Making pure sense of it all will take some time. This has all been so seat-of-the-pants at times. What kind of athletic department and head coach does Pitt have, to have managed to keep everyone in the dark as to what the eff was happening for a few days?

Seriously. We live in a world where everything is played out in media with dueling agendas and spin. And what do these fools do? They keep it all under wraps, leading to conjecture, assumptions and incredible mood swings in the fan base. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Of course, officially, Pitt and Coach Dixon did not say how much of a raise he was getting, but the contract was extended through the 2012-013 season.

Statement from Pitt head basketball coach Jamie Dixon:

“I am grateful to the University of Pittsburgh for the opportunity and support that I have received here. I love both the University and our outstanding city. There is no place else that I would rather be, and I made that fact clear, both to Chancellor Nordenberg and our athletic director, Jeff Long.

“During the course of the season, Jeff and I discussed the future of our program and he reinforced Pitt’s desire for me to be the head coach at Pitt for a long time. That was my goal as well and we agreed that our discussions would be confidential and take place after the season. Our conversations took place this week and I’m grateful that the Chancellor and Jeff worked so quickly to ensure my family will be residents of Pittsburgh for a long time.

“I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a special group of players, a great coaching staff, the most supportive administration in the country and tremendous fans. Our success can be attributed directly to those components. We’ve been able to celebrate Big East championships and NCAA Tournament appearances while playing in the soldout Petersen Events Center. That success on the court has been mirrored by tremendous academic achievement. Pitt basketball has a very bright future and we are working to build on our recent success.

“My family considers Pittsburgh home. Our children were born here, my wife earned her master’s from Pitt and we were married while residing in Pittsburgh. Jacqueline and I are looking forward to raising our children in this wonderful city.”

Statement from Pitt athletic director Jeff Long:

“Jamie Dixon has done an outstanding job building our program the right way with quality student-athletes. Academically and athletically, our program is on the right track. Our program already has become one of the country’s most consistently successful, and I believe it has the potential to grow even stronger under Coach Dixon’s leadership.

“It is our belief in Coach Dixon that has led us to ensure his long-term leadership of our basketball program. We mutually agreed that the best time to discuss his contract would be after the season. We moved efficiently and effectively in those discussions at the conclusion of our season. It was our objective to continue to have Jamie and his family in Pittsburgh — and at the University of Pittsburgh — for a long time and we are pleased they feel the same way.

“Jamie has proven he was the right person for our head coaching position three years ago and continues to be the right person today. Our program has reached new heights with five straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including three during Jamie’s time as head coach.

“Pitt has established itself as a premier program in college basketball demonstrated by its success both nationally and in the Big East Conference. Our soldout Petersen Events Center is recognized as one of the most exciting basketball venues in the nation and we plan on that excitement continuing under Coach Dixon’s leadership.”

The statements pretty much say everything you want to hear. A long term commitment from both (for whatever that is actually worth these days), a profession of love for the city and the school from Coach Dixon, and of course wanting to go further.

That means, of course, that his trips to Altoona for PIAA playoffs are still serving Pitt. That the next time Herb Pope speaks with the words of J.O. Stright, they won’t be able to make claims that his recruitment is open because he doesn’t know if Coach Dixon will still be around.

The coaching situation at Pitt’s marquee programs are as stable as they have ever been. Imagine that.

According to the AP story, Coach Dixon got a raise to around $900,00.

The next concern, of course, is trying to retain Associate Head Coach Barry Rohrssen. Who may be up for the Seton Hall job, or even the Duquesne position.

Still nothing. Well, I’m not waiting. There are some good games to watch. I’ve restocked on beer. Got some munchies.

I guess weather had no role in his decision thankfully. It’s in the 80s in Phoenix and sunny. Like in Pittsburgh, Cleveland is in the low 30s and it is snowing. Got to love late March. I’m ready to leave.

Here’s the report from Arizona.

UCLA coach Ben Howland, Dixon’s old boss at Pitt and Northern Arizona University, had told current and former coaches that Dixon was using interest from ASU and Missouri as leverage to get a better deal from the Panthers.

ASU athletic director Lisa Love had begun to look at alternate candidates by late Friday. According to an ASU official, she was on “the West Coast” Saturday conducting an interview. Randy Bennett of Saint Mary’s College in the San Francisco Bay Area has been mentioned as a candidate on ASU’s short list. Bennett has longtime links to the Valley.

Former Utah coach Rick Majerus has told officials, both in college basketball and within ASU’s athletic department, that he is interested in the job. Memphis Grizzlies assistant Lionel Hollins, a former Sun Devil All-American, spoke to Love at a Pac-10 luncheon on March 11 in Los Angeles. The Grizzlies were idle Saturday and are at home Sunday against Charlotte.

