'll see. I loved watching Pitt play this year.
Are you guys profiling Thad Matta soon? I'm interested to read that one.
Dixon from Pitt?
Are we allowed to talk to coaches or agents before they exit the NCAA ?
Wright is not in Philly anyway unless he is not coaching tonight. He deserves a heavy look
I like Barnes alot but having been to Austin many times I wonder why all of us are not there. He is not coming a double the price
Keep an eye on the plane, see if it goes west or to Wisconsin (Tony Bennett).
Now I am on their WATCH LIST but our committee is not
1. When did they make a list ?
2. What criteria ?
3. When did they start talking to AD's ?
4. When do they expect to decide ?
5. When do they expect to announce ?
I assume we are all in dark on this stuff which is why we respond to flight schedules etc. Seems to me it is not out of the question for IU to at least lay out the schedule give or take 3 weeks on the end
2. No idea just guessing what it is.
3. There ha been a couple rumors in the press that IU asaked permission to alk to a couple people.
4. No idea but hopefully soon.
5. Same as above
Money talks
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Washington State athletic director Jim Sterk is expecting the suitors to come calling. He isn't certain Indiana will make an effort, but he won't be surprised if the Hoosiers make a run at Washington State's most coveted asset: men's basketball coach Tony Bennett.
A year ago, after Bennett led the Cougars to a second-place Pac-10 finish, 26 wins and a second-round NCAA tournament appearance -- all after being picked to finish last in the league -- Sterk went on the offensive. He bumped Bennett's salary from a league-low $400,000 to $800,000 after Bennett was named the national coach of the year in his first season.
Thursday night, as the Cougars were being blown out by North Carolina in the East Regional semifinals, Sterk said he would make every effort to improve the program. He said he didn't anticipate Bennett asking for more money for himself but possibly for the assistants. The AD said he would do everything in his power to improve their salary situation.
Tony Bennett
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Was Thursday's loss the last game on the Wazzu sideline for the highly coveted Tony Bennett? The Cougs hope not.
Travel for the team out of remote Pullman, and especially for Bennett when he is recruiting, is also a major issue. Nearby Gonzaga takes charter planes for road trips, and Bulldogs coach Mark Few has said on a number of occasions how beneficial that is to their program. The Cougars desperately want the same to remain competitive.
Meanwhile, Bennett said after the loss to the Tar Heels that he purposely hasn't thought about other schools. He said he loves Pullman and understands there will be a retooling situation at hand with the departures of seniors Derrick Low, Kyle Weaver and Robbie Cowgill. But it's clear that if Indiana were to call, he would have to listen, considering the stature of the job and his roots in the Midwest. Pac-10 competitor Cal could also make a run at Bennett. It would be hard for Bennett to move within the league, but Cal has always been an easier job than Washington State. Bennett doesn't expect to be courted by LSU, which is located in Baton Rouge, where his wife Laurel was raised.
Bennett said he's not chasing any jobs. Sterk said he wants to be as proactive as possible in order to keep his young coach.
As the clock wound down Thursday night, Sterk reflected on what the seniors and Bennett have meant to the university.
"Washington State was really, really down," Sterk said. "They all came here and made a difference and made 130,000 Cougar alumni care about basketball."
I live in Durham, NC, and I hear all the time how badly NC State covets Rick Barnes. Now, last go 'round, NC State might have talked to Barnes...I'm not sure. They talked to everyone in the country about their coaching vacancy. I heard then that the timing wasn't right for Barnes, but that he would not have an issue coming back to the Carolinas to coach at what is sometimes termed a "basketball school". So, even though everything is nice and happy in Austin, there is a chance that Barnes can be lured away, so even though he's expensive, he might like the idea of being a big coach at a big school. Both of his big time gigs have been at "football schools" in Clemson and now Texas, so I wouldn't doubt that he'd love a chance to be the head guy at a basketball school like IU. Perhaps, also, he would prefer to buy a shirt that wasn't orange.
This is all conjecture based on what I know of the NC State situation. In fact, NC State fans already want to get him to come and replace the mess they have now. Granted, NC State might be a little easier to lure him away from Texas than Indiana would since he was born in North Carolina.
but he would be a backup candidate?
Personally, Barnes is one of those coaches you get in touch with and ask if he might be interested. "Hey Rick, just wanted to see if you might be interested, we understand, but you know, had to ask."
"If the first couple of priorities fall through for the “blue ribbon” search committee, perhaps Barnes could get a look."