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Post by OG Raiderfan on Jun 29, 2009 18:46:55 GMT -5
June 29, 2009 Seattle U turns to UW for new coachBy Jim Caple SEATTLE -- Amid a brilliant, near-record month of sunshine, it is an overcast summer day on Seattle University's Capital Hill campus. Cameron Dollar is in his Connolly Center office, talking to a writer about his first months as the Redhawks' head basketball coach. Perhaps it is the drowsy gray sky outside, perhaps it is the interviewer -- scratch that, more likely it is the interviewer -- but Dollar yawns a couple of times, either tired or bored, until he switches the topic to the prospects for reviving Seattle U as a Division I program after a 29-year hiatus. Dollar's enthusiasm quickly rises as he discusses the various challenges and enticing possibilities that lay ahead. He talks up the school's strong academics, the attractive Seattle market, playing home games at KeyArena, the talent coming out of the area, the scheduling possibilities as an independent team, the program's rich heritage, a possible all-access TV show that will follow the program on its journey and … well, the master recruiter is no longer yawning. Dollar is selling the program, selling the dream, until you can almost see Seattle U listed on an NCAA bracket. "When you're trying to sell people on your vision," says Dollar, 33, "they always want to see the hook. 'What's the hook? What's the catch?' What's going to be the thing that gets them over the hump and makes them say, 'I want to go try that'? "Our current state and who we are and where we used to be -- all that combined presents a very, very good hook. We've had a No. 1 pick in the draft and 27 players in the NBA. We played in the national tournament. And all the people who would say, 'That was a long time ago,' well, yeah, it was. But we still did it. It shows that it can happen. And now it shows that you are committed to putting yourself in a position that it can happen again." All this takes time, of course. Seattle U began the move to Division I two years ago but under NCAA rules, won't be eligible for the NCAA tournament until the 2012-13 season. Asked what it will be like to recruit and compete in the same city as his good friend and former boss, Washington Husky coach Lorenzo Romar, Dollar says that won't be an issue for awhile. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=caple_jim&id=4293928
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Post by Raider Grad on Jun 30, 2009 19:35:24 GMT -5
June 30, 2009 Coach K plans to spend career at DukeDURHAM, N.C. -- Mike Krzyzewski made it clear: He's not ever going to coach the Los Angeles Lakers. During his annual summer meeting with reporters Tuesday, one of the first topics covered by the Duke coach was the simmering buzz that had him leaving the Blue Devils for the Lakers if Phil Jackson retires. "I'm not going to the Lakers. They have one of the great coaches in the game," Krzyzewski said. "I don't know where that rumor started, but there has been nothing done like that, and I'm not leaving Duke. Whatever you hear about anything like that, I will never leave Duke until I leave coaching." Recent reports fueled the latest round of Krzyzewski-to-the-Lakers chatter. Jackson had raised the possibility of coaching just home games next season and when that proposal was shot down it raised questions about Jackson's future with the club. Five years ago, Krzyzewski was courted by the storied franchise before he ultimately turned down a reported $40 million offer and stayed at Duke. After three decades in Durham, Krzyzewski sounds like he is planning to stick around for quite a while longer. "Since the Laker thing [in 2004], to hear another rumor like that, not that it's so bad, but I'd rather not go there at all," Krzyzewski said. "I don't want my Duke team -- not necessarily my basketball team, but my Duke team, the community -- to feel like you're looking at other things. I'm getting ready to start my 30th year at Duke, and I don't see the finish line yet. I know the finish line will be there sometime, but it's not in my vision right now." Instead, Krzyzewski's top priorities this summer include coaxing along a Blue Devils team that returns only two scholarship guards and weighing whether to sign on for another stint as coach of the U.S. men's basketball team. Krzyzewski, who guided the Americans to the gold medal last summer at the Beijing Games, said the coach for the 2012 Olympics will be announced July 21 in Las Vegas. He didn't hint which way he might be leaning. "I've thought about it since then, a lot, and discussed it with a lot of people. If I do it again, it's not going to be the same experience, which is good, because in order to have that, you couldn't recreate that experience," Krzyzewski said. "So what would the new experience be like? Whether you're a player or a coach, it's going to be different, and each of the guys who are making decisions as far as if they're going to play have to look at it that way. The great thing about it is, there's a camaraderie there, and it's been a good thing." sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4298038
