Dan Wolken - Memphis Tigers hire Josh Pastner as coach; was Calipari's assistant

Memphis Tigers hire Josh Pastner as coach; was Calipari's assistant
By Dan Wolken, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Originally published 04:30 p.m., April 6, 2009
Updated 10:12 p.m., April 6, 2009

When Josh Pastner moved to Memphis last summer for a chance to work under John Calipari, he decided to rent, not buy.

At the time, planning on a short stay was the only sensible move. When you're a 31-year-old rising star in your profession, that first head coaching job always seems like it's just around the corner.

In a stunning turn of events Monday, what Pastner came here to chase suddenly became his destiny when he was named the 17th head basketball coach in University of Memphis history. An official announcement was made at 5:32 p.m., and the school will hold a news conference introducing Pastner at noon today. No contract details were available as of Monday night.

Pastner's hiring ends a whirlwind search that began when Calipari resigned last Tuesday to become the coach at Kentucky. Over the next five days, Memphis officials inquired about a number of high-profile, experienced head coaches including Missouri's Mike Anderson, Southern Cal's Tim Floyd and Baylor's Scott Drew.

As those names fell by the wayside, however, Memphis began to look inward. The result was a daring hire, as Pastner comes with no head coaching experience but a reputation as a relentless recruiter with a deep network of connections on the grassroots basketball scene.

His father, Hal Pastner, was the kingpin of youth basketball in the Houston area and founded Vision Sports, which runs AAU events across the country.

"He's a high-energy, thorough and seasoned coach for someone his age," ESPN analyst and former Div. 1 coach Fran Fraschilla said. "This selection reminds me of Oklahoma hiring Jeff Capel a couple of years ago."

Josh Pastner began preparing for his career early on, producing scouting reports as a teenager and then coaching an AAU team at age 16. He walked on at Arizona and finished his undergraduate degree in less than three years, earning his masters in four. Pastner was immediately hired onto Lute Olson's staff as a video coordinator after graduation and became a full-time assistant in 2002.

"He was more of a coach than a player at Arizona," ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes said. "He really studied the game. I know the coaching staff leaned on him. They trusted his basketball knowledge and common sense right off the bat."

Pastner recruited a number of McDonald's All-Americans to Arizona including Chase Budinger and Brandon Jennings. In his only year at Memphis, Pastner was instrumental in the recruitment of Xavier Henry, Nolan Dennis and DeMarcus Cousins.

As recently as Sunday, Pastner was set to follow Calipari as the lead recruiter on the new Kentucky staff and had not had a conversation with Memphis about the head coaching job.

At that point, in fact, it seemed that Pastner might have a better shot at the open Arizona job, which was offered to Xavier's Sean Miller on Sunday. On Sunday night, it appeared Miller was set to turn down Arizona, opening up the possibility of Pastner being considered.

By Monday morning, however, lots of things had changed both in Tucson and Memphis.

With the Memphis coaching search seemingly off the rails following a series of public rejections, the plan, according to a source, was to reach out to UMass coach and former Memphis assistant Derek Kellogg. For Kellogg, however, it was a sensitive situation since Calipari had initially backed the candidacy of another former assistant, Tony Barbee.

Because of the bitterness over Calipari's departure, the Memphis decision-makers never considered Barbee. And with Kellogg inclined not to take the job out of loyalty to both Barbee and Calipari, the next obvious choice was Pastner.

After Miller changed his mind and took the Arizona job, Pastner then went into a series of meetings with athletic director R.C. Johnson on Monday afternoon, according to a source, and agreed to a deal several hours later.

Pastner will be one of the nation's youngest head coaches when the 2009-10 season begins. He is slightly younger than Butler's Brad Stevens, who got his job at age 30 and has gone 56-10 over the last two seasons. Calipari was 29 when he became the head coach at UMass.

Over the next several days, Pastner will have to assemble a staff -- one or more members of the previous staff could remain on board -- and try to persuade some, if not all, of Memphis' signed recruits to remain with the program. Hiring Pastner could help convince some players on the current roster to stay.

Pastner will also have to address his potential involvement in the ongoing NCAA investigation into Arizona's program over alleged recruiting violations. The self-reported violations stemmed from an on-campus recruiting event known as the Cactus Classic. Olson signed a letter asking Arizona donors to support the event, which violates NCAA rules since boosters are not allowed to pay for expenses of recruits.

It wasn't clear what Pastner would be paid to replace Calipari. As an assistant coach in 2008-09, Pastner was paid a base salary of $200,000, making him the 10th highest salaried employee at the University of Memphis, according a database of Tennessee Board of Regents employees' salaries.

JOSH PASTNER AT A GLANCE

Age: 31

Hometown: Kingwood, Texas

Coaching experience: Assistant coach and lead recruiter on John Calipari's Memphis staff (2008-2009 season); Arizona assistant (2002-2008).

Exclamation point: Considered a strong recruiter and instrumental in Arizona landing such players as Chase Budinger, Jerryd Bayless and Jordan Hill.

Question mark: Lack of head coaching experience.

Call Dan Wolken at 529-2365; read his Tiger basketball stories and blog at gomemphistigers.com.

Analysts say Tigers made wise pick

Analysts say Tigers made wise pick
Pastner has right skills to be successful coach
By Scott Cacciola, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Originally published 10:08 p.m., April 6, 2009
Updated 10:27 p.m., April 6, 2009

Upon hearing that Josh Pastner, at the ripe age of 31, had been promoted to head coach by the University of Memphis, Fran Fraschilla made an analogy.

"It's like the baseball draft, where you can draft a guy who has three or four years of college experience, or you can draft the young phenom out of high school and hope he turns into a superstar," said Fraschilla, the ESPN analyst and former coach. "I think Memphis has a young, rising star."

Long regarded as a Wunderkind, as a clipboard-toting and film-studying prodigy even during his playing days at Arizona, Pastner now has the sort of opportunity he craved since he first started coaching -- at age 16. And if some of the talking heads, to borrow a phrase, consider the hire a calculated risk, they also see it as one with tremendous upside.

"I think Memphis used great judgment, and I salute them for making this choice," said Jimmy Dykes, the ESPN broadcaster. "The players at Arizona were petitioning for him to get the job out there, so that tells you what players think of him."

That has been the trend ever since Pastner, as a high school student, coached the Houston Hoops AAU team. He walked on at Arizona, largely because he wanted to learn from then-coach Lute Olson. As a member of Arizona's 1997 national championship team, Pastner scored 12 points all season. But his contributions were immense, according to former teammate Miles Simon. He broke down film. He scouted opponents. He coached his teammates.

"He was instrumental in getting myself, Michael Dickerson, Mike Bibby into the gym late at night, rebounding for us," Simon said. "He just wanted us to get better, and he was absolutely one of the keys to our championship run."

In college basketball circles, Pastner has earned a reputation as a relentless recruiter, first at Arizona, where he was an assistant for six seasons, and then at Memphis, where he was brought aboard by John Calipari last summer. He has strong ties in Texas and the Southwest.

"Given his pedigree at Arizona and Memphis, he knows the formula," Fraschilla said. "He understands how Memphis works, how they'll need to rebuild. And one thing I'm totally sure of is that he'll continue to get great players. As my friend Bob Davie likes to say, 'It's not the Xs and Os, it's the Jimmys and the Joes.' And Josh will continue to get the Jimmys and the Joes."

Said Dykes: "He's known ever since he was young that he wanted to be a coach, and he's studied under some of the best. The only problem he's going to have is he's going to go from making suggestions to making decisions. But I think he'll grow into that job."

Pete Gillen, an analyst for CBS College Sports Network and Westwood One, said recruiting is "85-90 percent of the battle," especially at a Conference USA program such as Memphis. But Gillen said he also has been impressed by Pastner's basketball acumen.

"I love Josh," Gillen said. "It's a big first job, and it's a tough act to follow Calipari. But I have a lot of confidence in him."

Asked whether Pastner's age could affect the way players respond to him, Gillen said: "I think it's an advantage. He can relate to them, he speaks their language, the music they like. I think it's a good choice. It's a surprise when you first hear it, but I think it's a great choice."

Fraschilla recalled being at an AAU tournament when he first met Pastner, who was a junior in high school at the time. Pastner introduced himself to Fraschilla and informed him that he would be a college coach someday. Pastner was so confident and forceful, Fraschilla never doubted him -- and never forgot him.

But experience counts for something, and Fraschilla said Pastner would benefit by hiring some seasoned assistants.

"It helps to have someone who's been through the adversity of coaching and understands when to calm down a young guy," Fraschilla said. "I think that always helps. But knowing Josh's background, this is a perfect fit for him."

