Progress report includes coach search, NCAA investigation
Published: 3/22/2011 12:08 AM
Last Modified: 3/22/2011 12:08 AM
Stuff worth sharing from the coach search bunker…
* Nearly a year after the NCAA and OU began investigating the Tiny Gallon-Jeffrey Hausinger-Oronde Taliaferro matter, news should finally be coming. Soon.
Don’t know for sure what that bulletin will be, though everything I’ve heard on the Sooners’ end has been hopeful.
Regardless, this should be a positive development as it pertains to the search. Prospective candidates are asking questions. A resolution – or at least more clarity – regarding the NCAA issue should answer them. Or most of them.
* Josh Pastner is affordable. At least right now.
According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Pastner makes $880,000. That’s certainly within Joe Castiglione’s price range, assuming the OU AD is interested in making a run at the 33-year-old coach.
The catch: The paper also reports Pastner is due an automatic renegotiation now that he has completed his second year at Memphis. The young Tigers finished the season strong, winning the Conference USA tournament before taking Arizona to the wire in Tulsa.
Pastner, it would seem, is about to get paid.
For a point of reference, the Commercial Appeal listed John Calipari’s raise from year two to three at $500,000. So maybe Pastner approaches $1.4 million.
Still within Joe C’s range, should he feel like a bidding battle? Given the importance of this hire, I tend to think so.
* Dana Altman… not as affordable.
I kind of doubt Altman would bolt Oregon after just one season. Given his $1.8 million salary, I kind of doubt Castiglione even looks his way.
* Steve Alford (NIT loss), Cuonzo Martin (NIT loss) and Bruce Pearl (job loss) are all suddenly available.
To which I say: Eh, don’t think so… Maybe, if Joe C misses on his first four or five choices… Oh, no doubt. And while we’re at it, let’s make Jerry Tarkanian, Todd Bozeman and Kelvin Sampson his three assistants.
* In the end, and I mean this in a good way, this coach search is going to work out just fine. Just ask a certain football coach.
“I’m sure Joe will be thorough and, as he keeps saying, he’ll get the right guy that will fit the right way,” Bob Stoops declared Monday. “Joe’s great at what he does. I’m sure he’ll do a great job researching it and get the right guy.”
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
