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Post by Sixth Man on Mar 27, 2009 20:17:21 GMT -5
March 27, 2009 Grant moves to AlabamaTUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Virginia Commonwealth's Anthony Grant has been hired at Alabama. Alabama athletic director Mal Moore told The Associated Press on Friday evening that a deal had been reached. A formal agreement is expected to be signed later in the night. The 42-year-old Grant, a former Florida assistant, led VCU to two NCAA tournaments in three seasons. Moore said Grant had already informed his team and VCU officials of his decision. The hiring was first reported by The Birmingham News and Richmond Times-Dispatch. Moore and executive athletic director Dave Hart interviewed Grant in Richmond last weekend. He spent Wednesday touring Alabama's campus and meeting with other university officials. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4022289
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Post by Jazzfan on Mar 29, 2009 20:00:23 GMT -5
March 29, 2009 Pitino recommends former UK playersAssociated Press LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Rick Pitino spent eight years masterfully stalking the sidelines at Kentucky, reviving a reeling program with a mix of charm, charisma and -- most of all -- success. Surviving in that fishbowl isn't easy. And it's not for every coach. "It's such a unique job that you need to win over the fans," Pitino said. "You need to win the press conference right away." Beloved by some diehards even after his defection to hated Louisville, Pitino is still the yardstick by which any Kentucky coach in the near future will be measured. It's a standard ousted coach Billy Gillispie failed to live up to, whether on the court, in the press or out in the Bluegrass. Athletic director Mitch Barnhart says the search to replace Gillispie, who was fired Friday, will focus on finding someone who can match the passion of the school's rabid fan base. Allow Pitino a couple of suggestions: John Pelphrey and Travis Ford, guys with talent and deep Kentucky roots, if not lofty credentials. "For anybody, it's a big adjustment," Pitino said. "For those guys, it's not." Ford is from Madisonville, played point guard for Pitino in the early 1990s and just led Oklahoma State to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Pelphrey, from eastern Kentucky, was a small forward for Pitino's first Wildcat teams and is the head coach at Arkansas. Pitino doesn't doubt they love their current gigs. He also doesn't doubt they'd jump at a chance to come back home. "I don't care where they're at," Pitino said. "They love Oklahoma State, love Arkansas, but those two guys, you cut them open, and it spells UK. That's what I would do." Their lack of extended NCAA success, though, could be a hindrance. On paper, neither appear to be a better candidate than Gillispie was two years ago when the Wildcats hired him after a whirlwind 24-hour courtship. Then again, having a unique feel for the rhythms of Kentucky basketball is the kind of thing you can't put on a resume. Barnhart knows he can't afford to make another misstep at a program that hasn't been to the Final Four for more than a decade. "We understand the challenge and importance of finding our next caretaker for this very special basketball program," he said. "We desire for Kentucky basketball to be a part of the championship picture every year; that is our goal." Former Kentucky star turned TV analyst Mike Pratt will assist in the vetting process, spending time with the top candidates to get a feel if they can handle the pressure of leading college basketball's all-time winningest program. Gillispie's rough tenure showcased how difficult it can be for an outsider to ingratiate himself with the thousands who pack Rupp Arena each season. Winning more certainly would have helped, too. Michigan State 's Tom Izzo certainly won some Kentucky fans Sunday when the Spartans dominated hated Louisville in the Midwest Regional finals of the NCAA tournament. Izzo, while allowing it'd be unwise to never say never, seems plenty happy where he's at. The irony, of course, is that he's trying to get the Spartans into the conversation with Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina as one of college basketball's premier programs. "When you look at Kansas, Kentucky, Carolina, Duke in general, we're not at that level yet, and that's the level I'd like to get to," Izzo said Saturday. "So I've still got a lot of work to do." Memphis coach John Calipari has the track record, though there are some who wonder if the provocative coach would project the right image for a program that still cringes at the recruiting scandal that left the Wildcats in disarray 20 years ago. Getting Calipari also would be expensive, though it hardly seemed to matter to the more than 1,500 people who have joined a Facebook group entitled "Bring John Calipari to UK," one of four groups on the popular social networking site dedicated to luring him to Rupp Arena. Other candidates could be Xavier's Sean Miller or Ohio State's Thad Matta, though neither can match the star power of Calipari or Izzo. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4026035