-- Scott Cacciola: 529-2773

Geoff Calkins - Diaper Dandy! Josh Pastner bringing youth and a bit of a gamble to Tigers

Geoff Calkins: Diaper Dandy! Josh Pastner bringing youth and a bit of a gamble to Tigers

By Geoff Calkins, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Originally published 10:08 p.m., April 6, 2009
Updated 10:14 p.m., April 6, 2009

I have seen the future of Memphis basketball and I would like to reach out and pinch its cheeks.

Josh Pastner is 31. That's not much older than some Memphis players under John Calipari.

Memphis wanted to make a "wow" hire. This is more of a "coochie coochie coo."

At noon today, Memphis athletics director R.C. Johnson will introduce Pastner as the next men's head basketball coach.

Looks like Memphis has itself a Diaper Dandy.

Or not. Time will tell, won't it?

At least everyone can return to actual, productive living again.

Y'all can stop obsessing about the coaching search.

Y'all can stop -- please, stop! -- suggesting names of wonderful candidates.

It's done, over, finished.

Johnson picked Pastner. And if he hadn't accepted, reliable sources say Johnson was going to offer it to the other two Jonas Brothers.

The former coach was loved by the Blue Hairs. This coach will add the teeny boppers.

Sample reaction from Facebook:

"Jessie has a crush on Josh Pastner."

"Wes loves Pastner."

Wes, apparently, is a man.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Pastner is a coach Memphians can rally around, no matter their age or gender.

He's a rising star, a coaching prodigy, a guy who has been working toward this day since he first learned to dribble a basketball.

Which was about a month ago, if you take a look at him.

Gene Bartow has shoes older than Pastner. Most of Cal's Championship Steaks have aged longer than the new Memphis coach.

But after a week of trying to get someone -- anyone! -- to take the job, the search team had placed its bet on the future.

USC head coach Tim Floyd declined. So did Tennessee's Bruce Pearl, Missouri's Mike Anderson and Baylor's Scott Drew.

Stunned, Johnson moved on to Florida State's Leonard Hamilton and former Memphis assistant Derek Kellogg.

They pulled out Monday.

That left Pastner, the former Arizona walk-on -- think Preston Laird -- who joined Calipari's staff a year ago in hopes that it would help him get a head coaching job.

Pastner said "yes." Good thing, too, because Johnson's next call was to Bradley Calipari.

And, absolutely, it's a risk. The guy has never been a head coach. He has never been the one with the radio show and the dry erase board. He's also been questioned in connection with the NCAA's on-going investigation at Arizona.

Some young coaches work out brilliantly. See Sean Miller and Billy Donovan. Some young coaches work out miserably. See Quin Snyder and Todd Bozeman.

It's impossible to know which way this one will go. But how can you not hope it works out for Pastner, the program and the community?

It has been a hard week for everyone. Maybe harder than it had to be. But if Johnson didn't pick the guy you would have -- or conduct the search the way I would have -- there's no point in grumbling about it.

Memphis made its choice. Pastner is the one. If this breaks the right way, we might not have to go through another coaching search for three more decades.

So here's hoping he does well. At the very least, it'll be different.

The last nine years have all been about Coach Cal.

Starting today, it's Coach McDreamy.

To reach Geoff Calkins, call 529-2364 or e-mail calkins@commercialappeal.com.

Jeff Goodman Fox Sports - Memphis promotes Pastner to lead Tigers

Memphis promotes Pastner to lead Tigers

by Jeff Goodman

Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. He can be reached at GoodmanonFOX@aol.com or check out his blog, Good 'N Plenty.

In a stunning move, Memphis has promoted assistant coach Josh Pastner to replace John Calipari as head coach of its basketball team.

Pastner, 31, spent the last year at Memphis after playing and also coaching at Arizona.

Memphis athletics spokesman Bob Winn says the school will hold a news conference Tuesday to introduce Pastner.

Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson unsuccessfully tried to lure several head coaches before electing to go with Pastner, who is known as a tireless and effective recruiter.

During Pastner's time under former Arizona coach Lute Olson, the Wildcats averaged 23 wins per season, captured two Pac-10 regular season titles, advanced to two NCAA tournament regional finals and made six-straight NCAA tournament appearances.

Pastner was instrumental in bringing several top recruits to Arizona, including Jerryd Bayless, Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger. Whether he can retain Calipari's most recent recruiting class remains to be seen.

In his only season at Memphis, the Tigers finished 33-4 with a Conference USA title and a Sweet 16 appearance.

While in high school and college, Pastner coached AAU squads, following in the footsteps of his father, Hal, an acclaimed AAU coach in Houston, Texas.

Johnson said last week that he planned to hire a new coach who would "wow" Tiger fans — one with head coaching experience. Names that surfaced during the search included Tennessee's Bruce Pearl, Baylor's Scott Drew and Florida State's Leonard Hamilton.

Memphis fought hard to keep Calipari but sought to put the best twist on his departure — saying the successful program he built was attractive enough to land one of the country's top coaches. Officials also boasted that university supporters would come up with plenty of money to pay a new coach.

Calipari was paid $2.3 million a year at Memphis and now has an eight-year contract at Kentucky worth nearly $32 million.

There was no immediate word on a Pastner's salary.

Calls from The Associated Press to Johnson and Alan Graf, a top member of the university's search team and the chief financial officer for FedEx Corp., were not returned Monday.

The move is similar to the one Marquette made last year with Buzz Williams, who was on Tom Crean's staff for one season before Crean left for Indiana. Williams was promoted and led Marquette to the NCAA tournament.

After Calipari left Memphis for Kentucky, Pastner was expected to follow him to Lexington.

Instead, he'll take over a program that has dominated Conference USA and reached the NCAA championship game in 2008.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ESPN - Memphis goes with Pastner

By Andy Katz ESPN.com

Memphis decided to stay in house.

Assistant coach Josh Pastner will be named the next head coach at the school at a news conference at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Memphis athletics spokesman Bob Winn said on Monday.
Pastner, 31, replaces John Calipari, who became the head coach at Kentucky last week. A source close to the Memphis program told ESPN.com that Memphis turned to Pastner to ensure continuity in the program after Calipari's success and subsequent departure.

This is Pastner's first head coaching job. He was a walk-on at Arizona on the 1997 national championship team and after graduation worked his way up on the bench with Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson.

Pastner was the lead recruiter for the Wildcats in Olson's last season two years ago and the top assistant for interim coach Kevin O'Neil during the 2007-08 campaign. Last summer Pastner left Arizona to work for Calipari.

According to the source, the school did inquire into the availability of Massachusetts head coach Derek Kellogg, who was an assistant for Calipari at Memphis, but he just completed his first season at his alma mater.

Memphis made overtures to USC's Tim Floyd, Missouri's Mike Anderson, former Xavier coach Sean Miller -- who took the Arizona job -- and most recently Florida State's Leonard Hamilton.
Andy Katz covers college basketball for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Miller over Pastner…did U of A do the right thing?

Miller over Pastner…did U of A do the right thing?

http://http://phoenix.fanster.com/2009/04/06/miller-over-pastner%E2%80%A6did-u-of-a-do-the-right-thing/
By Vince Marotta, April 6th, 2009 5:17 PM

Jim Livengood, in the eyes of many, has rebounded and redeemed himself. The Arizona A.D. locked up Xavier’s Sean Miller on a 7-year deal (or however long Miller wants to stay, because we all know college coaching contracts aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on).

It’s a good hire. Miller is one of the up-and-comers in the college ranks. He’s guided Xavier to four straight NCAA Tournaments, one Elite 8 appearance, and one Sweet 16. In 2007, he was at the helm of the Musketeers’ team that nearly knocked off top-seeded Ohio State, who went on to the National Championship game against Florida.

After all of the venom spewed his way when he failed to land Rick Pitino, or John Calipari or Tim Floyd, for that matter, is forgotten, in my opinion. Miller can coach, and should have success at Arizona in the future.

But, after the news that came out of Memphis today, you have to at least wonder if Arizona made the right hire.

The University of Memphis, in the wake of Calipari bolting to Lexington to take the Kentucky job, announced that assistant Josh Pastner would get the job. It’s interesting because Pastner was only at Memphis for a season. And it’s even more interesting because Pastner coached under Lute Olson for five seasons and played for Lute for four years. Yet, his name only came up when mentioned by former U of A players who endorsed Pastner.

Sean Miller received a 7-year contract worth $19 million from the U of A. Pastner, will undoubtedly receive a fraction of that, seeing as how he’s only 31 years old, and this will be his first head coaching job anywhere.

