Yesterday morning there were rumors that Robert McCullum the Head Coach at South Florida would be fired and that there were some big-time boosters ready and able to get Bob Huggins.
An influential USF booster told SI.com this week that supporters of the program have had numerous conversations in recent days with Huggins’ Cincinnati-based attorney, Richard Katz, who indicated Huggins would be interested in the Bulls coaching job if it opened up. Third-year coach Robert McCullum is not expected to return after USF’s season ends this week with home games against Connecticut and Georgetown. The Bulls are currently 0-14 in their first season in the Big East (6-21 overall) and will not be among the 12 teams to qualify for the conference tournament, which begins on March 8 at Madison Square Garden.
“No decision has been made, but there is really a groundswell here amongst some of the core guys to bring Huggins in,” the booster said.
One potential sticking point is South Florida president Judy Genshaft, who is said to be good friends with Nancy Zimpher, the president at Cincinnati who pressured Huggins into resigning last August. When reached by SI.com on Monday afternoon, Katz declined to comment about the South Florida situation but added, “Coach Huggins is certainly interested in coaching major college basketball again and will be reviewing all situations.”
Then reality set in, as that “sticking point” seemed to make a difference. In fact, the AD released a statement yesterday night. McCullum looks likely to get another year on his contract.
Huggins might end up at Temple next season is the alternative hot rumor.
Rutgers is set to let go of its head coach.
Rutgers coach Gary Waters announced Wednesday he will resign at the end of the season, finishing his five-year tenure with the Scarlet Knights.
Waters said during a conference call with the media Wednesday afternoon that “it’s time to move on.” He said his resignation was a mutual decision. “They [the Rutgers administration] asked me to clean up the program and the program is now clean. It’s time for me to move on to a different place. It wasn’t the right match.”
Waters was a dead-man walking last year when RU hired Fred Hill, Jr., the top assistant and ace recruiter away from Villanova. I think Hill is also the son of the RU baseball coach as well. Hill is expected to take over for next season.
The season was another disappointment and when he got stuck in Ohio because of a snowstorm and missed coaching the team, that was the final piece for the fans to end the farce.
Then WVU Coach John Beilein being courted by Missouri won’t die (Insider Subs.).
Sources said Missouri has already tried to make some inroads with West Virginia’s John Beilein, but he’s not talking to anyone until after the season — and even then, he will be incredibly difficult to wedge away from Morgantown. Beilein has always been an East Coast guy, and there is no indication he would go to the Midwest.
His buyout may not be the biggest stumbling block since one of the big boosters at Missouri happens to be a Wal-Mart heir.
While Cinci has made noise about thinking of keeping Andy Kennedy, it may be due to the costs of getting the two guys long rumored to be their top targets:
Major buyouts for Wake Forest’s Skip Prosser and George Washington’s Karl Hobbs are stumbling blocks for either moving anytime soon, according to sources.
And of course, Louis Orr at Seton Hall continues to twist in the wind.