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Post by Jazzfan on Mar 30, 2009 9:10:48 GMT -5
Calipari could meet with Kentucky on MondayMarch 29, 2009 By Gary Parrish Memphis coach John Calipari has let Kentucky officials know that he's interested in the school's vacant head coaching position, and he could talk with UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart as early as Monday, a source with knowledge of the situation told CBSSports.com on Sunday. Kentucky fired Billy Gillispie on Friday after just two seasons, and CBSSports.com immediately reported Calipari as a legitimate candidate despite the Memphis coach telling local media he planned to remain at Memphis for a 10th season. Multiple sources close to Calipari have said there's no guarantee he would take the Kentucky job if offered, but those same sources have privately insisted for weeks that if Kentucky showed interest Calipari would listen. One possible problem with jumping to Kentucky, some have claimed, is that Calipari has the nation's top recruiting class lined up, and he would not want to leave that behind. But those close to Calipari believe it's possible to take parts of that recruiting class to Kentucky -- specifically unsigned prospects DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall -- and that if Calipari could pair it with Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks the Wildcats might threaten for a Final Four next season. www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11564471
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Post by Jazzfan on Mar 30, 2009 10:54:26 GMT -5
Kentucky job Calipari's to take; players reportedly convinced he's goneMarch 30, 2009 By Gary Parrish Barring a breakdown in negotiations, the Kentucky job is John Calipari's to take, and the Memphis coach could verbally accept an informal offer in the next 24 hours, a source close to Calipari told CBSSports.com. Meantime, the Commercial Appeal in Memphis is reporting that Calipari met with his players Monday morning, and that "the players left the meeting convinced Calipari would take the job." As of Monday morning, Kentucky still had not officially asked permission to speak with Calipari, but that's probably moot. The only reason to request permission is if an administrator wants to speak with another school's coach, and sources have told CBSSports.com that Calipari is dealing with a third-party representative working on behalf of Kentucky in an informal capacity, not necessarily UK "officials". Sources added that Calipari spent Saturday night in Chicago visiting former Tigers star and current Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose. One of those sources said a meeting with a third-party representative of UK could've taken place that night, or early Sunday morning. Kentucky is searching for a replacement for Billy Gillispie. He was fired last Friday after two seasons. www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11569528
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Post by Jazzfan on Mar 30, 2009 15:05:55 GMT -5
Calipari deal with Kentucky 'close, but it's not quite done'March 30, 2009 By Gary Parrish Kentucky officials expect John Calipari to accept an offer to become their program's next basketball coach, a source close to the school told CBSSports.com on Monday. The source said UK believes it could introduce Calipari within the next 48 hours, that athletic director Mitch Barnhart is merely waiting for the "Yes" he believes is imminent, barring an unsuspected hang-up in the final stages of negotiations. "It's close, but it's not quite done," one source on the Memphis side told CBSSports.com. "Kentucky is pretty sure it's done, but you know Cal, he could change his mind at the last minute." A source said Calipari has the guidelines of the offer in place, and that "his people are reviewing it." The source said the offer would make Calipari the highest-paid college coach in America, though details remain sketchy. A separate source said the Memphis assistants are already touching base with recruits to make sure they'd jump to the SEC with them, and a different source said Memphis freshman Wesley Witherspoon would likely follow Calipari to Kentucky. Assuming Calipari leaves, expect Memphis to target Missouri coach Mike Anderson or Southern California coach Tim Floyd. An industry source said Anderson will listen. Floyd's possible level of interest is unclear. www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11569528