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Post by Raider Alumni on Jul 2, 2009 18:27:46 GMT -5
July 2, 2009 Kearney succeeds Willard at Holy CrossHoly Cross will name Notre Dame assistant Sean Kearney as its next men's basketball coach, with an official announcement coming Thursday. Kearney was chosen after a lengthy search to replace Ralph Willard, who abruptly left last month to be Rick Pitino's top assistant at Louisville. Kearney, Pitt associate coach Tom Herrion and former Tufts coach Rod Baker interviewed at the Worcester, Mass., campus this week, while Boston College associate head coach Pat Duquette interviewed on campus last week. Notre Dame coach Mike Brey -- who, along with another source, confirmed the hire -- said he was thrilled for his longtime assistant, who was with him at his previous stop at Delaware. He said Kearney is a great fit for Holy Cross because it's a similar setting to Notre Dame -- a Catholic institution with strong academics. "This is great for a guy who really paid his dues in this profession,'' Brey said. Kearney takes over a program that is considered the premier job in the Patriot League, as Willard took the Crusaders to the NCAA tournament in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2007. Holy Cross athletic director Dick Regan said recently that he wanted to ensure a smooth transition, as the Crusaders are expected to contend again in the Patriot League with four of their top five scorers returning. Last season Holy Cross finished 11-3, second to league champ American, and 18-14 overall. The Crusaders lost to American in the Patriot League conference tournament final. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4302198
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Post by Jazzfan on Jul 8, 2009 17:27:21 GMT -5
Wednesday July 8, 2009 Vols' Pearl gets $200,000 raise KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl has signed a one-year contract extension that will also boost his total salary from $1.7 million to $1.9 million for the 2009-10 season. In addition to his salary, Pearl will be paid a $500,000 retention bonus that he was already due to receive this year for staying five seasons with the Volunteers. Pearl will receive $2 million the following season, and his total salary -- which includes endorsements and money from radio and television commitments -- will increase each year in the contract, reaching $2.4 million in 2013-14. He will receive another $500,000 retention bonus in the 2012-13 season. Pearl has led the Vols to an average 25 wins each season, a regular season Southeastern Conference championship, three SEC East titles, the school's first No. 1 AP ranking and four NCAA tournament appearances. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/ncaa/07/08/pearl.ap/index.html
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Post by Jazzfan on Jul 14, 2009 17:50:51 GMT -5
July 14, 2009 Davis gets vote of confidencePROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Providence coach Keno Davis has been given a contract extension after his first season in which the Friars won 19 games. Davis, the 2008 AP Coach of the Year at Drake, guided Providence to a 19-14 overall record -- and a 10-8 Big East mark. The win total was the most by a Providence coach in his first season. The extension announced Tuesday will keep Davis at Providence through the 2015-16 season. Athletic director Bob Driscoll says the new deal is a vote of confidence in Davis' performance. Driscoll also signed a contract extension. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4327211
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Post by Raider Fanatic on Jul 17, 2009 17:01:45 GMT -5
Thursday July 16, 2009 Bzdelik inquires about Timberwolves coaching job BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn says basketball coach Jeff Bzdelik had a "casual" conversation with the Minnesota Timberwolves about their head coaching vacancy. Bohn told the Daily Camera in Boulder he believes Bzdelik is committed to the Buffaloes. Any further discussions with the Timberwolves would require permission from Colorado. Bzdelik was on a recruiting trip Thursday and unavailable for comment. He told the Rocky Mountain Independent in Denver earlier Thursday he spoke with Timberwolves general manager David Kahn at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Bzdelik became the Denver Nuggets' head coach for 2002-03 and was fired midway through 2004-05. After the Nuggets, Bzdelik went to the Air Force Academy and then Colorado. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/07/16/bzdelik.wolves.ap/index.html
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Post by Nutt House on Jul 23, 2009 17:41:18 GMT -5
July 23, 2009 Bartow gets 2-year extensionJOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- Murry Bartow has been given a two-year contract extension as the men's basketball coach at East Tennessee State Buccaneers. The school said in a news release Thursday that his contract now runs through the end of the 2013-14 season. Bartow, in six seasons at ETSU, has a 118-72 record. He led the Buccaneers to conference championships in 2004, 2007 and 2009, along with trips to the NCAA tournament in 2004 and 2009, and a berth in the NIT in 2007. "There is still more we can do," Bartow said in a statement released by the university. He is the son of longtime college coaching legend Gene Bartow. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4351828
