By David Kaplan
Illinois-Chicago athletic director Jim Schmidt has vowed to upgrade the men's basketball program after the resignation of longtime coach Jimmy Collins, and the hiring of Collins successor could be announced within a week, sources told the Tribune on Monday.
The five finalists to succeed Collins, sources said, are Wisconsin assistant Howard Moore, Michigan State associate head coach Mark Montgomery, Minnesota assistant Vince Taylor, Memphis assistant Willis Wilson and University of New Orleans coach Joe Pasternak. Another candidate, Memphis Grizzlies director of player personnel Tony Barone, is no longer under consideration.
The candidates met with Schmidt, a search committee and basketball consultant Eddie Fogler over the weekend in Chicago and all the candidates were meeting with upper-level administrators on campus Monday.
Illinois-Chicago athletic director Jim Schmidt has vowed to upgrade the men's basketball program after the resignation of longtime coach Jimmy Collins, and the hiring of Collins successor could be announced within a week, sources told the Tribune on Monday.
The five finalists to succeed Collins, sources said, are Wisconsin assistant Howard Moore, Michigan State associate head coach Mark Montgomery, Minnesota assistant Vince Taylor, Memphis assistant Willis Wilson and University of New Orleans coach Joe Pasternak. Another candidate, Memphis Grizzlies director of player personnel Tony Barone, is no longer under consideration.
The candidates met with Schmidt, a search committee and basketball consultant Eddie Fogler over the weekend in Chicago and all the candidates were meeting with upper-level administrators on campus Monday.
The hiring of Fogler, who has coordinated searches for several high-profile jobs including Indiana's hiring of Tom Crean and Michigan's
hiring of John Beilein, was the brainchild of Schmidt, who is looking to
revive a program that has struggled in recent years. Fogler is the
former coach at Wichita State, Vanderbilt and South Carolina, but
may best be remembered as the man who recruited Bulls star Michael
Jordan to North Carolina.
School officials have not commented on the search process, but it is believed that ties to the Midwest and the Chicago area are extremely important to the university hierarchy.
Montgomery has recruited the area as Tom Izzo's top assistant, while Moore played in the Chicago Public League at Taft and Taylor is a Chicago native.
Wilson was the longtime head coach at Rice.
School officials have not commented on the search process, but it is believed that ties to the Midwest and the Chicago area are extremely important to the university hierarchy.
Montgomery has recruited the area as Tom Izzo's top assistant, while Moore played in the Chicago Public League at Taft and Taylor is a Chicago native.
Wilson was the longtime head coach at Rice.
Kaplan:
Tony Barone went to St. George's HS in Evnaston...Coach K went to Weber HS in Chicago. Just how were they high school teammates again???
Hey Kaplan - Memphis State? Are they going to recruit Penny Hardaway? Wake up and smell 1994.