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Post by Jazzfan on Mar 30, 2009 16:14:26 GMT -5
Tony Bennett to VirginiaBy Jerry Ratcliffe and Whitelaw Reid Published: March 30, 2009 Sources have confirmed that Washington State coach Tony Bennett is Virginia’s new men’s basketball coach. Bennett, 39, is the son of former Wisconsin-Green Bay coach Dick Bennett. He played for his father at UWGB. According to sources, he has been described as “a young Mike Krzyzewski” and has previously turned down offers from LSU, Marquette and Indiana. Having just finished his third year at Washington State, Bennett owns a 68-30 (.694) overall record with the Cougars. This season’s team compiled a 16-13 overall record (8-9 in the Pac-10) and reached the NIT, where the Cougars were eliminated in the first round. His previous two teams both made it to the NCAA tournament, including a Sweet 16 finish in 2007-08. That team compiled a 26-9 overall mark and finished 11-7 in the Pac-10, good for third place. Bennett’s 2006-07 Cougars went 26-8 and finished second in the conference with a 13-5 record and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Prior to taking over the Cougars, he served as an assistant coach in the program from 2003-06 under his father. After a three-year stint as a guard for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, Bennett began his coaching career working as an assistant under his father at the University of Wisconsin. Upon his father’s retirement, he was retained by new Badgers coach Bo Ryan. He remained on that staff until his father came out of retirement to take over the Washington State program in 2003. He succeeded his father as head coach of the Cougars upon his father’s second retirement after the 2005-06 season. Bennett was named the Associated Press college basketball coach of the year for the 2006-07 season. www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/sports/cavalier_insider/ci_basketball/article/virginia_hires_washington_states_bennett/37985/
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Post by Sixth Man on Mar 30, 2009 19:55:11 GMT -5
March 30, 2009 Price quits after 8-22 season STATESBORO, Ga. (AP) -- Georgia Southern men's basketball coach Jeff Price has quit after the Eagles went 8-22 this season. Price had a record of 165-133 during his 10 years at Georgia Southern. He announced his resignation Monday. The Eagles reached the NIT tournament in 2006, their first postseason appearance since 1992, and had three 20-win seasons during Price's tenure. "I felt like at this time it was best for all parties involved to move on in my career," he said in a statement. Athletic director Sam Baker accepted Price's resignation and said the search for a new coach will begin immediately. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/ncaa/mens-tournament/03/30/georgia.southern.price.ap/index.html
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Post by Sixth Man on Mar 30, 2009 19:58:18 GMT -5
Five Million Reasons To Go To KentuckyMarch 30, 2009 I'm hearing that when John Calipari goes to Kentucky, he will be paid $5 million per year. Let me head everyone off. That kind of salary will produce the usual dose of hang-wringing columns about how coaches are overpaid, how could this happen in this economy? Etc. .... Let's get this straight: Calipari is getting the jack because he is worth it. Notice that no one cared about AIG executives until the company started to tank. In college athletics no one's 401(K) is being sucked dry. No one is being laid off because the football/basketball is being paid millions. It's much easier in college sports. There is no fraud taking place. Win and you stay, lose and you hit the bricks. That's why these failing companies pay big bucks to these CEOs. Anything to get the stock price up. That's exactly what is happening at Kentucky, anything to restore the tradition. Remember all the angst over Nick Saban? Who's howling now? For $4 million a year Bama got 12 wins, an SEC West title and a Sugar Bowl. It seems that Sabes is just getting started. I'm not the only one who feels the same thing is about to happen at Kentucky, only with more certainty. Cal will return UK to its recent heyday under Rick Pitino. If he doesn't, he'll be chased down the hallway by a cameraman, same as Billy Gillispie. Only he'll be paid a much bigger buyout. dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/14289857
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Post by BasketBallJones on Mar 31, 2009 17:56:31 GMT -5
ESPN is reporting that Calipari has taken the job at Kentucky.
