The latest on Collier

[Eric the Red]

LJS: Collier waiting for news (Christian and Fox primary NU targets) Reply

 

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From LJS:

 

Barry Collier wasn’t saying Saturday whether he was about to become the athletic director at Butler University because, if you can believe this, he hadn’t heard who the selection committee had recommended.

 

Apparently, the only people who knew if the Nebraska men’s basketball coach was the choice of his alma mater were the 10 members of the search committee and school president Bobby Fong. That committee met with Fong on Saturday morning to make its recommendation, but it could be at least a couple more days before the school makes an announcement.

 

According to NU director of basketball operations Tim Waller, Collier, back in Lincoln after going through his formal interview on Friday, told members of his coaching staff Saturday that he had nothing to divulge on the Butler front. He then flew back to Indianapolis to take part in Butler’s Athletic Hall of Fame dinner ceremony to be held tonight. Collier, the all-time wins leader at Butler who left as coach there in April of 2000 to take over Nebraska’s program, is one of eight inductees.

 

The school also will hold a golf tournament on Monday, its top athletic fund-raising event. Given that, Butler sports information director Jim McGrath predicted it would be Tuesday or Wednesday before an announcement about the AD position is made.

 

Anything earlier might “detract from the (hall of fame) individuals going in, and we really didn’t want that situation,” said McGrath, who’s also an associate AD and a member of the search committee.

 

Although Collier would be a sentimental pick to succeed the retiring John Parry, the Nebraska AD who oversees men’s basketball, Marc Boehm, said he spoke with Collier Saturday and that “the jist of it was that things were ongoing.” Boehm said school officials there would communicate with Nebraska as soon as a recommendation had been made.

 

Collier has compiled an 89-91 record in six years at Nebraska and is coming off his most successful season at the Husker helm — a 19-14 record that included NU’s first upper-division finish in the Big 12 Conference in his tenure.

 

Since acknowledging to the Journal Star on June 21 that he was eyeing the Butler opening from the standpoint of someone who would do anything for the institution, there’s been wide speculation that Collier would get involved. Last week, he was in Indianapolis to help pare down the field, and on Tuesday he was named a finalist.

 

Another candidate for the position, Miami of Ohio associate AD Mike Watson, also said Saturday that he hadn’t heard from Butler officials. Watson is schedule to attend the Mid-American Conference football media days today and Monday.

 

McGrath offered no hints as to who the committee recommended and said the school’s president was “going to digest it and make his decision. And it is his decision.”

 

Asked how Fong reacted to the committee’s choice, McGrath added, “He’s very good. He listens and takes notes and give no reaction — a very scholarly study on his face. He took notes and thanked us for our work and effort.”

 

McGrath said Fong expects the process to work out details of the new athletic director’s contract will be rapid. Collier is entering the third year of a four-year deal worth more than $600,000 annually. That’s four to five times what he could make as Butler’s AD.

 

Should Collier leave Nebraska, NU is prepared to act quickly. Two sources with ties to the program have said Boehm and NU Athletic Director Steve Pederson have made Jim Christian of Kent State and Mark Fox of Nevada their primary targets.

 

In two years at Nevada, Fox is 52-13, with two Western Athletic Conference championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances. Christian, in four seasons at Kent State, has never had a team win fewer than 20 games a season. After three straight postseason NIT appearances, the Golden Flashes finally made the NCAA field last season.

[pigsonthewing]

i heard on kxvo 15 that collier took the butler ad job..

[johnny_husker]

I heard a rumor about Eddie Sutton from OSU taking the job as an interim type deal until we get a new coach.

 

Is there any truth to this????

[KansasHusker]

I heard a rumor about Eddie Sutton from OSU taking the job as an interim type deal until we get a new coach.

 

Is there any truth to this????

I highly doubt it.

[DJR313]

I heard a rumor about Eddie Sutton from OSU taking the job as an interim type deal until we get a new coach.

 

Is there any truth to this????

Get that 800th win.

[ttheKid1*18]

I heard a rumor about Eddie Sutton from OSU taking the job as an interim type deal until we get a new coach.

 

Is there any truth to this????