Memphis reportedly went after Miller, but settled on Pastner. And one can definitely make the argument that Memphis basketball is in much better shape right now than the Arizona program is. And Pastner has familiarity with recruiting in the Pac-10, a claim that Miller can’t make. Pastner was known as a tireless recruiter while an assistant in Tucson.

Did Livengood and the U of A do the right thing? We’ll find out.

Bleacher Report - Arizona's Coach of the Future: Not Who You Think

Arizona's Coach of the Future: Not Who You Think

by JJ Askvig (Contributor)
April 06, 2009

Well, it's official: Arizona will return to the national-powerhouse status that the people of Tucson have come to expect.

Yes, the Wildcats hired Sean Miller today, but honestly, I don't think he will have that large of an impact on the future.

You may have read my last article, in which I stated that Arizona needed to hire for the future, and though the name that everyone's paying attention to isn't ideal for long-term success, the Cats still struck gold today.

Just not with Miller. It's with Josh Pastner that I'm talking about

Yep, Josh Pastner, the former Arizona assistant, got his big break today. He was promoted by Memphis from assistant to head coach. And that bodes well for the Wildcats because...?

Well, first and foremost, Pastner was always the coach-in-waiting when he was at Arizona, but he needed to prove himself as a head coach. Now he has his chance, and it's a beautiful opportunity he's got with a talented Tigers team.

Yes, Calipari took most of his recruits with him to Kentucky, but the cupboard is not bare in Memphis, especially considering the competition they face in Conference USA.

What many do not realize is that the recruiting pipeline of Arizona is Pastner's work. The guy signs stars like crazy and is well-liked by players.

Memphis has had the national stage the last two years. Sure, they haven't quite reached the mountaintop yet, but people know who they are.

And know this: Pastner can coach. Much of the success at Memphis in the last two years is (arguably) because of Pastner, as he brought that aforementioned recruting prowess East when he arrived in '08.

Besides, anyone who watched the tourney could see that Coach Cal was already letting Pastner do a lot of the coaching, so he's already got a start.

So what does all of this have to do with Arizona?

Well, if Pastner proves himself at Memphis, which I firmly believe he will, the Wildcats will be after him like crazy. And unless Miller makes a deep run into the tourney (read: at least to the Elite Eight) in his first three years, Pastner will practically be in.

The only reason Arizona did not call Pastner this time was they did not want to hand over the reins of a top-tier program to a coach without head coaching experience (obviously, their hiring of an interim coach on short notice does not count).

Anyways, seems to me that if Miller has any success at Arizona and a job on the East Coast opens up, he will be gone.

The future for Arizona looks much brighter today. They just got one step closer to getting their real coach of the future.

Memphis promotes assistant Pastner to coach, replacing Calipari

Memphis promotes assistant Pastner to coach, replacing Calipari
April 6, 2009
By Gary Parrish
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
Tell Gary your opinion!

DETROIT -- Josh Pastner will be introduced as the next Memphis coach, a source close to the program told CBSSports.com on Monday.

An news conference is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday.

Pastner is known as an elite recruiter from his time at Arizona, where he played for and assisted Lute Olson before joining John Calipari's staff last offseason. This is his first head coaching job.

Arizona Daily Star: Memphis to name Pastner, 2 reports say

Memphis to name Pastner, 2 reports say
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 04.06.2009

Former Arizona Wildcats assistant coach Josh Pastner will be named the head coach at Memphis, CBSSports.com reporter Gary Parrish said today, citing “a source close to the program.”

The Memphis Commercial-Appeal is also citing a source as saying Pastner's in and Memphis boosters have been told an announcement could be made as soon as today.
Pastner, who was John Calipari’s lead recruiter at Memphis before Calipari took the Kentucky opening, played 42 games at Arizona from 1996-2000 before being named an undergraduate assistant and then an assistant coach.

Pastner left Tucson about a year ago to take the Memphis job.
— Patrick Finley

Memphis Tigers close to hiring Josh Pastner to replace Calipari

Memphis Tigers close to hiring Josh Pastner to replace Calipari
By Dan Wolken (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Originally published 04:30 p.m., April 6, 2009
Updated 04:30 p.m., April 6, 2009

The University of Memphis is closing in on naming Josh Pastner its next head coach, a source close to the situation confirmed this afternoon.

Pastner, 31, was at Memphis for one year under John Calipari after coaching for six years under Lute Olsen at Arizona.

Two sources said that athletic director R.C. Johnson has sent an e-mail to members of the Ambassadors Club, telling them the process is nearing an end. The Ambassadors Club is for boosters who have donated $500,000.

Known as one of the rising stars in the business, Pastner would be one of the youngest head coaches in the country and his selection would be a surprise, given his age and the fact he has no head coaching experience.

It could also be a brilliant hire, given that Pastner has a deep network of connections on the AAU circuit, especially in the Houston area where his father, Hal Pastner, is a legendary youth basketball coach.

A press conference could happen as soon as Tuesday afternoon.

CBS Sports Gary Parrish - What's next for Memphis?

What's next for Memphis?
Posted on: April 5, 2009 12:05 am

DETROIT -- The Memphis coaching search has turned into a complete mess , and sources have said the name bouncing around most at this moment belongs to Florida State's Leonard Hamilton, which would be fine, I guess. He can get players, and assistant Stan Jones (a former Memphian) can help coach them. So that might be OK -- although I'd be skeptical of hiring a 60-year-old man to rebuild my program, but maybe I'm just stupid.

Meantime, here are my thoughts on the matter ...

Former Memphis assistant Tony Barbee would be a good hire because he knows Memphis, knows the current roster, knows the recruits Memphis needs to get and is on the verge of winning C-USA next season at UTEP (he'll probably have the best roster in the league). But Barbee's issue is that John Calipari privately backed him for the job last week to multiple prominent boosters, and those boosters are so mad at Calipari now that they won't hire Barbee just because they don't want to do what Calipari told them to do. In other words, Calipari's endorsement has hurt Barbee's chances of getting this job, meaning he's probably not getting this job.

Which brings me to Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy.

Yeah, he had the cab driver incident this season, and that would cause Deadspin.com and TheBigLead.com to clown the hire. They'd have jokes, and they'd be funny, and then all that would be over. It would last about 48 hours, and then Kennedy would hold a press conference, and he'd be impressive, and then he'd recruit and get players (he signed one of the best prospects from Memphis this season, it's worth noting), and the city of Memphis would love him. Trust me, this would be a good hire. But all indications are that the Memphis boosters can't get past the incident and still-looming legal issues, and unless that changes Kennedy won't get this job, either.

Which brings me to UMass coach Derek Kellogg.

Yeah, he had a losing season this season in his first season at his alma mater. But if Kellogg was still an assistant at Memphis he'd probably already have this job, and so it's worth exploring his level of interest, then see if Memphis assistant John Robic will remain in Memphis to help with the adjustment. Robic handled all the scouting for Calipari's Tigers, case you didn't know. He's the type of veteran a younger coach can lean on, something similar to what Larry Shyatt provides Billy Donovan at Florida. Would Robic stay in Memphis? I have no idea. But if Kellogg could keep Robic around, this route might end up being the most sensible route given the current state of affairs.

Beyond that, Memphis should just offer the job to assistant Josh Pastner.

He'd take it, I'm sure.

Or Western Kentucky coach Ken McDonald.

He'd take it, I'm sure.

Or former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie.

He'd take it, I'm sure.

Or New Mexico coach Steve Alford.

He'd take it, I'm sure.

Honestly, I could produce a whole list of people who would actually take this job.

Needless to say, it's a different list than the list Memphis has been using the past four days.

CBS Sports Gary Parrish - Drew to remain at Baylor; Memphis still looking

Drew to remain at Baylor; Memphis still looking
Posted on: April 4, 2009 7:24 pm

DETROIT -- Scott Drew will remain at Baylor for a seventh season despite heavy interest from Memphis, multiple sources told CBSSports.com on Saturday.

According to sources, Drew did speak with people associated with the Memphis program, and one source went so far as to say it "was his job if he wanted it." But Drew ultimately decided to pass on the opportunity to follow John Calipari, leaving Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson scrambling now that his interest in Rick Pitino (Louisville) Mike Anderson (Missouri), Bruce Pearl (Tennessee), Tim Floyd (Southern California) and Drew has been rejected to varying degrees.

Sources said Memphis was prepared to pay Drew roughly $2 million per season.

But he's staying at Baylor ... for less money.

What's next?

Sources said Memphis will now likely turn toward Florida State's Leonard Hamilton.

Another possible option is one-time NBA star and former New Mexico State coach Reggie Theus.