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Post by Jazzfan on Mar 31, 2009 18:18:24 GMT -5
March 31, 2009, 5:49 PM ET Cougars want quick replacementAssociated Press SPOKANE, Wash. -- Washington State hopes to hire a basketball coach to replace Tony Bennett in about a week, and athletic director Jim Sterk has a couple of candidates in mind. The AD mentioned Ken Bone of Portland State and Bill Grier of San Diego as possible targets for the Cougars. Other possible candidates drawing speculation include Randy Bennett of Saint Mary's and Gonzaga assistant Ray Giacoletti, who was head coach at Utah and Eastern Washington. Bennett, who took the Cougars to unexpected heights in three seasons, surprised the team on Monday by taking the vacant job at Virginia. Bennett got a raise, going from about $1 million per year to $1.7 million in a five-year contract. Sterk said Monday night that he wants to hire a replacement quickly to retain current players and recruits who have signed to join the Cougars next season. "This is going to be short and quick," Sterk said, adding he hoped to have a new coach in place within seven days and no longer than two weeks. Bennett was 69-33 at WSU, with two NCAA tournament appearances and an NIT appearance. He signed a seven-year contract extension last year that made him the highest-paid coach in WSU history at $1 million per year. Virginia must pay a $400,000 buyout to Washington State. Bone, 50, has led unheralded Portland State to consecutive 23-10 seasons, the most wins in team history. They have made the program's only two trips to the NCAA tournament the past two years. This year, the Vikings became only the third team to beat Gonzaga in its McCarthey Athletic Center since it opened in 2004. Bone is 77-49 in four seasons at Portland State. Prior to that, he was 253-97 in 12 seasons as head coach at Seattle Pacific, and spent three seasons as an assistant at Washington. Sterk worked at Seattle Pacific when Bone was a coach there. Grier, 49, took San Diego to a 22-14 record and the second round of the NCAA tournament in his first season. Last year the Toreros finished 16-16. Before that, he spent 16 years building the Gonzaga program, the last eight as top assistant to Mark Few. Tony Bennett is a gifted recruiter and Sterk said it was imperative to keep the nine freshmen in last year's class and the new players Bennett signed for next season. "That's why the quicker we act the better off we are, so there's no lingering doubts about what's going on," Sterk said. "Our intent is that everyone will stay." Sterk said he expects to pay a new coach about what Bennett was making. "I don't expect us to go backwards, but I think we'll be paying competitively, what the person's experience and market value [deserves]," Sterk said. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4030259
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Post by Jazzfan on Mar 31, 2009 18:20:15 GMT -5
March 31, 2009, 5:13 PM ET Smart chosen as new VCU coachVirginia Commonwealth has chosen Florida assistant Shaka Smart as its new basketball coach, VCU assistant athletic director Mike Ellis said Tuesday. An announcement is expected on Thursday, an official familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The 32-year-old Smart was an assistant to Billy Donovan at Florida last season and will become the second consecutive Donovan assistant to take over as the Rams' head coach. Anthony Grant, Donovan's right-hand man for 10 years at Florida, spent the last three seasons as VCU's head coach, compiling a 76-25 record and leading the Rams to two NCAA tournament appearances as champions of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. Grant, 42, was hired last week to rebuild Alabama's basketball program. At VCU, Smart will inherit a team that is expected to have everyone back except for point guard Eric Maynor, who was named an honorable mention AP All-American on Monday. Maynor averaged 22.4 points and this season became the Rams' career scoring and assists leader. The returnees should include 6-foot-10 forward Larry Sanders, the CAA's defensive player of the year and Rams' No. 2 scorer and top rebounder. Sanders will be a junior next season. Donovan is traveling and was unavailable to comment, Florida assistant sports information director Fred Demarest said. Smart also was not in Gainesville and unavailable, he said. Smart has never been a head coach, but joined Donovan's staff after two seasons at Clemson. Before that, he worked as an assistant at Akron for three years, Dayton for two and at California of Pennsylvania, where he also earned a masters' degree in social science. During his playing career, Smart was a point guard and captain at Kenyon College in Ohio for three years and graduated in 1999 as the school's career assists leader with 542. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4030354