I heard him as someone the Huskers could go after, but nothing else.

[KansasHusker]

Too many rumors and such have floated around about him leaving. The best place to rely on for truth is huskerhoopscentral.com. That place will keep you updated exclusively...go to their boards also to either read or discuss the coaching movement. I really like the work the guys put in for that site over there. We all know another site could NEVER beat out this one though!

[ttheKid1*18]

i heard on kxvo 15 that collier took the butler ad job..

I heard that too on 1620. They said that the AD office was expecting it for a while now, and have begun the search for a new coach.

[KansasHusker]

It is likely that our next head coach will be Jim Christian of Kent State. He's won 20 or more games there since he started being head coach.

[ttheKid1*18]

I have also heard coach of Nevada could be a candidate. He is on the way up, and could be the next big thing, so it would be cool if they got him. I don't think the coach will be a big name guy, but a guy like the Nevada coach, or someone who isn't making much noise, but could be a great college coach.

[DJR313]

It is likely that our next head coach will be Jim Christian of Kent State. He's won 20 or more games there since he started being head coach.

great, another MAAC guy.

 

I like the idea of the Nevada guy. He has had a lot of interest in the past 2 seasons for other jobs.

[NU fan in Denver]

ESPN

 

Nebraska officials have asked for permission to talk to South Alabama's John Pelphrey about the vacant men's basketball opening, multiple sources told ESPN.com Thursday night.

 

Nebraska is looking for a replacement after Barry Collier left to become the athletic director at his alma mater Butler.

 

Sources said Nebraska officials plan on pursuing Nevada's Mark Fox as well as George Washington's Karl Hobbs. The list may not be limited to these three as the officials at Nebraska have also had initial interest in Saint Mary's Randy Bennett, Metro State's Mike Dunlap and Kent State's Jim Christian.

 

Nebraska officials indicate they want to have a coach hired by the end of the month.

 

 

I found it interesting that they are showing interest in Mike Dunlap from Metro State. Metro is located in Denver and is a DII school. Also, Dunlap just signed a 5 year contract extention. Then again that 150k/yr is nothing compared to what he could make at NU.

[TrueHuskerFan20]

I found it interesting that they are showing interest in Mike Dunlap from Metro State. Metro is located in Denver and is a DII school. Also, Dunlap just signed a 5 year contract extention. Then again that 150k/yr is nothing compared to what he could make at NU.

I have seen some of Dunlap's Metro State teams when they come out to Kearney to play the Lopers. Dont get me wrong, Dunlap does an outstanding job with Metro State. They are at the top of the RMAC Conference year in and year out and are legitimate national title contenders almost every season. But I just dont think that making the jump from D-II to a major conference in D-I would be the best idea for neither the Huskers or Dunlap. I personally would like to see us pursue Coach Fox from Nevada as hard as possibly. Fox is by far a leg up on the rest of the canidates as far as Im concerned.

[NU fan in Denver]

I found it interesting that they are showing interest in Mike Dunlap from Metro State.  Metro is located in Denver and is a DII school.  Also, Dunlap just signed a 5 year contract extention.  Then again that 150k/yr is nothing compared to what he could make at NU.

I have seen some of Dunlap's Metro State teams when they come out to Kearney to play the Lopers. Dont get me wrong, Dunlap does an outstanding job with Metro State. They are at the top of the RMAC Conference year in and year out and are legitimate national title contenders almost every season. But I just dont think that making the jump from D-II to a major conference in D-I would be the best idea for neither the Huskers or Dunlap. I personally would like to see us pursue Coach Fox from Nevada as hard as possibly. Fox is by far a leg up on the rest of the canidates as far as Im concerned.

I have watched Dunlaps teams also when they plan Colorado School of Mines, which have beat them the last 2 years. I agree it wouldn't be a good idea to do the DII to DI jump. The talent just isnt the same. The speed of the game is slower, and the players are smaller. I was just surprised to hear a DII coach being considered for the job.

[ttheKid1*18]

Just heard on 1620 that a coach down in Texas named Doc Sadler could be the next coach of the Huskers. People out of TX and Nebraska are hearing these rumors.