Dan Wolken - Myths about the Memphis coaching search

Myths about the Memphis coaching search

Posted by Dan Wolken

1. Scott Drew was a smokescreen designed to throw the media off, and Memphis was never interested in hiring him.

You can believe this garbage all you want, but folks, this is just not true. Memphis was very serious about hiring Drew yesterday. No contract was offered, but money and contract terms were discussed. Why would Alan Graf tell Drew and his people yesterday that he was the guy if he wasn’t the guy? The problem is, as the day dragged on and Johnson was “hemming and hawing” on getting a deal done, Drew started to wonder if he was being set up as a fallback option. If you’re a guy like Drew, who has a strong standing at Baylor right now, you can’t sit there and wait while Memphis is dragging its feet or else you are going to damage yourself with your AD and recruits.

2. R.C. Johnson & Co. are still working behind the scenes on a “Wow” hire that will blow everyone away.

Does not appear to be true, unless you consider Leonard Hamilton a “Wow” hire. Because that’s the name that was buzzing around college basketball last night. Leonard gets good players at Florida State, and he would probably get good players at Memphis, too. But his reputation as a poor coach is well-earned; he’s been to just 4 NCAA Tournaments in 20 years at Florida State, Miami and Oklahoma State. And he’ll be 61 years old in August, so this would essentially be a well-paid retirement job for him. But if you’re talking about “name” guys, Hamilton is probably the best Memphis can do. Hamilton, or Billy Gillispie (he would take it). Because nobody who is in a good situation wants this job right now. You could offer Jay Wright the same contract you offered Calipari, and he’s not taking it. The sooner people realize that, the better.

3. Reggie Theus would be a home-run hire and would keep Xavier Henry and DeMarcus Cousins in the fold.

This is nonsense. First of all, Theus might be a good hire, but he would be a risky hire. Getting a bunch of transfers and talented misfits out to New Mexico State and then parlaying a good season into an NBA job doesn’t prove that you know how to build a program. Lots of questions in the coaching world about Theus’ work ethic. Is he really interested in getting into the recruiting nitty-gritty, or is he going to be jetting off to L.A. whenever he can? The stuff about Henry and Cousins is also ridiculous. This idea is being peddled by Otis Hughley, who is trying to position himself for a job on Theus’ staff. But Hughley has no influence anymore on the Cousins situation, and anyone who knows what’s really happening with Cousins knows this to be true. The chances of Henry playing at Memphis? As it was put to me by a trusted source close to the situation last night: Zero.

4. Hiring an NBA person like Avery Johnson or Isiah Thomas would be a good idea .

It would in fact be an awful idea. If you have never recruited a college player, you have no business being in this job. The lure of college kids wanting to play for NBA guys is incredibly overrated. Those guys don’t have the grass-roots connections to AAU basketball. That’s where it’s at these days.

5. Andy Kennedy should be disqualified due to the cab incident last December.

Unfortunately, this appears to be a legitimate concern from the Shirley Raines office and a major reason why Kennedy isn’t higher on the list. But it’s misguided. While embarrassing, this incident is small potatoes. The amount of bad publicity Memphis might receive would be extremely mimimal. Kennedy has a ton of upside as a coach.

6. Derek Kellogg wouldn’t come after just one year at UMass, his alma mater.

It would take a good offer (something in the $1.4-1.5 million range), but Kellogg would come. Trust me on this. And John Robic would probably stay, too, to help him on the bench. My prediction is that if Kellogg got this job, Joe Jackson, Tarik Black and Mardracus Wade would all commit to Memphis in short order. Those kids love DK.

Dan Wolken - No smokescreen, just embarrassment

No smokescreen, just embarrassment

Posted by Dan Wolken

Today was a very, very bad day for the Memphis coach search.

Here is why Scott Drew is not the Memphis coach right now, according to sources close to the negotiations.

Drew had an initial conversation with R.C. Johnson on Friday night. On Saturday, another conversation took place. The outline of a contract was discussed. Alan Graf, who was in communication with Drew throughout the day, kept telling Drew that he was the No. 1 guy and that Memphis was ready to get a deal done. Johnson, on the other hand, was sending different signals: “Hemming and hawing,” according to a source.

Meanwhile, Drew was under pressure from his athletic director, recruits and players who were calling to find out what was happening and whether he was going to Memphis. How could he be totally sure whether he was the No. 1 guy or not when the AD was “hemming and hawing?” Finally, Drew had enough and pulled out of the search. After he pulled out, Johnson made multiple attempts to call him back. But by then, it was done.

Whether you were in favor or against hiring Scott Drew at Memphis, this is not a coaching search running smoothly right now. In fact, its performance today appeared to be dysfunctional.

Baylor's Drew withdraws as Tigers' coach candidate

Baylor's Drew withdraws as Tigers' coach candidate

By Dan Wolken (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Saturday, April 4, 2009

The University of Memphis has gone five days without a basketball coach, but its search for a replacement didn’t seem to be much closer to conclusion than it was Tuesday when John Calipari left for Kentucky.

Indeed, by Saturday night, the process appeared to be completely off the rails as the school’s No. 1 target — Baylor coach Scott Drew — pulled his name out of consideration. According to sources close to the negotiations, however, it wasn’t because Drew didn’t want the job. Rather, it was because he grew frustrated as the day went on with a chaotic process that left him unsure whether he was really Memphis’ top choice.

After an initial phone conversation with athletic director R.C. Johnson on Friday night, Drew had been in contact with FedEx vice president Alan Graf throughout the day, according to a source. Though rough terms of a contract were discussed, none was officially offered. Graf had indicated to Drew, the source said, that he was the No. 1 choice and that Memphis was ready to close in on a deal.

As the day went on, Drew and his staff were besieged with phone calls from recruits and players wondering whether he was headed to Memphis. But without any indication of whether Johnson was ready to pull the trigger — “hemming and hawing,” one source described — Drew finally ended his involvement with Memphis and released a statement that he was staying at Baylor.
The search could now move toward 60-year old Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton. In a 20-year career as a college head coach, including stops at Oklahoma State and Miami, Hamilton’s teams have advanced to the NCAA Tournament just four times. Reggie Theus, the former New Mexico State and Sacramento Kings’ coach, also has been mentioned prominently.

That’s perhaps the best Memphis can do now after getting rejected to some degree by Missouri’s Mike Anderson, USC’s Tim Floyd, Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl and now Drew.

Memphis has attempted — thus far, unsuccessfully — to shroud its coaching search in secrecy in hopes of avoiding the embarrassment of a public rejection. That’s hard to do in this day and age, however, especially when a search firm has not been hired to run the search. Johnson was emphatic Wednesday that Memphis would not be employing a search firm to help hire its next coach.

Memphis began this process with hopes of making a “Wow” hire — those were Graf’s words on Wednesday — but now may be forced to move into the second tier before the search drags on into a second week.

If Memphis chose to pursue more attainable candidates, it could look toward Ole Miss’ Andy Kennedy or UMass’ Derek Kellogg, both of whom would likely provide a quick fix in the recruitment of local high school players.

It also might be worthwhile to look at first-year Memphis assistant Josh Pastner, who could end up being a hot name for the Arizona job if more coaches turn it down. Pastner, one of the elite recruiting assistants in the country, worked at Arizona for seven years under Lute Olson.

A Long Proud Legacy That Will Be Once Again

So, we patiently (or not so patiently) go through Final Four weekend looking for a coach. Believe it or not this is the best weekend of the year to be looking. For a great look at the college coaching ranks take a weekend some day to read Last Dance Behind the Scenes at the Final Four by John Feinstein, Backbay Book, 2006.

It is funny how Memphis is regarded as such as small school with a "non-BCS" type following. And yet, I noticed on Facebook last night that their Team Page has the 11th most members of any page. They always seem to rank in the Top 20 for Team Pages on ESPN, Fox and others.


I've read several comments from opposing fans saying, "So long Memphis, the ride is over." Obviously, these fans are all under the age of 25. Yes, Memphis' "run" this time consisted of about four years, but the program has been pretty strong for about fifty years. Consider that Memphis' 21 NCAA Tournaments, 3 Final Fours and 2 National Final appearances compare very favorably to Illinois (27 appearances, 5 Final Fours, no titles), Oklahoma (25 appearances, 4 Final Fours, no titles), Texas (26 appearances, 3 Final Fours, no titles), Arizona (27 appearances, 4 Final Fours, 1 Title), Marquette (26 appearances, 3 Final Fours, 1 title), Maryland (22 appearances, 2 Final Fours, 1 title), Syracuse (31 appearances, 4 Final Fours, 1 title) and Villanova (29 appearances, 4 Final Fours, 1 title).