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Post by Jazzfan on Mar 31, 2009 18:21:50 GMT -5
March 31, 2009, 5:41 PM ET Five-year deal worth $1.7M annuallyCHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The University of Virginia says new men's basketball coach Tony Bennett has agreed to "a memorandum of understanding" that will be pay him $1.7 million annually for five years. Virginia also said Tuesday that Bennett will receive a $500,000 signing bonus and another $500,000 if he stays five years. The 39-year-old Bennett was hired Monday after three years at Washington State. He had a 68-30 record with the Cougars and twice took Washington State to the NCAA tournament. He was named the AP's coach of the year in 2007. Bennett replaces Dave Leitao, who resigned March 16 after compiling a 63-60 record over four seasons. Leitao received a buyout of approximately $2.1 million. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4031271
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Post by Jazzfan on Mar 31, 2009 18:23:44 GMT -5
March 31, 2009, 1:18 PM ET Sources: Mizzou to meet with Anderson ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia officials have targeted Missouri's Mike Anderson as their next basketball coach. Anderson, who led the Tigers to a school-record 31 victories and the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament this season, spoke to Georgia athletic director Damon Evans on Monday, according to multiple sources, and is back home pondering his future. Georgia officials have offered the 49-year-old Anderson a multiyear contract that would pay him more than $2 million per season, according to sources, though his agent denies this is the case. "Georgia hasn't offered him the job," Jimmy Sexton told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I wish they had. They haven't said the job is his." The Bulldogs are seeking a successor to former head coach Dennis Felton, who was fired Jan. 29 after going 84-91 in six seasons at Georgia. Anderson, who had a 65-35 record in three seasons at Missouri, has an $850,000 salary this year. Missouri athletic director Mike Alden is scheduled to meet with the coach in Columbia, Mo., on Tuesday and is prepared to offer a five-year contract extension that would pay Anderson about $1.3 million per season, according to sources. Anderson also is believed to be a potential candidate for the Memphis job if John Calipari leaves to become Kentucky's new coach. "All of these opportunities have their pluses and minuses," Sexton told the Journal-Constitution. "He's got it turned around at Missouri. He's got great players there now. Memphis is a great situation and Mike has connections there. Georgia appears to want to make a commitment to basketball and Damon probably has the most to offer. But Georgia hasn't won consistently over the years and you wonder what the reason is for that. "He's in a sorting out process right now." Anderson is one of the hottest commodities in the college coaching ranks after leading Missouri to its best season in school history. He led the Tigers to a Big 12 tournament championship and they came within one victory of reaching the Final Four. The No. 3-seeded Tigers lost to No. 1 seed Connecticut 82-75 in the West Regional final in Glendale, Ariz., on Saturday. Missouri finished the season 31-7. Anderson inherited a Missouri program in 2006 that had been rocked by scandal and poor results under former coach Quin Snyder. Using the fast-paced style he modeled after former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson's "40 minutes of hell," Anderson has a 65-35 record in three seasons at Missouri. Anderson has strong ties to the SEC after spending 17 seasons as an assistant coach on Richardson's staff at Arkansas from 1985 to 2002. During Anderson's time at Arkansas, the Razorbacks won three Southwest Conference championships and two SEC titles. The Razorbacks also made three appearances in the Final Four, won the national championship in 1994 and were national runners-up in 1995. Anderson, a native of Birmingham, Ala., was named Arkansas' interim coach when Richardson was fired during the 2001-02 season. Anderson was named head coach at UAB in 2002 and led the Blazers to three NCAA appearances in four seasons. In the 2004 NCAA tournament, the No. 9-seeded Blazers upset No. 1 seed Kentucky 76-75 in the second round before losing to Kansas 100-74 in the Sweet 16. The Blazers finished the 2003-04 season ranked No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, the first time they ended a season ranked nationally. Anderson was named Conference USA Coach of the Year. Anderson would take over a Georgia program that has played in the NCAA tournament only once since former coach Jim Harrick was fired in the wake of an academic scandal in 2003. Felton led the Bulldogs to an improbable SEC tournament title in 2008, and they lost to Xavier 73-61 in the first round of the NCAAs. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4029709
