Rumored coaching moves

[Big Papi]

Take it for what its worth but since there is a ton of talk about UK and such, I thought these were interesting as well.

Jeff Bzdelik (Air Force) to Colorado
Beilein (WV) to Michigan
Bill Self (KU) to Arkansas


http://www.benmaller.com/college_rumors_notes

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Take it for what its worth but since there is a ton of talk about UK and such, I thought these were interesting as well.

Jeff Bzdelik (Air Force) to Colorado
Beilein (WV) to Michigan
Bill Self (KU) to Arkansas


http://www.benmaller.com/college_rumors_notes

Why would anybody consider Arkansas when they are already at KU? Maybe I'm missing something... but that seems CRAZY.

[NavinRJohnson]

Why would anybody consider Arkansas when they are already at KU? Maybe I'm missing something... but that seems CRAZY.

Why would anyone consider Minnesota when thay are already at Kentucky?

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Why would anybody consider Arkansas when they are already at KU? Maybe I'm missing something... but that seems CRAZY.

Why would anyone consider Minnesota when thay are already at Kentucky?

I would guess because he was at risk of losing his job. I'm assuming Self's job is safe at KU right now... unless I'm missing something.

[NavinRJohnson]

I would guess because he was at risk of losing his job. I'm assuming Self's job is safe at KU right now... unless I'm missing something.

Of course that's why. Although, it does seem that much like at Kentucky, KU fans are getting a bit twitchy over the relative lack of success in the NCAA (3 very high seeds that have netted this years Elite 8 loss and 2 first round losses), and one wonders if he doesn't see a Final Four in the next year or two if he won't be looking for his own version of Minnesota.

[Pakuni]

Kansas was Bill Self's dream job, and even then he thought long and hard about leaving a Final Four-quality team at Illinois to take the gig. I don't think he'll ever leave Kansas of his own volition.

[MARQKC]

Living in KC, the Self-to-Arkansas buzz was a hot topic on drive-time radio this morning. The commentator on one station said the move was unlikely for a lot of different reasons. And, Self himself said he's a Jayhawk until the Jayhawks don't want him any more.

Save for this being his dream job, my take is that Self might want to trade conferences. After KU, Texas and Texas A&M, and maybe K-State, the Big 12 was pretty much a mid-major conference this year. (Quick: Who won the Colorado-Baylor game? This one you'll know the answer to: Who cares?) B-12 might come around if Knight starts performing up to his legend and when (note: when, not if) Huggie turns the Mildcats Wild again, and if Mike Anderson can perform at Mizzou. After that, zippo. The SEC, by comparison, is a tough conference that values its basketball programs. At the very least, the weather is warmer.

Oh, OK. I know you really wanted to know: Tue., Jan. 30 Baylor 97, Colorado 83

DEE-fense! DEE-fense!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!

[CTWarrior]

Save for this being his dream job, my take is that Self might want to trade conferences. After KU, Texas and Texas A&M, and maybe K-State, the Big 12 was pretty much a mid-major conference this year.

What about Oklahoma and Oklahoma State?  If you want to talk weak underbelly, what about South Florida, Cincinnati, Saint John's, Seton Hall, Rutgers and even UConn this year?  What about the Big 10 after the first 4 or 5 teams?  Sure the Big 12 has some weak teams this year, but year in and year out the conference is about as good as any.  The ACC is probably the only conference that just about never falls out of the top 3 in terms of overall strength. 

[NYWarrior]

The SEC, by comparison, is a tough conference that values its basketball programs. At the very least, the weather is warmer.

Maybe.  But it sounds like you are talking about the SEC East.

The SEC West is awful.  outside of SLU's great season last year, that half of the SEC is about as average as it gets

[BigSky]

Living in KC, the Self-to-Arkansas buzz was a hot topic on drive-time radio this morning. The commentator on one station said the move was unlikely for a lot of different reasons. And, Self himself said he's a Jayhawk until the Jayhawks don't want him any more.

Save for this being his dream job, my take is that Self might want to trade conferences. After KU, Texas and Texas A&M, and maybe K-State, the Big 12 was pretty much a mid-major conference this year. (Quick: Who won the Colorado-Baylor game? This one you'll know the answer to: Who cares?) B-12 might come around if Knight starts performing up to his legend and when (note: when, not if) Huggie turns the Mildcats Wild again, and if Mike Anderson can perform at Mizzou. After that, zippo. The SEC, by comparison, is a tough conference that values its basketball programs. At the very least, the weather is warmer.

Oh, OK. I know you really wanted to know: Tue., Jan. 30 Baylor 97, Colorado 83

DEE-fense! DEE-fense!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!

In our instant gratification society we forget the past and don't see the future, and everything is now now now.

Texas Tech btw made the NCAA's, does that count? 