Yes, Memphis has a major hurdle to overcome. All of the above aforementioned teams play in BCS conferences.


It will be very interesting to see if Memphis basketball can stay above the label of "mid-major". It will require a coach who can land top 100 players and keep the program relevant.


For all of the detractors and naysayers out there. Game on.

Spurned Arizona targets Xavier's Miller for coaching job

Spurned Arizona targets Xavier's Miller for coaching job
April 3, 2009
By Gary Parrish
CBSSports.com Senior Writer

DETROIT -- Arizona has initiated conversations with Sean Miller in an attempt to see whether the rising star at Xavier will entertain an offer that could be worth more than $13 million spread over six years, a source close to the Arizona program told CBSSports.com on Friday.

Multiple sources said it's unclear whether Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood has spoken directly with Miller, but the sources added that Miller has had preliminary discussions with a third-party representative working on behalf of Arizona, and that he's willing to consider a move to the Pac-10 more so than he's considered different opportunities in the past. In other words, Miller was never seriously interested in Virginia or Georgia, and he's not interested in replacing John Calipari at Memphis. But Arizona is the type of elite job that has his attention, though there are no guarantees Miller would automatically leave Xavier given that he clearly has the best job in the Atlantic 10.

Miller has been at Xavier five seasons.

He's made four NCAA tournaments, including one Elite Eight.

Arizona has already been publicly rejected by USC's Tim Floyd. Other candidates the school has informally pursued to various degrees are Mark Few (Gonzaga), Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh), John Calipari (Memphis), Jeff Capel (Oklahoma), Bruce Pearl (Tennessee) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State).

Dan Wolken - Astounded by the fans’ crush on Reggie Theus

Astounded by the fans’ crush on Reggie Theus
Posted by Dan Wolken

The Memphis message boards and comments sections have been lit up with talk of Reggie Theus. I am somewhat baffled by this. Theus coached in college for two years at New Mexico State. His second year, he went 25-9 with an NCAA bid (it didn’t hurt that the conference tournament was on New Mexico State’s home floor that year). New Mexico State had three top-50 wins that year — against Nevada, and twice over Utah State, all at home. In his first year, Theus went 15-14. He didn’t stay long enough to prove whether he could recruit or not. He brought in some talented kids (albeit with big off-court problems) like Martin Iti and Herb Pope that other schools wouldn’t touch, but that wouldn’t give me a ton of confidence in his ability to recruit to Memphis.

This year alone, Scott Drew beat Providence, Arizona State, Washington State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Kansas, Texas, Georgetown and Virginia Tech. He signed a top-50 and two top-150 players for 2009, a top-50 and a top-100 player in 2008, a top-50 player in 2007 and three top-100 players in 2006.

Head-to-head, this is no comparison.

Chat with ESPN's Andy Katz - On Reggie Theus, DeMarcus Cousins, Bruce Pearl

Chat with ESPN's Andy Katz

Thursday, Apirl 2

Freddy (Los Angeles) [via mobile]: Is Reggie Theus a good fit for Memphis?

Andy Katz: I think he is but obviously Bruce Pearl isthe first choice. I do think Theus did remarkable things in a brief tenure at NMSU. But I don't know if he's going to get a shot. He can recruit. He is a solid coach and has the personality to work in Memphis.

john Louisville Kentucky [via mobile]: Do you think calapari will bring any of the top recruits with him? If so which ones?

Andy Katz: My prediction is that DeMarcus Cousins is the one that follows him. I'm not sure on the others.

memphistiger: Memphis, tn [via mobile]: I hear we just offered Bruce pearl 7 years 21 million. What do you think the chances of him coming to Memphis are? He is third man on campus behind kiffin and summit

Andy Katz: it will be a tough call. it's a lot of cash. Tennessee is higher profile and in a better league. But he can win more games at Memphis and be the No. 1 face of the program. It will be a tough call.

Tim (Athens): Reggie Theus- better actor or coach?

Andy Katz: Not even close.
Coach.

Chat with ESPN Radio's Doug Gottlieb - On DeMarcus Cousins, Sean Miller and Scott Drew

Chat with ESPN Radio's Doug Gottlieb

Friday, April 3

vay dallas tx: Doug.. how likely is it that Calipari's recruits follow him to kentucky?

Doug Gottlieb: I think it's likely that DeMarcus Cousins follows him. At best a 50-50 shot that Xavier Henry follows him. Henry's brother went to Memphis early to play with Xav. I would guess, through the people I've talked to, that it didn't go over so well that Cal jumped to Kentucky and left CJ Henry behind. Plus, Xavier probably looks at Kentucky and thinks Jodie Meeks might stay, so I'd have to share the wealth of the shots.

matt, Tn [via mobile]: what do you think about sean miller of xavier as calipari's replacement at memphis

Doug Gottlieb: If I were Sean Miller, I would take the Arizona job ahead of the Memphis job. While Memphis could pay as much or more, I think Arizona is a better job. I know growing up in LA, it's always been Guard U. With all the talent in Phoenix, Vegas, Seattle, LA and Texas that have all been funneled to Tucson. It's a better, more glamorous gig. Better chance of being successful. You're not following Lute Olson. You're following interim coach. Memphis you have to live up to winning 30 games.

virgil memphis tn [via mobile]: will the memphis basketball program ever be a national contender again after losing coach cal

Doug Gottlieb: If they hire the right guy, yeah. It's going to have to be rebuilt and reinvented. I think Scott Drew would be a great hire at either Arizona or Memphis. He's a tremendous recruiter. His team's play a fun style. He's a rebuilder. He fits the profile. I think he deserves a look, especially for Memphis.

ESPN Truth & Rumors - Baylor Coach Atop Memphis' Wish List

ESPN Truth & Rumers

Baylor coach atop Memphis' wish list?
09:40 AM ET 04.04

On the day when University of Memphis officials clamped down on the leaks coming from their search for a new men's basketball coach, one name did emerge as a serious candidate. Memphis received permission Friday to talk with Baylor coach Scott Drew, according to a source close to the search. It is believed that a representative of Memphis' search then had an informal discussion with Drew on Friday about the job. Memphis spent Thursday making exploratory calls about Drew, who was not available to talk until after his team lost in the NIT championship game on Thursday night. It's unclear whether that means Drew has emerged as the leading candidate or Memphis is still talking with other coaches. But it does indicate that Memphis is serious about Drew, 39, who resurrected a Baylor program in shambles after the scandal-ridden Dave Bliss era.

Tennessee Denies Bruce Pearl Ever Offered Position at Memphis

Tennessee Denies Bruce Pearl Ever Offered Position at Memphis

WBIR-TV (Knoxville) contributor Chris Low of ESPN.com says there is a real interest in Bruce Pearl on the part of the University of Memphis Tigers.

Low believes Memphis is prepared to offer Pearl as much as $21 million over 7 years. WMC-TV reported earlier in the day that such an offer had been made; the University of Tennessee has since denied that claim.

Tiffany Carpenter, Public Relations Director for the UT Athletic Department, told 10 Sports that Pearl had not received any offer.

She also said Pearl was in Detroit Thursday, presenting an award to Louisville Coach Rick Pitino.

The Commercial Appeal reports the head of Memphis's coach search committee, Alan Graf, is in Detroit Thursday night. Graf is also the CFO and Executive Vice President of FedEx.

Low believes Memphis asking permission to speak to Pearl would be one of the last steps in the process.

Athletic Director Mike Hamilton told VolQuest.com yesterday he would not grant Memphis permission to speak to Pearl.

Low is reporting that it is believed Pearl would like to see improvements in the facilities at the University of Tennessee, and more money for his assistant coaches. As an example, two of Lane Kiffin's assistants make more individually than all of Pearl's assistants combined.

Again, the University of Tennessee is denying reports that Bruce Pearl has been offered a 7-year, $21-million deal to coach at Memphis.

The University of Memphis would have to ask UT's permission to talk to a coach under contract.

WMC in Memphis reported Thursday morning that University of Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl was offered a 7-year, $21-million deal to coach there.

The University of Memphis recently lost its coach to the University of Kentucky. John Calipari signed a $4-million-a-year contract to coach the Wildcats.

Sources tell WMC that Pearl has been offered a deal and that he has expressed interest.

Stick with wbir.com and WBIR-TV for the latest developments.


WMC-TV, Kris Budden, Steve Phillips, Brent Hubbs (Volquest.com), Chris Low (ESPN.com)

Memphis White Station's (HS) Joe Jackson still has Tigers on his list

White Station's Joe Jackson still has Tigers on his list
By Jason Smith, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Thursday, April 2, 2009

White Station High junior guard Joe Jackson said Thursday he still plans to consider the University of Memphis as a potential college basketball destination if the Tigers make the right coaching hire.