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Post by Jazzfan on Mar 31, 2009 18:25:20 GMT -5
March 31, 2009, 7:12 PM ET Source: Calipari taking UK jobAfter over a day of deliberation, John Calipari is headed to Kentucky. The coach accepted an offer to leave Memphis to resurrect the Wildcats' program on Tuesday, ESPN's Dick Vitale has confirmed. The move was first reported by the Memphis Commercial Appeal. ESPN.com's Andy Katz reported on Monday that the deal would be for eight years and approximately $35 million dollars, making Calipari the highest-paid coach in the college ranks. Sources told ESPN.com that Kentucky began planning for a Wednesday announcement earlier Tuesday. The Lexington television affiliate that has the school's athletic broadcast contract was told to prepare for an announcement in the late morning or early afternoon, and plans were made to transport Calipari by private plane to an airport near Lexington. Earlier Tuesday, former Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall said Calipari was having "difficulty" making up his mind about accepting the Wildcats offer and was trying to get as much information as he can before deciding. Hall said he and Calipari talked for about 15 to 20 minutes on Tuesday. "He talked about the difficulty in making the decision and wanted to establish a relationship in case he came to Kentucky, somebody he could bounce things off of," Hall said. "He had not made up his mind. He was trying to get all the info he could." Kentucky president Lee Todd told reporters before a scheduled meeting with UK students on campus that the school was "working on it" when asked about the coaching search. He then cut short any speculation during his remarks. "I won't be talking about playing styles or coaching or things of that nature," Todd said. "We have a process in place. It's active, I would say." Calipari stopped by a Memphis doughnut shop he frequents on Tuesday, where he told some of the regulars that he needed to make a decision by the afternoon. Calipari certainly seemed to be Kentucky's choice to succeed Billy Gillispie. The school received permission to talk to Calipari on Monday, though Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson said the program would do whatever it takes to keep the coach who has spent the last nine years turning the Tigers into a national power. The Commercial Appeal reported that after meeting with his players Monday night, Calipari met with a number of influential Memphis boosters. While the meeting was at first said to be a last-ditch effort to persuade Calipari to stay, another source told the newspaper that Calipari was lobbying for Tony Barbee, the current coach at UTEP, to succeed him in Memphis. Barbee played for Calipari at Massachusetts and was previously his assistant at Memphis. sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4031573
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Post by Raider Fanatic on Mar 31, 2009 21:13:17 GMT -5
March 31, 2009 Mike Anderson staying at Missouri By Seth Davis, SI.com Mike Anderson, who led Missouri to a surprise berth in the Elite Eight this season, will remain the Tigers' head coach, SI.com has learned. Anderson has agreed to a new seven-year deal with Missouri that will pay him $1.6 million annually and keep him in Columbia through 2015-16, a school spokesman said. His current base salary is $850,000. "We are excited Coach Anderson is going to be at the University of Missouri for a long time," Missouri athletic director Mike Alden said in a statement. "He's done a tremendous job rebuilding our basketball tradition and is poised to lead our program to new heights in the coming years." According to one report, Georgia had offered Anderson a multiyear deal worth $2 million a year, and the 49-year-old coach had also been linked to the Memphis vacancy that opened up when John Calipari took the head coaching job at Kentucky. But Anderson opted to stay at Missouri, where he has compiled a 65-34 record in three seasons, including a school-record 31-7 in 2008-09. The Tigers lost 82-75 to Connecticut in the West regional final on Saturday. Before coming to Mizzou, Anderson was 89-41 in four seasons at Alabama-Birmingham and took the Blazers to three NCAA tournaments. Anderson's teams are known for their frenetic full-court defense, a style he learned in 20 years as an assistant to Nolan Richardson at Tulsa and Arkansas. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/ncaa/03/31/anderson.missouri.davis/index.html
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