Mike Anderson and Bob Huggins will be big winners in the Big 12 soon.  And I have no reason to believe OK St. won't be good under Seasn Sutton in the future and same for McDermott at Iowa St...he won at Northern Iowa.  Combine that with Gillispie staying, Texas, KU....and the Air Force coach likely to take the Colorado job....things looking up in Big 12.  Capel is a winner, and will have OU back to the old OU in a few years.

[BigSky]

The SEC, by comparison, is a tough conference that values its basketball programs. At the very least, the weather is warmer.

Maybe.  But it sounds like you are talking about the SEC East.

The SEC West is awful.  outside of SLU's great season last year, that half of the SEC is about as average as it gets

Same thing as the other instant gratification post.  LSU was in the Final Four last year.  Alabama was busy beating Marquette in NCAA's....these teams will be back.  Andy Kennedy is off to a flying start at Ole Miss.  Arkansas has the facilities, big tradition, and willing to pay for a good new coach.  Miss St. is always good.

Obviously the other side was extremely tough this year.  Florida, UK, Vandy, Tenn, even Georgia under Felton is making strides.   

The SEC is very tough. 

[muhoops1]

"I'm not going to say Tom Crean, Billy Gillispie or even Tom Izzo can't get it done in Lexington. However, Pelphrey "gets it" because he's been a part of it. "

Jeff Goodman FoxSports.com 3/28/07

I think the Kentucky fans would be bummed about this too.

[SoCalwarrior]

From ESPN:

Sources: Kentucky to make offer next week
By Mark Schlabach and Andy Katz
ESPN.com


ATLANTA -- Kentucky officials are prepared to offer Florida coach Billy Donovan an annual raise of more than $1 million as part of a contract that would make him one of the highest-paid coaches in college basketball.



Donovan

Sources close to Kentucky's search said the school is prepared to tender an offer to Donovan early next week, either after Florida is eliminated from this weekend's Final Four in the Georgia Dome, or after it plays Monday night for its second consecutive national championship.

When asked whether he has authorized anyone to negotiate with Kentucky on his behalf, Donovan said Friday, "Absolutely not. I have told our athletic director that I am focused on UCLA. What a great opportunity ... and there shouldn't be any distraction with any of this stuff."

The sources said Donovan, a former Kentucky assistant under Rick Pitino, is the Wildcats' top choice to replace Tubby Smith, who unexpectedly resigned last week to become Minnesota's coach. Kentucky's starting point in the negotiations will be a seven-year contract that would pay Donovan at least $2.8 million per season and as much as $3.5 million with performance-based incentives, the sources said.

Florida, seeking to become the first team to win consecutive national titles since Duke in 1991 and 1992, plays UCLA in a national semifinal Saturday night.

"One of the things we have talked about is distractions and how they're going to come and a lot of times you can't control how they do come," Donovan said. "For me right now, it has been all about UCLA and all about preparation and all about getting ready to play this game. I'm just so happy we've gotten to this point."

"There's always going to be speculation and people want to talk, and I can't control that. What I can control is how I choose to focus my time and how my team chooses to focus its time. I think right now our team has great respect for UCLA and our focus is getting ready to play them."

After this season, Donovan would have five years remaining on his contract with Florida, which pays him about $1.8 million per season.

Donovan and his agents have been in negotiations with Florida athletics director Jeremy Foley for nearly a year. The two sides haven't yet reached a contract extension, but Florida was already prepared to pay Donovan at least $2.5 million per season before the Kentucky job opened, sources said.

"I love Florida," Donovan said. "My family is very happy here. I hope I can stay here as long as they'd like to have me. I don't know what else to say. I'm just focused on UCLA and people are focused on other things."

Kentucky athletics department spokesman Scott Stricklin declined comment when reached Friday.

"I'm not going to comment on the process until we have completed our search and found the right person to lead Kentucky basketball," Stricklin said.

People close to Donovan said he has received no contact from Kentucky officials, nor have his agents.

Kentucky officials have hired Parker Executive Search, an executive search firm in Atlanta, to conduct its coaching search. Dan Parker, president of the firm, was contracted by Minnesota to lure Smith to the Gophers, and Indiana used his firm to hire Kelvin Sampson from Oklahoma.

Regardless if Donovan stays at Florida or leaves for Kentucky, he figures to become one of the five highest-paid coaches in the country. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina's Roy Williams each earn close to $3 million per season, and Michigan State's Tom Izzo is paid about $2.6 million annually, according to industry sources.

Mark Schlabach covers college sports for ESPN.com and Andy Katz is an ESPN.com senior writer. ESPN.com national columnist Pat Forde also contributed to this report.

[NavinRJohnson]

I smell smoke.

So who's in line for Florida?