Jackson, ranked the No. 15 overall prospect in the class of 2010 by Rivals.com, had been seriously considering Memphis before Calipari's departure this week to Kentucky. However, Jackson said his attraction to the Tigers had more to do with the program than Calipari.

"I was going (to Memphis) for the city," said Jackson, who remains uncommitted. "It wasn't about the coach or whatever. But it was great because (Calipari) was a good coach too. He was in town. Good coach. Good program. You can't go wrong."

Jackson's top two choices for the Memphis job, Missouri's Mike Anderson and Tennessee's Bruce Pearl, each agreed to deals this week to remain with their respective programs.

Jackson, whom Rivals.com ranks the No. 3 junior point-guard prospect nationally, is also considering Tennessee, Arkansas, Marquette and Kansas. Jackson had been offered a scholarship by Kentucky when Billy Gillispie was head coach, and he said he expects to receive an offer from Calipari once he's settled in Lexington.

"I'm really confused right now," Jackson said. "I'm going to wait to see what coach is going to come in and coach the (Tigers)."

The 5-11, 150-pound Jackson averaged an area-best 26.2 points during the regular season and scored a combined 82 points in three state-tournament victories last month to lead White Station to a 31-7 record and the Class AAA state title.

Sporting News.com - Tyreke Evans to Declare, Surge Up Draft Board

Tyreke Evans to Declare, Surge Up Draft Board
Sporting News.com
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Posted By Bethlehem Shoals 12:00 PM

Blah blah blah, celebrity coach jumps to storied program and money flies everywhere. The real news out of Memphis is that, to the surprise of no one, freshman guard Tyreke Evans is going pro. Yes, that's what you go to Memphis to do, and Evans did head into this season as the top-ranked freshman in the land. But, in a manner typical of many big-name recruits, he let us down before lifting us up. Evans was unimpressive at SG; once installed at PG, the Tigers were unstoppable. That's some serious results right there.

Now, here's the NBA dimension: Everyone knew Evans was going pro. But as the Tournament winds down, shakes out, whatever, I'm inclined to think Evans might end up going way, way higher than expected. SN's Sean Deveney cautiously points to him as someone who helped his stock this March, and currently has him going ninth in his mock draft. But when I look at Evans's season, I see much the same position O.J. Mayo was in a year ago, but with an earlier start on convincing teams he's worth the past hype. I've got this new theory -- when drafting one-and-dones, it's at least worth considering where they were before actual experience intervened.

Okay, so maybe that's leading him down the "next Ben Gordon" path, which no team wants long-term. The jury's still out on whether Mayo can move past this, given his love for the perimeter and lack of bust-out athleticism. But let's not forget that Mayo's trying to turn from a college shooter to a pro scorer. Evans has the potential to be one of those Russell Westbrook-esque bundles of talent who could do some things at point guard -- the position at which he excelled in college, albeit in an unconventional Memphis system -- or just get thrown out there to play off of similarly versatile guys. A rosy vision for the future, perhaps. And yet outside of Griffin and possible entrant Ricky Rubio, who looks more NBA-ready than Evans did in that Missouri game?

Kansas City Star: KU Still In Running for Top Recruit (Xavier Henry)

By J. BRADY McCOLLOUGH
The Kansas City Star
KU still in running for top Recruit

Prep shooting guard Xavier Henry has spent Friday talking with his family about his college decision, and Kansas remains in serious contention for its No. 1 recruiting target in the class of 2009.

Henry, who originally signed to play for Memphis, has asked out of his letter of intent now that former Memphis coach John Calipari is the coach at Kentucky. Carl Henry, Xavier’s father, told Rivals.com that Xavier wants to play for the Jayhawks, who finished second to Memphis for Xavier’s services in November.

Carl Henry also told the site that his oldest son, current Memphis freshman C.J. Henry, would like to join Xavier at Kansas.

Still, the Henry’s situation is complicated by C.J. having already spent a year at Memphis as a walk on. Even though C.J. didn’t play — he used a medical hardship year — he would have to sit out another year if he transferred under NCAA rules. With Xavier considered to be a “one-and-done” prospect, the brothers may not play together even if C.J. was to join Xavier at Kansas. Carl Henry told the site that the family is making a formal appeal to the NCAA to allow C.J. to play next season given the unique circumstances of his being a walk-on and not having played a game for Memphis.

So, there appears to be a multitude of ways the Henry saga could end:

C.J. wins his appeal with the NCAA, and both Xavier and C.J. choose to play at Kansas.

C.J. loses his appeal but still chooses to transfer and join Xavier at Kansas so that the family can be together for at least a year.

C.J. chooses to stay at Memphis, and Xavier comes to Kansas.

C.J. and Xavier both choose to stick with Memphis. Carl Henry told zagsblog.com on Friday that Memphis was still an option for both of his sons and that they would wait and see who Memphis hires as coach. Carl Henry said he had heard that former NBA head coaches Reggie Theus and Avery Johnson are candidates.

C.J. and Xavier follow Calipari to Kentucky. Xavier has said he would consider visiting Kentucky.

C.J. stays at Memphis, and Xavier goes to Kentucky.

No matter how it shakes down, Kansas looks to be in good shape to land either Xavier Henry or heralded prep shooting guard Lance Stephenson. Zagsblog.com said that Stephenson is still considering just KU, Maryland and St. John’s. Stephenson was expected to pick Kansas on Tuesday but delayed his decision for a second time.

Henry certainly makes the most sense for KU, given his family’s connection to the school. His parents, Carl and Barbara, both played basketball for the Jayhawks. And C.J. committed to KU his senior year of high school before signing a contract to play baseball with the Yankees. As part of the contract, the Yankees would pay for C.J.’s college education, which is why C.J. will be a walk-on wherever he ends up.

Memphis Tigers talk to Baylor coach Scott Drew

Source: Memphis Tigers talk to Baylor coach Scott Drew
By Dan Wolken, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Originally published 02:58 p.m., April 3, 2009

On the day when University of Memphis officials clamped down on the leaks coming from their search for a new men’s basketball coach, one name did emerge as a serious candidate.

Memphis received permission Friday to talk with Baylor coach Scott Drew, according to a source close to the search. It is believed that a representative of Memphis’ search then had an informal discussion with Drew on Friday about the job.

Memphis spent Thursday making exploratory calls about Drew, who was not available to talk until after his team lost in the NIT championship game on Thursday night.

It’s unclear whether that means Drew has emerged as the leading candidate or Memphis is still talking with other coaches. But it does indicate that Memphis is serious about Drew, 39, who resurrected a Baylor program in shambles after the scandal-ridden Dave Bliss era.

Drew has been successful in getting talented players to Waco, including three recruiting classes ranked in the top 20. He has done it following one of the biggest scandals in college basketball history, involving payments to players for tuition and the murder of Patrick Dennehy. The aftermath left Baylor’s program decimated, and few coaches wanted to take over the toxic situation left by Bliss.

Drew was hired after one year at Valparaiso, where his father Homer Drew has coached since 1988.

Drew took Baylor from 8-21 in his first year to 15-16 in his fourth year. In 2008, Baylor made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years. His team last season was ranked in the top 25 but did not play up to expectations until the end of the season when it got to the Big 12 tournament championship game and made the NIT finals. Baylor did beat five NCAA Tournament teams, including Texas and Kansas.

Baylor’s coaching staff has been recruiting in the Memphis area over the last 18 months, targeting top players in the junior class like Joe Jackson (White Station), Mardracus Wade (Mitchell) and Tarik Black (Ridgeway).

Drew’s name comes with some controversy. His recruiting tactics have irritated other coaches in the Big 12, to the point where Texas coach Rick Barnes lashed out at Drew during the league tournament last month.

“There’s a line that he knows that he can’t cross with me,” Barnes said of Drew, according to The New York Times. “He knows that. He definitely knows that.”

Drew’s practices have also come under scrutiny from a variety of media outlets, including hiring Dwon Clifton last year as director of player development. Clifton was the AAU coach for John Wall, the top-ranked point guard in the country, coming out of Raleigh, N.C. Before Calipari left, Memphis and Baylor were considered Wall’s top two schools.

Beyond Drew, it’s unclear how the week ended for Memphis’ search.

On Thursday, Memphis was rebuffed to varying degrees by USC's Tim Floyd and Tennessee's Bruce Pearl. Others who might still be in the mix include former New Mexico State and Sacramento Kings coach Reggie Theus, whose name has also been floated for the Arizona job.

