Livescore
We’re on the doorstep of March and there are already 10 openings in men’s college basketball. That’s the new normal in the sport.
Of those 10, three — Texas, Notre Dame and Mississippi — are high-major gigs. In the coming weeks, there will be dozens more openings, including at least a half-dozen power-conference jobs that will become vacant by way of firings, job-hopping or retirements.
With the carousel already humming heading into the best month of the year, it’s worth noting two of the bigger names being bandied about: Rick Pitino and Mike Brey. I sat down with Pitino recently and he opened up about his future. The most important takeaway: he’s determined to coach for at least five more years. Will he stay at Iona? He vacillated between loyalty to the Gaels versus the reasons and circumstances that would prompt him to chase one more opportunity at a power-conference job. (Check the story for the full picture.)
If he leaves — if — my read on Pitino: Georgetown feels like the most desirable spot for him. The Hoyas (7-23) have not yet split with Patrick Ewing, but that is the overwhelming expectation at this point.
And if Pitino isn’t the guy … might it be Brey? He was involved the last time, before Georgetown decided to go with Ewing. Though he’s out at Notre Dame in a few weeks, Brey has said he still wants to coach. He’ll turn 64 in March. It’s possible Brey lands at the multi-bid-league level, if nothing else.
As we prepare for postseason play, here are some (and there will be more, eventually) other notable jobs either expected to open or considered unstable: Cal, Georgia Tech, St. John’s, Stanford, UCF, Washington and Western Kentucky.
Below, the 10 jobs waiting to be filled. This list will grow in the next 24-48 hours.
Major-conference openings
Other openings
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