OU's next coach? Search me. But here are 5 possibilities
Published: 3/29/2011 12:25 AM
Last Modified: 3/29/2011 12:29 AM
Like sand through the hourglass, these are the names of my life...
* Buzz Williams
Day 14 of the Oklahoma Coach Search finds everyone's leading candidate still in the game, even if he has no longer lapped the field.
Todd Rosiak, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel beat reporter who I find extremely credible, blogged Monday evening that "there is nothing new on the Buzz Williams contract front," while adding, "it's likely the two sides are still working on the parameters of a new deal to keep Williams in the fold for the long haul."
What I'm hearing: Williams is giving Marquette first swing at a new deal over the next day or so. If he doesn't like it, OU stays in the picture. Advantage, Golden Eagles.
I've said all along I thought he'd end up re-signing, if for no reason that coach searches never produce the obvious guy.
Unless that guy is Billy Gillispie at Texas Tech.
* Josh Pastner
Memphis' Boy Wonder caught fire today, when reports started circulating that not only was he back on OU's radar, but that he had an OU job offer sitting on his desk.
The response from a well-placed source: "No."
I've already covered the fact that Pastner is surprisingly affordable for the time being, at $880,000, but that he's due a renegotiation.
A week ago, Memphis AD R.C. Johnson told the Commercial Appeal: "I want to move as quickly as possible and do everything I can to make sure he's happy. We obviously want him to stay. We haven't really talked about timetables. We've had discussions and conversations."
"We'll eventually talk," Pastner told beat writer Jason Smith. "My whole focus is not on me. My focus is on the program, and right now I want to make sure we're situated with our current players and for recruiting."
Things didn't go real well for Johnson after he lost John Calipari to Kentucky two years ago. He struck out on several high-profile guys before stunning Pastner with an offer.
Now that Pastner is in good graces with Memphis' passionate fan base. Johnson wouldn't jeopardize his own career by letting Pastner slip away to OU.
Would he?
* Lon Kruger
My man Dave Sittler touted Kruger as a viable Plan B for Joe Castiglione four days ago. I hear a second noted sports columnist from our state has since jumped on the bandwagon.
This is what's known in a coach search as "gaining steam."
* Kevin Stallings
This is my Plan B should Williams remain at Marquette. I can't get any columnists to follow along. I can't get anyone at OU to get behind me.
Still, I don't care. He's my guy. The fact that nobody wants to talk about him might actually be a good sign, given the way this stuff works.
* Dave Rose
Andy Katz didn't help the candidacy Monday, writing on ESPN.com: "Dave Rose isn't going to Oklahoma. That doesn't mean he won't land somewhere else. But OU is out, according to multiple sources."
Maybe Castiglione didn't read it. I know at one time he really liked Rose. It's possible he still does.
It's also possible Castiglione has stumbled across Rose's bio, which makes it clear that as matchmaking goes, this isn't exactly Gillispie and Tech…
Rose has been BYU's head coach for six years. He was promoted in 2005, after serving eight years as a BYU assistant.
Before coming to BYU, Rose was head coach at Dixie State College in St. George, Utah, for seven years. He was promoted after serving three years as a Dixie assistant.
Before coming to Dixie, he coached at Millard and Pine View high schools. Also in Utah.
Rose played at Houston with Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and the rest of Phi Slamma Jamma. But before that, he was all-conference at… Dixie College.
Between seasons at Dixie, Rose served a two-year Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission in England. See, he's Mormon.
His daughter was a BYU forward from 2000-03. She married Brock Reichner, who played for the BYU men. Another daughter attends Provo High. His parents, three children and two grandchildren all live in Utah.
Rose grew up in Houston and played college ball there. Oklahoma is closer to Houston than Provo.
But it sort of seems like Utah is home now.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