Memphis has not made any serious overtures, according to sources, toward Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy or UMass coach and former Memphis assistant Derek Kellogg. UTEP coach Tony Barbee, another former Calipari assistant, would be available to talk Saturday after his team’s season ended Friday night in the College Basketball Invitational.

It’s also possible that an out-of-the-box name is still in play. FedEx vice president Alan Graf, who is working on behalf of the search committee, said Wednesday that Memphis has the capability to make a “wow hire.”

To the Memphis Tigers, John Calipari Leaving Is an Unrelenting Nightmare

The Bleacher Report

Over the course of the world, humankind has seen the rise and the fall of many great empires: the Romans, Greeks, Maya, Inca, Aztec, British, French, and more. On Wednesday, we witnessed the fall of another great empire: that of the Memphis Tigers.

Memphis head basketball coach John Calipari signed a contract to become the head coach at Kentucky. This signing ended a very successful run at Memphis that resulted in 11 NCAA tournament appearances, two Final Fours, and a second-place finish. He brought two mid-major programs out of the dust in Massachusetts and Memphis.

Calipari was the most successful mid-major coach when it came to recruiting. He was able to lure in players such as Dajuan Wagner, Shawne Williams, Derrick Rose, Joey Dorsey, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Tyreke Evans. No other mid-major coach brought in as many great collegiate players.

Before he arrived at Memphis, the Tigers didn't receive national attention, finishing under .500 in the Conference USA. In his first two seasons, he brought home a third place finish championship in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). He then boosted the Tigers into the NCAA tournament, a complete turnaround for the program.

He reached consecutive Elite Eights before he led the Tigers to their best season in ages. The National Championship was theirs for the taking, but his players' inability to hit crucial late-game free throws allowed the Kansas Jayhawks to take the game from out of the Tiger's paw.

With the appearance in the National Championship, Memphis had established themselves as a perennial power in college hoops. Calipari would be able to continue to get great recruiting classes and continuously be a Final Four threat.

With all of their success, could the Memphis Tigers' empire collapse with a changing of the coach?

Yes.

In college, the head coach plays such an important role. He or she recruits and teaches the kids how to play the game and improve fundamentals.

One of the reasons high school players sign with a certain team is because of the coach; he or she is the face of the program, and if he or she leaves, then the recruit won't be going to that school for the reason he wanted.

With John Calipari gone, it will be much more difficult for Memphis to compete on a national stage. They may be able to have success in the Conference USA, but reaching a Sweet Sixteen will be a difficult task.

Star freshman guard Tyreke Evans, the national Freshman of the Year, has declared for the NBA Draft. Evans said that Calipari's departure for Kentucky played a big role in his leaving.

Many other high school recruits will drop Memphis down on their list of schools. The new coach will have to work wonders to get the same class that Calipari would be receiving this upcoming season.

Memphis will no longer be one of the top teams every year. The Tigers will have to, basically, start all over. Not only will they lose their seniors, but the recruits that John Calipari would have easily snatched.

Meanwhile, the Kentucky Wildcats have a new coach and are looking at a bright future. All they have to do is look at what Calipari has done in his first few seasons at each school that he has coached at. Now he is coaching a team that already has great potential. The Cats bring back Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson for 2009-10.

But in Memphis, the search for a coach continues. Whoever receives the job will have huge shoes to fill.

John Calipari is one of the greatest coaches in the game, and his departure would be an unrelenting nightmare for any program.

Geoff Calkins: Scott Drew's peers shocked Memphis would consider Baylor

Geoff Calkins: Scott Drew's peers shocked Memphis would consider Baylor coach

By Geoff Calkins (Contact)

Memphis Commercial Appeal

Friday, April 3, 2009

So the conversation turned to the Memphis coaching search, and the Division I head coach asked who the Tigers search team might be going after next.

“It could be Scott Drew.”

The Division I head coach paused at this.
“Do they KNOW Scott Drew?” he asked.

Evidently, not.

Or they know something about the Baylor coach that nobody else seems to know.

A national television commentator (by phone): “WHAT?”

An assistant coach in the SEC (by text): “Wow.”

Scott Drew would be a “wow” hire in the world of college basketball, all right.
Just not in a good way.

And let me say, in the interest of complete disclosure, that I would not know Scott Drew if he walked into my living room and offered me a package deal.

Which he might do, by all accounts. But that’s not the point here. I don’t know Drew. I have never met the guy.

If the Memphis Tigers hire him — and word is that they just might — it could turn out to be the best thing for this city since pulled pork.

But that’s not what people who know Drew seem to think. I made a lot of calls on this. And Drew was invariably described as:

1) A phony.
2) A man who has never met a recruiting rule he couldn’t bend.
3) A lousy bench coach.
4) And, really, what more do you need?

It’s not just me, saying worrisome things about Drew, either. It’s everyone. Jeff Goodman, the national college basketball writer for FOX Sports, said on my radio show that hiring Drew would be a mistake. Texas coach Rick Barnes has publicly criticized Drew’s recruiting tactics.

George Lapides — a newspaperman without a newspaper — took the extraordinary step on his radio show of warning Memphis not to hire Drew.

Lapides said he thought about saying the same thing when Memphis was on the verge of hiring Tic Price. When the Price era played out as it did, Lapides vowed never to keep quiet again.
Undaunted, the Memphis search team has pressed on. Because, well, nobody can quite figure that one out.

Drew has done a reasonable job of rebuilding a Baylor program devastated by scandal and tragedy. But it’s not like he’s ever won an NCAA Tournament game.

Drew has a reputation as a creative recruiter. That must be part of it. But wouldn’t it be nice to have a head coach who didn’t spend all his time chasing national recruits with offers of jobs on the staff?

Drew hired John Wall’s AAU coach to help bring the star guard to Baylor. Problem is, he forgot to get a guarantee that Wall would actually come. John Calipari might have been shady, but at least he was great at it. Drew just took a Baylor team loaded with talent — and picked to finish third in the Big 12 — and guided it to a loss in the NIT.

The Memphis search team appears not to care about any of this. And maybe they’re the smartest guys in the room.

But do you really believe that? Honestly?

It’s dangerous to judge a person on reputation, of course. It’s just as dangerous — and maybe more so — to hire a person of suspect reputation without thoroughly checking things out.
If I were on the search committee, I’d take one last trip, just to be sure. Fly to Detroit, the site of the Final Four. Wander through the hotels. Ask people in the business what they think of their candidate.

They’ll shoot straight. They may roll their eyes a bit, too.

The Tigers are interested in hiring Scott Drew?

Wow.

Thoughts on the Memphis Program

As my life and job have been very busy over the past year, I didn't have time to support this blog as I did over the two previous seasons. It was tough not supplying the stories and facts and opinions about Memphis basketball that I so enjoy reading, writing and opining.

It is with sadness that I watched the events of the past week unfold and the John Calipari era come to a close. Change is never easy and the success of the Memphis program has been intoxicating. I hope that at least some of the recruiting class is left entact as we need some opportunity to retain some status in basketball circles.

I have no doubt that the University of Memphis basketball program will survive and again thrive. This program has seen glory days in the 50's, 70's, 80's, 90's and the 2000's. It has seen glory under several different head coaches - Bob Vanetta, Gene Bartow, Dana Kirk, Larry Finch and, of course, John Calipari.

So, in some ways, I believe it is my obligation as a true fan to once again start writing when I can to make sure the information is getting out about the Tigers.

The Gonzaga Game

In an article in the Spokesman-Review, Jim Meehan describes the Gonzaga-Portland game,

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/sportslink/2009/feb/05/gu-takes-two-game-lead-wcc/

in which Gonzago shut down the Portland perimeter players with a perimeter-conscious zone in the second half.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few commented:

"We switched our zone up a little bit, got our feet under us, got some stops and got our break going...., It was one of our zones that does a way better job on the perimeter, and we made some adjustments that allowed us to cheat out on their shooters....."

Let us hope that the Tigers can pick that zone apart tomorrow.

Attacking The Zone

So Syracuse played zone defense the whole game.

I remember writing to a friend in March of 2007

(If Coach Cal wants to play the dribble drive motion) "he has to teach his team how to attack the zone, and they have to accomplish it so successfully that their opponents will want to go back to man to man. And it's real easy to attack a zone. I got a DVD for my son recently, about play in the Post. They had a chapter about how to attack the zone. Simple stuff. You position your men depending upon what kind of zone you see. You attack the seams with precise passing. You move the ball and not your feet. You don't dribble into the zone. Your offensive players make their move before or after the zone moves, not with it. In the post, you screen and seal your defender, before the ball rotates to your side."

Or you pop the three point shots. But then you have to make them. If Coach Cal insists on attacking the zone by taking three point shots, then he needs to be playing his best three point shooters. That would be Robert Sallie and Preston Laird.