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Post by Jazzfan on Aug 13, 2009 18:51:53 GMT -5
August 13, 2009 Hamilton signs pact for $1.5M annuallyTALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State has signed men's basketball coach Leonard Hamilton to a five-year contract that will pay him $1.5 million a year with potential bonuses of another half million dollars. The contract includes a $100,000 bonus for reaching the Final Four with another $75,000 for a national championship. There is also a $50,000 bonus for winning the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season, another $50,0000 for the ACC title, $50,000 for reaching the NCAA tournament and for being named national coach of the year. Hamilton's base salary of $205,000 will be paid by the university, the remainder of the money comes from the school's athletic boosters. Hamilton was with the team Thursday in Spain for an NCAA-approved summer trip and not available to comment on the new contract that runs through April 30, 2014. "We're thrilled to actually have the contract finalized," assistant athletic director Kellie Elliott said Thursday. "We feel that Leonard is the best person to lead this program and we certainly appreciate that he's built the program back to being an annual contender." Florida State finished 25-10 last year, its best record in Hamilton's seven seasons and the school's best mark since the 1992-93 season. Hamilton is 131-96 in seven seasons at Florida State after taking the school to its first NCAA tournament bid in 11 years earlier this year. The Seminoles also defeated national champion North Carolina in March to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament finals for the first time. Hamilton, 61, returns three starters from the 2008-09 team, losing Uche Echefu and guard Toney Douglas, who set a new single season scoring record this year at Florida State. "The program is on solid ground," Elliott said. "We look forward to a bright future." Florida State officials quickly reached a tentative agreement in April on the terms of the contract after Hamilton had been contacted by Memphis officials about a coaching vacancy created by John Calipari's departure to Kentucky. However it took several months for attorneys to complete the details. Although Hamilton's contract was announced amid the Rick Pitino sex scandal at Louisville, there was no specific "morals" clause in his agreement, but a broad graph that said he could be terminated for "misconduct which causes substantial damage to the reputation or dignity of the university." sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4397644
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Post by Raider Fanatic on Aug 14, 2009 20:10:53 GMT -5
Friday August 14, 2009 Charleston's Cremins signs contract extension COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- It wasn't long ago that Bobby Cremins wondered if he was done coaching. Now, he's agreed to stick around the College of Charleston even longer than he had planned. Cremins said on Friday he signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the Cougars through the 2013-14 season. "I remember a couple of years ago I was walking the beach in Hilton Head thinking I was finished," Cremins said by phone. "Now, I just love it." And with good reason. Cremins has come within a game of reaching the NCAA tournament in two of his three years in Charleston, losing in the Southern Conference tournament finals to Davidson in 2007 and Chattanooga this past spring. The Cougars went 27-9 last season, including two wins over league powerhouse Davidson and a victory over Cremins' alma mater, South Carolina. Now, with Wildcats' star Stephen Curry gone to the NBA, College of Charleston will likely be the favorite to win the SoCon title -- and return Cremins to the NCAA tournament. "Yeah, we hope to get there one day," he said. "We'll see." Charleston returns one of the Southern Conference's top players in Andrew Goudelock, who averaged 16.7 points a game -- fourth best in the league -- and made the postseason all-conference first team. The schedule, though, could make things difficult with games against Clemson, Tennessee and, in Charleston, defending NCAA champion North Carolina. "There's not a day I don't get a call about tickets for that one," Cremins said of the Tar Heels. "We're sold out." Cremins said when he was the Cougars second-choice selection in the summer of 2006 -- Gregg Marshall of Winthrop accepted, then reneged on the position -- he only wanted to get back into the game and wasn't sure he'd remain that long at Charleston. He was unfamiliar with the school and unaccustomed to midmajor schools after 19 seasons at Georgia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Cremins has since fallen in love with the city, living in a condo just three blocks from the school's downtown gym. The school has fallen equally hard for white-haired