Mark Turgeon of Wichita State also has been mentioned as a leading candidate. George Mason eliminated Wichita State from the NCAA Tournament Friday night in Washington, D.C.

Some rather bitter comments to the article at the bottom. We can laugh… now.

It hasn’t happened yet. Checking the live streams of Pittsburgh radio, only hints that it might be sometime around 3. Nothing on the Pitt website. Local papers don’t have anything, other than re-doing the Andy Katz story and slapping Ray Fittipaldo’s name on the byline (seriously, compare them).

I have to run out for some real world errands, so there is a good chance I’ll miss it. I was putting them off until now, hoping for the 2pm press conference. Oh, well.

Back a little later.

Looks like it now appears Coach Jamie Dixon is staying (hat tip to Anonymous). Probably.

Speculation swirled on Friday that Dixon was headed to Arizona State, but according to sources close to the situation, a news conference is scheduled today at 2 p.m. to announce an extension.

Dixon, who is 76-22 in three seasons at Pittsburgh since taking over after Ben Howland left for UCLA, was being pursued by Arizona State and Missouri was also interested.

“I was excited to hear that Coach Dixon is staying,” said incoming freshman Gilbert Brown. “But I thought he was staying the whole time.”

Good grief, who would have thought Perry Clark could have called something correctly?

PERRY CLARK on the possibility of Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon taking another coaching job: “I see Jamie Dixon staying at Pittsburgh for a long time. There was speculation about the Arizona State opening because he was from that part of the country, but the University of Pittsburgh is making a very strong commitment to Jamie Dixon and I don’t think he’ll be leaving Pittsburgh any time soon.”

Next question, why would Sprint think it’s a good idea to have any association with Jim Harrick?

UPDATE: Anonymous also notes that Andy Katz at ESPN.com is now saying Dixon is staying.

Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon has agreed to an extension with the school, a University of Pittsburgh spokesperson told ESPN.com.

Dixon and AD Jeff Long have been negotiating since the Panthers lost to Bradley in the NCAA Tournament last week.

There were a number of reports that had linked Dixon to the Arizona State and Missouri openings and while they did contact Dixon, multiple sources said he was never serious about leaving Pittsburgh.

Terms of the new deal are not known, but it is believed that he will move from the bottom half of the Big East coaches salary scale to the upper half.

I look forward to some retrospective on this in a few weeks when everything is calmer.

Here’s how the the conferences look after 3 rounds. The numbers in parenthesis are the conference record just for this round.

Conferences
SEC: (2-0) 9-4; 2 teams remaining
Big East: (2-2) 11-6; 2 teams remaining
PAC 10: (1-1) 6-3; 1 team remaining
Big 12: (1-0) 4-3; 1 team remaining
C-USA: (1-0) 3-1; 1 team remaining
CAA: (1-0) 3-1; 1 team remaining
ACC: (0-2) 6-4; 0 teams remaining
MVC: (0-2) 4-4; 0 teams remaining
WCC: (0-1) 2-1; 0 teams remaining
Big 11: (0-0) 3-6; 0 teams remaining
A-10: (0-0) 1-2; 0 teams remaining
MWC: (0-0) 0-2; 0 teams remaining

Amazing that a down SEC has two teams in the Elite Eight along with the Big East, while the ACC is completely done. Joining the Big 11 that bowed out after the first weekend.

Tremendous games last night, and a chance not to refresh Dixon searches every 20 minutes.

Right now, nothing has been decided. Jamie Dixon may or may not be in Tempe/Phoenix. Dixon may or may not be leaning towards ASU. Dixon may or may not have an offer from Missouri as well. Dixon may or may not have received an upped offer from Pitt. And people may or may not be burning out on this.

Here’s what is being reported — not necessarily what is even known.

As speculation swirled yesterday and last night, Dixon and Pitt officials would not comment. Dixon was not on Pitt’s campus for the second day in a row yesterday and reports had him in Tempe visiting Arizona State and meeting with school officials. It was not clear last night whether Pitt put together a last-ditch effort to keep Dixon or whether Dixon was willing to listen.

Athletic director Jeff Long was on campus yesterday, but declined an interview request. Executive vice chancellor Jerry Cochran did not return a phone call.

According to one source who was convinced Dixon was leaving, Dixon went into the Arizona State talks willing to listen but had intentions of remaining Pitt’s coach. Dixon shot for the stars and asked for more than 1 million annually, and much to his surprise, Arizona State agreed and included yearly raises and perks for his assistant coaches.