Memphis vs. UALR Comment by Brett Speer

By Brett Speer

Sitting amongst my fellow basketball starved students, minutes before tip off, I stop and look around to take it all in. In the midst of a season that has so far not gone the way Coach Calipari had hoped, I still notice the "hope" that every tiger fan has before a game. After tip off fear started to set in as Pierre Henderson-Niles turned over the ball to allow UALR's, Matt Mouzy, to hit a three pointer. This was followed up by a Robert Dozier turn over, in which he was able to steal back only to pass the ball to Antonio Anderson who turned it over and allow UALR to make an easy lay up. The first two minutes of the game saw the Tigers losing 5-0 and the inadequacy that every Memphis fan has deep down started to seep out of that place we keep hidden away. Before all hope could be lost Tyreke Evans took the ball down court, put up a quick three pointer that caused tiger nation's fears to be subdued. It was a back and forth struggle for the first twelve minutes of the game, with a score of 18-19, Shawn Taggart snatched the offensive rebound and was fouled while attempting a lay up. Taggart made both free-throws to give the Tigers a 20-19 lead, which the Tigers would not relinquish for the rest of the game. The game was a hard nosed clash that required every point to be truly earned. The Tigers made 26-40 free throws, mainly by the superb shooting of Evans(7-11) and Dozier(9-12). The Tigers field goal percentage was abysmal (shooting 15-45) and making 3-20 three pointers. The final score was Tigers 59, UALR 51.

The game was a defensive battle with ups and downs on both teams. Pierre saw more minutes than he has seen all season with 27 minutes, and this was also only the 2nd time he has played over twenty minutes this season. Although, his statistics were not mind blowing, his physical presence was felt by UALR. Early on in the game Pierre looked a little lost in the paint but by the 2nd half he had found his way. Throughout the game Antonio Anderson struggled to find consistency but his leadership flourished. The enigma known as Willie Kemp, continued his season of performing poorly. Hopefully this game will be the wake-up call the Tigers need to turn around their season, just as the loss to Arizona a couple of seasons ago was the wake-up call that lead to an Elite eight appearance.

By Brett Speer

A Preview

On CBS today, just before the Memphis game, we are treated to a great matchup between Gonzaga and Connecticut.

With Stanley Robinson back, Connecticut may well have all the pieces to contend for number one. I surely think the Connecticut front line could give Tyler Hansborough a tough time in the paint.

Commenting on the their recent rout of Stony Brook, ESPN says:

"The Huskies have won 134 of their last 135 home games played before January against opponents from outside the Big East."

I know that is supposed to say great things about Connecticut, but doesn't it really mean that the Huskies normally puff up their won lost record before Big East play, by playing only the little guys in their neighborhood?

I'm not saying Gonzaga is going to win. Pargo could be the difference maker. But the game might give us some ideas about how to handle Hytvelt and Daye.

Post Xavier, Pre-Georgetown

It is amazing to me to see the reaction from so many Memphis fans even two weeks after the heartbreaking loss to Xavier. It has been like the Tigers really disappointed people with that loss. Certainly any loss is tough, but Xavier is pretty good and currently 10th in the country in the AP(6th in the RPI, 25th in Pomeroy). In a way that is part of the problem. Memphis just doesn't have a hard enough schedule this year, so losing ANY top 25 game is disappointment and potentially problematic.

If you think about two years ago, Memphis was in the exact same boat. One they lost a few games early - especially the Georgia Tech loss in Hawaii - and they lost several of their tougher games against highly rated teams (at Tennessee comes to mind).

Memphis does have a way to redeem themselves - win at Georgetown (19th AP, 23rd RPI, 3rd Pomeroy). Any win over that kind of program on the road will be huge and Memphis has three games of significance this year (@ G-Town, @ Tennessee and @ Gonzaga)

Of course, what is most disappointing about the Xavier game was HOW the Tigers lost - they didn't look very good offensively and the free throws at the end of the game were disasterous. Let's all hope that the last two weeks have been an opportunity to learn from their mistakes. We have heard how Tyreke Evans has spent hours working on his outside jump shot (if he has any hope of moving to the NBA in the next year, he better keep up the 500 jumpers a day routine). The Tigers have gotten some good news in Matt Simpkins being ok'd by the NCAA clearinghouse (wow, what speed). Hopefully, they have figured out that your offense can't ONLY rely on steals and fastbreaks. Hey on occasions you even have to set up a half court play.

Go Tigers !!

A Modest Proposal

I woke up this morning thinking about the special teams in football, and the role of the reliver in baseball.

Particularly the closer, the pitcher who comes in, in the last inning, when you have the lead, and simply shuts down the opposing team.

We have a sixth man in basketball. How about a twelth man?

How about bringing in Preston Laird, for the last two minutes of every game. Even the close games.

Have him get off the bench with just about ten minutes to go in the game, and warm up on a hoop in some remote part of the gym, with a coach watching.

Calipari could call the coach with about four minutes left in the game, on the phone, and the coach could fill him in, on whether Preston's shot is falling, and if it is, he'd be the closer.

You know, hitting a couple of threes, and every one of his foul shots.

Lessons From the Vols and Zags

It't not often that you get a chance, early in the season, to see two of your toughest scheduled opponents go head to head, but on Sunday November 30th, we got a chance to preview Tennessee (scheduled for January 24th) and Gonzaga (scheduled for February 7th)

The game was a battle....

Hopefully, by January and February, Wesley Witherspoon will be able to run the point, and Tyreke Evans will be able to hit the floater. We are going to need their offensive firepower.

What was most interesting about this November matchup was the depth both teams showed.

The commentators quoted Coach Pearl several times during the game: Your five may be better than our five, but are your ten better than our ten? Turns out, Gonzaga's nine were better than Bruce's ten.

Believe me, both of these teams are long and deep.

Gonzaga starts 6-10 Austin Daye, 6-11 Josh Heytvelt, 6-2 Jeremy Pargo, 6-5 Matt Bouldin, and 6-8 Micah Downs, and brings in 7-0 Robert Sacre, 6-0 Demetri Goodson, 6-4 Steven Gray, and 6-4 Ira Brown, but four of the starters (Heytvelt, Pargo, Bouldin and Downs) all played 30 minutes or more.

Tennessee starts 6-7 Tyler Smith, 6-6 Cameron Tatum, 6-9 Wayne Chism, 6-8 Renaldo Woolridge, and 6-2 Bobby Maze, and brings in 6-7 Immanuel Negedu, 6-4 Josh Tabb, 6-7 JP Prince, 6-7 Scotty Hopson and 6-10 Brian Williams. Only Tyler Smith played more than 30 minutes.

Normally, Tennesse's depth and athletecism can wear you down. Sound familiar? It's been a Memphis trademark of late.

And when Tennessee and Memphis tangle this year, we can expect a very physical game. Lots of pressing. Everything will be contested. Even the coaches, Calipari and Pearl, would duke it out, if they could.

The commentators called it "toughness." I don't know.

At one point in the Gonzaga-Tennessee game, JP Prince reached in for a ball Micah Downs was holding high at the sideline at midcourt, and got his mouth instead. Micah was so surprised he turned away, looking for the foul (which never came.)

It's scrappiness, that's what it is, and Memphis should be able to hold it's own, if forty percent of our threes pointers fall, if the team can shoot free throws at seventy five percent, and if Wesley Witherspoon becomes a point guard.

What concerned me was how Gonzaga managed to interrupt the Tennessee offense. It was in the first half with about 4:30 to go, that Gonzaga dropped their man to man, and moved into the zone, with Heytvelt, Downs and Daye on the back line. The score was Tennessee 28, Gonzaga 26. From that point to the end of the half, Gonzaga went on a 9 to 3 run.

Gonzaga opened the second half in the same zone defense.

Woolridge made a quick three to bring Tennessee up to 34-35, but then, over the next twelve minutes Gonzago wore Tennessee down, and lead by ten, at the Tennessee timeout with 8:26 to go. With two minutes to go, Gonzaga led by thirteen, and although Tennesse went on a brief 8-1 run, Gonzaga made their free throws down the stretch to close it out.

In my mind it was the Gonzaga switch to the disruptive zone defense that took the Vols out of their halfcourt offense.

In February I'd like to see the Tigers attack that Gonzaga zone by going down low to Taggart and Dozier. Lets see if we can get Daye and Heytvelt in foul trouble early.

Tonight it will ge Marist. How will Chuck Martin play the defense. Will he try to deploy the zone against the Tigers?

And will the Tigers respond by aggessively attacking the zone, or by lofting numerous threes?