Cremins and his easygoing, friendly style. "We are thrilled to have Bobby Cremins as our head basketball coach," College of Charleston athletic director Joe Hull said. "Bobby is a proven winner, a terrific person and a great fit." Cremins, a native of the Bronx, came south to play for South Carolina and fellow New York-transplant Frank McGuire. Cremins got his first head coaching job at Appalachian State, leading the Mountaineers to the NCAA tournament in 1979. Three years later, he left for Georgia Tech and the ACC. Cremins coached the Yellow Jackets to nine NCAA tournament appearances and reached the Final Four in 1990. He also won three ACC tournament titles and two regular-season crowns in 19 seasons there. When the wins didn't come as frequently, Cremins was let go by Georgia Tech after the 2000 season. He spent his time as a college basketball analyst and playing tennis on Hilton Head -- until joining the College of Charleston. Cremins would be nearing 67 when his new deal runs out. He's watched Penn State's Joe Paterno coach into his 80s and isn't ready to put a time limit on his basketball coaching career. "I don't know that I want to coach when I'm 75," Cremins said. "But this is good right now. It's all seemed to work out." sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/ncaa/08/14/cremins.ap/index.html
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Post by Jazzfan on Sept 10, 2009 18:27:22 GMT -5
Seton Hall signs Gonzalez to extension through 2015Sep. 10, 2009 CBSSports.com wire reports SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. -- Handed a new three-year contract extension, Bobby Gonzalez predicted that this could be the season that Seton Hall returns to a postseason tournament, and it could be the NCAA. Athletic director Joe Quinlan announced on Thursday that the fiery Gonzalez was given a contract extension through the 2014-15 season. The school did not disclose contract terms. Gonzalez has guided the Pirates to a 47-46 record in three seasons with the Big East Conference school. However, his teams always have been mired near the bottom of one of the strongest basketball conferences in the country. "I am putting self-induced pressure on myself to get the team and the program to the postseason this year because we haven't been there yet," Gonzalez said in a conference call. "The NIT is a lot harder to get into than it used to be, but I won't be satisfied with the NIT and I am sure the fans won't be. That's not what I want for this team. I want this team to go to the NCAA." The last time Seton Hall made the NCAA tournament was in 2005-06. Their last NIT berth was in 2002-03. Louis Orr, whom Gonzalez replaced, coached those teams. The Pirates (17-15) return four starters from last season, including leading scorer Jeremy Hazell. Point guard Eugene Harvey, forward Robert Mitchell and center John Garcia are all back. Joining them will be transfers Keon Lawrence, Herb Pope and Jeff Robinson along with Jamel Jackson, true freshman Ferrakohn Hall and Melvyn Oliver. Gonzalez said the group is the deepest he's had at Seton Hall, with the potential to crack the top six teams in the Big East. During his short tenure, Gonzalez's teams have played an uptempo system and they have scored upset victories over Louisville, No. 23 Virginia, No. 19 Southern California and No. 12 Georgetown. The problem has always been a lack of depth, rebounding and ability to play a half-court offense. While this group has talent, the question will be can it jell, mixing transfers, JUCO players and the returning starters. Gonzalez said that the extension dispels the rumors that his job was in jeopardy. "It shuts everybody up, whether it be rival coaches, media and anyone else who wants to put you on the hot seat," He said. Gonzalez said the extension has been in the works for a long time. He noted that New Jersey Senate President Richard Codey helped him negotiate the deal. Codey is a Seton Hall alumnus. "This extension serves as a strong indicator of the university's commitment and support for Bobby Gonzalez as head coach of our men's basketball program," Quinlan said in a statement. "We expect to be successful and believe that Coach Gonzalez has taken the necessary steps to position our program for future success. He has made progress with the program in only three years and we are very pleased to have him as our head coach." Gonzalez is known for his frequent technical fouls, often pacing the sideline and yelling at players and officials. He was suspended for the first conference game last season because of a run-in with Rutgers coach Fred Hill late the previous season. University president Monsignor Robert Sheeran said Gonzalez has his enthusiastic support. "Coach Gonzalez has brought us a long way in three years in the most competitive conference in the country," he said. Prior coming to Seton Hall, Gonzalez spent seven seasons at Manhattan, where he posted a 127-77 record. The Jaspers earned two NCAA tournament berths in his tenure, advancing to the second round in 2004 after knocking off fifth-seeded Florida. www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/12185958
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Post by Jazzfan on Sept 11, 2009 22:11:25 GMT -5
