By David Kaplan
With DePaul's basketball season over, the search for the school's next coach is officially underway. And names being mentioned include Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, ESPN analyst Steve Lavin and Utah Jazz assistant and former DePaul star Tyrone Corbin.
Tony Barbee, UTEP head coach and former assistant to John Calipari at Memphis, also could be a possibility. Barbee could bring Kentucky assistant Rod Strickland, a DePaul star in the '80s, with him.
With DePaul's basketball season over, the search for the school's next coach is officially underway. And names being mentioned include Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, ESPN analyst Steve Lavin and Utah Jazz assistant and former DePaul star Tyrone Corbin.
Tony Barbee, UTEP head coach and former assistant to John Calipari at Memphis, also could be a possibility. Barbee could bring Kentucky assistant Rod Strickland, a DePaul star in the '80s, with him.
DePaul is said to be ready to make a significant financial commitment
to land the right guy. One area of improvement that could be on the
drawing board is a new arena close to campus with a large parcel of
land about to become available in Lincoln Park.
The A. Finkl Steel Company is relocating to the South Side, and because of concerns over the viability of their property located at Clybourn and Cortland for any kind of residential development, sources say the university is quietly working to see if the site is feasible for a new arena.
Another site near Division and Clybourn is also being investigated by the university.
"If DePaul is able to build a new arena near campus, that job becomes a great one," ESPN analyst Digger Phelps said. "In fact, if they build an arena by the campus it's over. That job is a sleeping giant."
The A. Finkl Steel Company is relocating to the South Side, and because of concerns over the viability of their property located at Clybourn and Cortland for any kind of residential development, sources say the university is quietly working to see if the site is feasible for a new arena.
Another site near Division and Clybourn is also being investigated by the university.
"If DePaul is able to build a new arena near campus, that job becomes a great one," ESPN analyst Digger Phelps said. "In fact, if they build an arena by the campus it's over. That job is a sleeping giant."
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This marriage with the Big East was a good one for both parties. The BE gets a foothold in another major market, and DePaul lands in the best basketball conference in college.
How would going to a lesser conference help them? Do you think people are interested if they were in Conference USA, or the A-10.
I hope DePaul plays this smart and goes and gets a coach that can turn this program around. Me personaly think that former Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie would be perfect for this job. You look at what he has done in the past it is incredible what he has done with programs that just seem to not be able to get it together. If DePaul wants to win and turn things around they need to go get Billy G. I think it would be the best decision they have made in a long time, even with his rocky past, everyone deserves a second chance....
Before finding a new coach, DePaul needs to find a competent AD, a new place to play, and anew conference to play where they actually have a chance to win a few games. Their current situation is embarrassing. The decision to join the Big East lacked basketball insight.
I've been waiting nearly 30 years to hear this. If they could actually pull this together, I'd go back to buying season tickets, which I stopped doing in the mid-90s.
Oh.... dreaming of the day DePaul and Chicago wake up and realize they can be a major college basketball power. Please, please, please someone realize this! If I had the money, I'd have been all over it. It is a money making, merchandising, special events, advertising, and media sports monster if done right.