I know some of you don’t really want to read about other schools, but considering how much I was tracking the intrigues of Arizona State and Missouri I am still reading along. And realizing that the Pitt Athletic Department is humming along as a smoothly run machine compared to Missouri. Even as the AD was hiring Mike Anderson from UAB there were two meetings over the weekend by the school’s Board to determine whether the AD would even be around to introduce the new coach. After all of the controversy and criticisms and everything else.

Guy Junker likes the extension for Coach Jamie Dixon. Of course he wants Pitt to find a way to keep Barry Rohrssen. Who doesn’t? The issue is whether he gets offered the Head Coaching job at Seton Hall. He wants to be a head coach, and he needs to get experience regardless. I don’t see why he doesn’t go for it. Hopefully Pitt has already considered replacements. I would think they’d take a look at who’s on the bench at Manhattan or Hofstra dealing with recruits. Assistant coaches who are familiar and working the NYC metro area with some on the court success.

Even though it seemed like an eternity, the new contract for Coach Dixon came together very quickly.

As contract talks go, the process went so smoothly that about all Dixon needed to do was sign on the dotted line.

“You don’t get something done in four days if everybody isn’t on the same page,” he said.

With the success the Panthers have experienced under his direction, including this year’s improbable 25-victory run, it became increasingly evident that Dixon would be exploring his options at the end of the season.

Shortly after Pitt was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament on March 19 by Bradley, the two sides began to work out a deal.

Dixon even hired an attorney, whose policies include no contact with the media.

“That was by design,” Dixon said, laughing.

It worked perfectly during last week’s wild saga of guessing games surrounding Dixon’s future. Nobody, it seemed — not even Arizona State athletic director Lisa Love, who had diligently pursued the Pitt coach’s services to no avail — could predict Dixon’s next move.

“I apologize, guys,” he told reporters Saturday. “I hope you understand.”

If you really want to go speculating as to early coaches on the hot seat for 2006, I can think of 3: Tommy Ammaker, Michigan; Mike Brey, ND; and Ernie Kent, Oregon. I’m not that concerned.

Come late April, Pitt will be hosting a big AAU talent fest.

As many as 100 teams from a dozen states in three divisions (17-under/open, 16-under and 15-under) are expected to play in the Pittsburgh Jam Fest on April 21-23 at Fitzgerald Field House and Petersen Events Center.

What makes the Jam Fest intriguing is that it received PIAA approval in late February, meaning Division I coaches are allowed to attend the event to scout prospects. Event organizers are expecting a huge draw, even though its dates conflict with the Kingwood Classic in Houston.

“It’s probably going to draw over 100 Division I coaches,” said Adam Chiappano of the Hoop Group, which runs the Jam Fest and the Eastern Invitational. “It’s one of only a few states that have approved events for Division I coaches in the springtime. That’s great exposure-wise for the school itself and the city.”

One marquee team that has accepted an invitation is the D-I Greyhounds, which has two of the nation’s top 10 juniors in O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker of Cincinnati’s North College Hill. The Pittsburgh JOTS, featuring Schenley’s DeJuan Blair and D.J. Kennedy, Aliquippa’s Herb Pope and Jeannette’s Terrelle Pryor, also has accepted.

“We’re looking to have the biggest event on the East Coast for springtime next year,” Chiappano said. “Hopefully, by next year, this event will have some buzz about it and keep the top East Coast teams in the East. They won’t have to hop on flights. They can just drive six hours.”

That can’t be bad for Pitt basketball recruiting.

According to other notes in the story, Lance Jeter from Beaver Falls finally reached eligibility to play sports as a freshman for next year. He just has to choose where and what to play. Jeter has been more interested in playing basketball, but was more highly regarded in football. He’s 6’3″ and 200 pounds. Akron, Detroit, George Mason, Marquette and Purdue are expressing interest in him for b-ball. Cinci is the only school actively pursuing him in football. Pitt doesn’t seem that interested in him.