September 11, 2009 Oklahoma State extends Ford's contract through 2019 STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -- Oklahoma State basketball coach Travis Ford has received a four-year contract extension designed to keep him through 2019. Regents governing Oklahoma State approved the new 10-year contract on Friday. It calls for Ford to receive $1.8 million for the upcoming basketball season and then get incremental raises that would push his salary to $2.8 million over the final four years of the contract. The seven-year deal Ford signed upon being hired as the Cowboys' coach last year called for him to make about $900,000 in his first year. The Cowboys went 23-12 in Ford's first season and returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/ncaa/09/11/ford.ap/index.html
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Post by Jazzfan on Sept 11, 2009 22:13:55 GMT -5
Michigan State approves extensions for AD, coachesSep. 11, 2009 EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State trustees have approved contract extensions through 2016 for men's basketball coach Tom Izzo, football coach Mark Dantonio and athletics director Mark Hollis. The trustees on Friday approved a three-year extension for Hollis, who has served as AD since 2007, and one-year extensions for Izzo and Dantonio. Izzo has coached the Spartans since 1995 and Dantonio is in his third season at Michigan State. A statement issued by the university did not disclose contract terms. Trustees also approved contract extensions for hockey coach Rick Comley through 2013 and women's basketball coach Suzy Merchant through 2014. The university's president, Lou Anna K. Simon, says the contract extensions will provide stability and continuity. www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/12192157
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Post by Jazzfan on Sept 21, 2009 19:21:49 GMT -5
Terps' Williams gets extension through 2013 seasonSep. 21, 2009 COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland men's basketball coach Gary Williams has received a one-year extension on his contract, which could keep him at the job into 2013. Williams' contract includes automatic extensions for achieving benchmark standards by the Terrapins, both athletically and academically. Williams is entering his 21st season as head coach at his alma mater. The extension takes the term of his contract through June 30, 2013. He is the winningest coach in Maryland history (418) and ranks sixth nationally among active coaches with 625 victories (625-357) in 31 seasons overall. www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/12243219
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Post by Raider Alumni on Sept 22, 2009 20:49:53 GMT -5
Report: Crews out at ArmySeptember 22, 2009 Jim Crews is no longer the head basketball coach at Army, the Times-Herald Record reported Tuesday. Army officials have thus far declined comment. Crews coached at Army for seven seasons. The circumstances surrounding his departure are unclear, though the timing is obviously strange. Multiple sources told CBSSports.com that Crews and his athletic director, Kevin Anderson, haven't had a good relationship. But it's not known whether that was a factor in this development. www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6271764/17307357
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Post by Raider Rowdies on Sept 23, 2009 18:12:09 GMT -5
September 23, 2009 Report: Army fires coach CrewsArmy officials refused to acknowledge a report Wednesday in the Times-Herald Record that said Army coach Jim Crews had been fired. Assistants Kendrick Saunders and Jeff Platt wouldn't comment on the report and referred all questions to the sports information department. An earlier call to Jim Crews wasn't returned. A secretary simply took a message and didn't say whether or not he would be in Wednesday. Men's basketball public relations contact Brian Gunning didn't return messages throughout the day. Women's contact Tracy Nelson said the department had no official statement and she was not at liberty to say anything else. Army athletic director Kevin Anderson didn't return a phone call or e-mail and his e-mail account said he would be out of the office for the next week. The timing of a Crews firing would be odd considering teams were allowed to start team workouts for two hours a week beginning Sept. 15. Official team practice begins Oct. 16. Army is 60-139 in seven seasons with Crews. Crews, who coached at Evansville and played for Bob Knight at Indiana on the 1976 undefeated team, recently came back from a goodwill mission to Iraq with other coaches and ESPN analysts Fran Fraschilla and Steve Lavin, coaching U.S. troops during a basketball tournament. Crews was 22-76 in the Patriot League. The Times Herald-Record reported that Army's deputy athletic director Gene Marshall would be the interim coach. Army's women's coach, Dave Magarity, is a former head men's coach at Marist. Magarity replaced the late Maggie Dixon. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4497848
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