You know, I’m really not that worried right now about Arizona State poaching Coach Jamie Dixon. I even felt that way before I read this from Andy Katz (Insider Subs)

Meanwhile, Pitt athletic director Jeff Long couldn’t praise Jamie Dixon enough during the Big East tournament in New York. The plan is for the Panthers to do everything they can to keep Dixon from even listening to other offers. Arizona State and Missouri already have sent out feelers and, if anything, Dixon might listen just to listen. Long is expected to discuss with Dixon’s representation a bump in pay and perhaps an extension.

The reason is, that there isn’t the constant drumbeat out of Arizona that Dixon is the guy. It seems to be more that he is on the list, but they aren’t sure how interested he really is.

There isn’t a message and leaks suggesting that it is Dixon or bust, the way there was for months leading up to Howland leaving for UCLA. And it isn’t a situation like that, where there were lots of other reasons — besides money — to take the job. Right now, ASU is still trying to present an image as an attractive option. Lon Kruger at UNLV, says he doesn’t want the job. Kelvin Sampson was thought to be a target and interested, but with Oklahoma facing some sanctions, he isn’t that attractive an option.

To get a coach like Jamie Dixon to leave a good situation, they have to offer more than money and a long contract. They have to have things in position to show that they are ready to upgrade the facilities, that there is lots of support, and that the support isn’t shallow. That doesn’t seem to be there at the moment. As we learned with Pitt’s pursuit of Skip Prosser, when a hot coach is in a good situation, he can really take his time.

I do expect ASU and even Missouri to take a run at Dixon, barring AD Long and Dixon’s agent working out a new deal in the next week or two, but I think like Skip Prosser, will end up choosing the new extension, familiarity and stability to stay where he is.

This is a little something extra. In the opening round game, Pitt won’t be the only team with a coach being eyeballed for other jobs.

Now that Kent State will be in this week’s NCAA men’s basketball tourney — airing on CBS — it’ll be interesting to see how network analysts address talk that Kent head coach Jim Christian is being eyed by Rhode Island to lead that program.

I guess Rhode Island and the A-10 is a step up from the MAC. That’s assuming the Jim Harrick stain has finally been scrubbed through.