Personally amusing to me that yesterday I was thinking, “You know, despite the rough opening weekend, my bracket isn’t that bad.” I had picked half the Elite Eight, an I still had 3 of my final 4 teams. At the very least it would be respectable. Then Texas loses. UConn and Villanova join the losers and now I’m done. Nothing left. Honestly, I haven’t picked brackets well since Pitt started making the Tournament. I just can’t separate my biases. The primary reason why I don’t bet on sports.

Still, watching the way UConn lost to George Mason was incredible. And terribly instructive. Rudy Gay is a tremendous talent. The best player on the court. Everyone knows it. And it seems, whether consciously or not, the rest of the Huskies take their cue from him — and it finally caught up with them.

Gay lacks that competitive fire. That drive. Something about him, when things don’t go his way or come as easily as they have in the past, he fades. He doesn’t step up and he doesn’t take matters into his own hands. And throughout the past two seasons it seemed to seep through an incredibly talented team.

To see Josh Boone go from an aggressive, bold and bordering on early clutch player as a freshman to this tentative, passive scared kid inside the last two years has been amazing. And it just seemed to spread. UConn grew more careless with the ball than ever before.

Nothing Jim Calhoun did could ever fully penetrate this team. We are talking a hall of fame coach. A brutally honest, at times to the media, guy who just kept failing to reach this team. They escaped each of the first 3 rounds on sheer overwhelming talent, but the lack of heart finally caught up with them.

That must really suck for UConn fans. To know you have one of the best coaches. To have all that talent. But to see the team not have the will and heart.

Not a good day for the Big East or CBS. They can’t be thrilled to have no team from the Northeast in the Final Four. Not to mention no one from the ACC, Big 11 or Big East. Looks like they will be counting on the West Coast and Southeast to carry them. Meanwhile, the rest of the country will be rooting for George Mason.

Conferences
SEC: (2-0) 11-4; 2 teams remaining
CAA: (1-0) 4-1; 1 team remaining
PAC 10: (1-0) 7-3; 1 team remaining
Big East: (0-2) 11-8; 0 teams remaining
Big 12: (0-1) 4-4; 0 team remaining
C-USA: (0-1) 3-2; 0 team remaining
ACC: (0-0) 6-4; 0 teams remaining
MVC: (0-0) 4-4; 0 teams remaining
WCC: (0-0) 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

The Apocolypse may well be upon us.

George Mason’s win is not by itself enough to constitute a credible sign of any impending judgement/doom/Evangelical hoedown (It was enough to send my two brackets sraight to Hell, but I digress.) , but when take with this little tidbit, it does give one pause as to how one spends one’s Sabbath:

Toyota to enter NASCAR Cup competition in 2007
NASCAR announces the entry of the first foreign car manufacturer into Nextel Cup and Busch racing

*ahem* I have to go now. I have a shelter to dig, ammo to buy and food to can.

But before I go, just let me just leave with these final words: REPENT! REPENT, O YOU FALLEN, FOR THE END IS NIGH!!!

Thank you.

I’ll have more in general later, but I’ll pass this along now.

Contact has been made between Pitt and Seton Hall regarding Panther assistant Barry Rohrsse’s availability for the Pirates’ head-coaching job, The Post has learned.

Rohrssen, a Brooklyn native regarded as one of the nation’s best New York City recruiters, appears to be a priority, though Hall athletic director Joe Quinlan declined to name names.
…
Meanwhile, Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon – who signed a contract extension yesterday – wouldn’t be surprised if he lost Rohrssen.

“Almost the entire staff has been in discussion with other schools,” Dixon said. “That’s a good thing. We want our guys to become head coaches.”

Another name to consider is former Manhattan and Villanova coach Steve Lappas, now a CSTV analyst. Lappas, a Washington Heights native, has strong Metropolitan-area ties and is sixth all-time in Big East wins.

Somehow I doubt they’ll go with Lappas. Given that it is Seton Hall, they are probably looking to go cheap.

Now that Pitt has kept Dixon, it’s time to take a look at Arizona State on the reboot.

Actually there was a suggestion earlier in the week to bring back Frieder.