When Arizona State agreed to his terms, Dixon decided that he was in a position where he could not turn down such a lucrative offer. Another source said that $1 million figure was high, but said Arizona State’s offer was more than the offer Pitt had on the table.

Now as for where Dixon is at the moment, no one is actually sure.

At midday, Dixon was first reported to be in Phoenix by an Internet site based in Pittsburgh. Later in the day, Missouri officials told the St. Louis media that they had been told Dixon was in Phoenix, ostensibly on a recruiting trip. Dixon also has been mentioned as a candidate for the Missouri job.

However, those reports could not be confirmed by anybody connected to ASU. Dixon, who is at the top of ASU’s short list, was not seen anywhere on the Tempe campus.

At Pittsburgh, nobody on Dixon’s staff or within the sports information department knew of his whereabouts.

All the reports of Dixon being in Arizona have been coming from Pittsburgh. I’m going to pause for a minute to ponder that. Okay.

Yet things are still quite unclear.

However, an ASU official said late Friday that that any deal under discussion was still a proposal and not a formal offer.

“ASU has not negotiated a contract with anyone and is continuing to talk to candidates,” said a high-placed official with the Sun Devils, who have spoken to NBA assistant Lionel Hollins and might turn to former Utah coach Rick Majerus if talks with Dixon fall apart.

Nevertheless, reports continue that Dixon is getting proposed offers from Missouri, ASU and a third one from Pittsburgh, which he said offered to renegotiate with more money and/or an extension.

No one is actually sure what the hell Missouri is doing, or if they actually made any sort of offer or made contact. By the way, if you believe this whole saga is not making Pitt look good, it is nothing compared to the absolute mess and frustration out of Missouri. Former players and coaches calling out the administration and the AD. No clear top candidate 6 weeks after Quin Snyder resigned.

This final bit from the Arizona paper’s story is interesting.

There is a guessing game that Dixon, who grew up in Los Angeles, will stay with the Panthers, who lose only two seniors off a team that went 25-8 in a season that ended in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

UCLA coach Ben Howland, his old boss at Pittsburgh and Northern Arizona, has told current and former coaches that interest from ASU and Missouri will provide Dixon with enough leverage to get a big raise at Pittsburgh.

If you want my honest opinion about this mess, I don’t blame Dixon much for this. This is what happens when a coach has the juice and leverage. Dixon has continued to win and recruit well at Pitt. His players have avoided any off-the-court incidents and players are graduating. Other schools wanted to talk to him, and with a renegotiation of his contract likely, it would make sense to gauge his value. Not to mention an extra bargaining chip.

I don’t see Dixon doing anything that wrong. Was it wrong for Skip Prosser to talk to Pitt and consider their offer? Would it have been wrong of Skip Prosser to have had a hard time making a decision and ultimately using Pitt’s offer to leverage a better deal from Wake?

This is more about the Pitt Athletic Department and Chancellor Nordenberg than what Dixon did. One of the things it would appear ASU was also offering was better money for assistants. This has been a long-time problem with Pitt. Grudgingly paying the head coach fair money, but not willing to shell out the money on assistants unless they have gained favor with the administration — Football DC Paul Rhoads and Associate Head B-ball Coach Barry Rohrssen are the examples that spring to mind.

The assistants’ compensation issue was a major stumbling block when the school was trying to hire Wannstedt. It would appear to have at least been another side issue that favored ASU.

Now jumping back to the P-G article that speculates on other coaching possibilities.
If Dixon does leave, three candidates were being bandied about yesterday as replacements. Moon native John Calipari, who is coaching Memphis in the NCAA tournament, would like to return to Pitt. Calipari was an assistant coach under Paul Evans in the 1980s.

If you hate annual soap operas about will or won’t a coach leave, then Calipari can’t be considered. I don’t care if he’s a Pittsburgh area native. Calipari is one of those coaches always trying to get his name mentioned in coaching searches. If for no other reason, than to get another raise. How should anyone feel about Calipari getting his name out there for the possible job, even as he is trying to get his team to the Final Four? He would also cost lots more money. He makes somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.5 million. I doubt he would be taking a hometown discount.

I’m not even going to get into the murkier area of his recruiting

Manhattan coach Bobby Gonzalez would be pushed for the job as well. Gonzalez’s name was mentioned three years ago, but he did not receive an interview.

Pitt also could attempt to promote from within and hire associate head coach Barry Rohrssen, but Rohrssen is being mentioned as a candidate at Seton Hall, which fired Louis Orr yesterday.

Gonzalez is well liked and thought of, for a while, but hasn’t gotten the job. He’s also rumored to be under consideration for Seton Hall. I don’t know whether Rohrssen is ready for the job or not. His recruiting accumen is without question. But there’s a lot more as head coach.