Apr 03 2009
Being Bipolar: Pearl, Floyd pass; Drew, Theus, Miller considered for U of M
In a shocking turn of events, UT Vols head basketball coach Bruce Pearl shunned the offer made by the University of Memphis and signed a new six year contract to remain at the University of Tennessee. I do not expect Memphis Tiger fans to be upset by this as only 40% of respondents to a poll by a Memphis news channel thought that Pearl could handle the job.
Tim Floyd decided not to accept the offer from Arizona, but don’t count on him filling the open coaching position at U of M. Like Pearl, he agreed to stay right where he was and signed a new contract with USC.
So who is Memphis considering since what was considered the top two contenders is out of the running? Baylor coach Scott Drew is on the list and so is former NBA coach Reggie Theus. Sean Miller, head coach at Xavier, is also still on the list of possible replacements. Drew and Miller are both great recruiters, which was touted as being an important factor in candidates for the Tigers head coaching position.
While finding a replacement coach is a pretty slow go, Memphis seems to be burning through candidates pretty quickly. This leads to the question: Is University of Memphis Athletic Director R. C. Johnson looking for Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now? During his recent press conference, he stated that he wanted to take his time and find a top-notch coach to take over the program. Are the boosters and fans putting so much pressure on him to fill the position that he is rushing the process?
I would love to hear your opinion on the ongoing search to decide who will replace former Memphis Tigers coach, John Calipari.
A recruit’s father told a newspaper that he was told by Memphis Tiger people that Theus and memphis are very serious about each other.
I hear Drew is off the table.. there is a lot of concern that his team is getting worse and not better
NCAA to NIT to NOTHING… a lot of players are leaving next year
His poor teams are a big issue. Drew is a no go.