Arizona State needs to go back to the future and hire Bill Frieder. I can hear the groans all the way from the Valley of the Smog.

But think about it, the Devils have had two winning coaches since orange hoops replaced peach baskets: Ned Wulk and Frieder. Both were successful, both were fired. Just shy of his 500th coaching victory, Wulk was chased off by a cruel ASU administration. There are those who believe the Devils are still under a curse because of the way he was treated.

Frieder, 64, was fired after a couple of his kids were caught shaving points. That’s a horrible thing to happen, but it came about because he made a mistake in recruiting players who couldn’t be trusted.

Point shaving. These things happen.

A lot of the focus after ASU seems to be a bit down. They seem to doubt that they could even lure Bill Turgeon from Wichita State.

However, there are reasons Turgeon might want to stay put. As an Oregon assistant from 1992-97, he witnessed ASU’s struggling program from the visitors’ bench at Wells Fargo Arena.

A problem at ASU has been the absence of a home-floor advantage. Last season, ASU averaged 6,731 fans at Wells Fargo, far short of the 14,141-seat capacity. The Shockers averaged 10,433, or near capacity, at 10,512-seat Charles Koch Arena.

And it looks like Turgeon is in line for a healthy raise from the Shockers.

Turgeon received an extension a year ago that runs through the 2009-10 season. It increased his compensation to $460,000 annually, second in the Missouri Valley Conference only to Creighton’s Dana Altman, whose total compensation is more than $700,000. Any potential increases in Turgeon’s contract, Schaus said, would be discussed later.

Like Turgeon, George Fahnestock was still smiling after the Shockers’ season ended. Fahnestock is one of the Shockers’ most influential boosters and attended each postseason game.

“It was so exciting, having such a great, great season like this,” he said. “Even after losing the game tonight, it still feels so magical.”

Yet Fahnestock knows there is reason to worry about WSU’s ability to keep Turgeon.

“When you step up to join the elite, you’re going to have players and coaches people are talking about, people they would want for their team,” he said. “I hope and pray we can keep Mark for a long, long time. But I’m sure he will have lots of choices to make.”

It is expected that Turgeon will get a pay raise that will put him around $700,000. With the MVC establishing that it is can be a multi-bid conference, Turgeon doesn’t have to jump until it is exactly the right fit.

That means Rick Majerus could be the man. Though some hope not, and frankly don’t understand why.

Welcome to Arizona State, Lisa Love. It’s nice that you have visions of grandeur for your basketball program, but Jamie Dixon’s rejection should tell you something: ASU is a second-tier program that is not going to attract the hot coaching candidate unless A.) he has some personal reasons for coming, or B.) the Sun Devils throw so much money at him he can’t say no.

Dixon has West Coast roots. He coached at Northern Arizona University. His wife was born in Hawaii and would prefer to live where the sun shines.

He was an ideal candidate, but he turned ASU down because while the quality of life in Pittsburgh can’t compare to Tempe, the quality of basketball is far better.

The same, by the way, can be said of Wichita State and its coach, Mark Turgeon. He’s the other hot property, but if he’s going to move, it will be for a better job than ASU.

Love, then, might have to lower her sights. Find a capable young coach, like St. Mary’s Randy Bennett. Or Sun Devil alum Lionel Hollins, who would settle down here rather than view ASU as a pit stop.

Anybody but the one man Love, ASU’s vice president of athletics, is now pursuing: Rick Majerus.
…
What’s truly baffling about ASU’s reported interest in Majerus is that Love was an administrator at USC when Majerus did his about-face. You’d think that after getting burned once, she wouldn’t stick her hand in the oven again.

I think she may have no choice with Majerus. She’s whiffed badly with Dixon. ASU was known to want Dixon since December or January. To be that focused on one guy that long and miss is a huge blow. You almost have to get a big name at this point to save face.

Oh, and it looks like Missouri has found a new coach at long last. They will bring in Mike Anderson, formerly the head guy at UAB.

Anderson, who helped Arkansas develop its relentless defensive style as an assistant under Nolan Richardson, has driven UAB to the NCAA Tournament in three of his four years at the school. He owns a record of 89-41 and won at least 21 games in all four seasons.

Sources said Anderson was in Columbia on Saturday afternoon and that details of a five-year contract were being worked out with MU officials.

Anderson will become the 16th head men’s basketball coach in school history and is the first black head coach of an intercollegiate sport at the university. Melvin Watkins, who coached MU’s final seven games of a 12-16 season after Quin Snyder quit Feb. 10, is also black. However, Watkins was only an interim coach.

Missouri officials declined to comment Saturday. By early evening Saturday, sources said that MU officials and Anderson were working out final details of a contract that had yet to be signed and approved by both sides.

In that regard, two sources said Missouri might not announce the signing of Anderson until Monday. But the target date, both sources indicated, is today.
…
The wild week continued swirling into Saturday morning with speculation regarding MU closing in on a potential deal with Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon. That talk ended, however, with reports that Dixon turned aside interest from Missouri and Arizona State, and took an extension at Pitt.

Missouri was known to have asked permission to interview only three coaches who were currently employed by other schools — Anderson, Dixon and Iowa’s Steve Alford.

Hey, at least Missouri had a quick fall back plan.

A win for everybody. Coach Dixon gets around 50% raise and 3 more years on his deal. Pitt keeps its head coach, and at a price lower than what he was reportedly offered to move to Tempe — not to mention much lower than it would have cost to try and snare someone like Calipari or Prosser.

Dixon would not say if he ever considered leaving Pitt, but he made it clear that Arizona State was a second option. Arizona State officials were upset late Friday night when they learned Dixon was staying at Pitt. While Arizona State never offered Dixon a contract, Sun Devils athletic director Lisa Love was under the impression that Dixon was willing to coach at Arizona State and believed the two parties were on their way to completing a deal.

“It never really got that far,” Dixon said last night at the Petersen Events Center.

When asked what was the determining factor in his decision to stay, he said: “I just wanted to be here. I made it very clear. And they made it very clear that they wanted me to be the head coach. We talked during the year. Jeff approached me about a contract and we both agreed that it would be best if we talked about it after the season. We started Monday. We both made it very clear that I wanted to be here a long time. The commitment from both sides was huge and really set the tone. I agreed [Friday]. We got it done in four days. That’s pretty good considering I was on the road recruiting.”

And talking with another school. Apparently Coach Dixon is actually a hell of a multi-tasker. Negotiating with 2 schools, traveling, recruiting and somehow being mostly invisible to the media. And really it was just over a few day period.

The loss to Bradley was on Sunday. There may have been an initial offer made by Pitt on Monday. Contact from ASU Tuesday and some talk. His lawyer reviewing Pitt’s contract offer. Dixon going on some recruiting roadies. Still talking to Pitt and ASU through Wednesday. Thursday had more contract talks and the big offer from ASU. Probably a new offer from Pitt. Somewhere in all of this he had to be actually weighing the offers and discussing with his wife and family. Friday more negotiations, culminating late in the evening with reaching an agreement with Pitt — surprising ASU. Then Saturday. I’d be exhausted.

Pitt AD Jeff Long can continue to claim complete and supreme confidence.

Long said he was never concerned about Dixon taking another job.

“That was much more dramatic in the newspapers and on the airwaves than it was in real life,” Long said. “Was I concerned? That’s hard to say a yes or no answer to. I am human and you hear things from different places. But at no time did I ever feel like he was going to coach someplace else.”
…
Long admitted that it is more difficult dealing with agents, but he said it’s a sign of the times in college athletics.

“I think agents can create difficult situations,” he said. “I think if you ask any athletic director in the country, it’s their preference to deal with a coach one-on-one. However, that has changed. There are more people representing coaches now. I did not have a difficult time with Jamie’s representation. And that was evidenced by how quickly we got this done. Let’s put it this way. We never felt leveraged. What we did was what we felt was fair.”

It was fair. But it was also leveraged.

AD Long also addressed a fan fear.

“Fans worried about this program serving as a steppingstone for coaches need not think that any more,” Long said. “This proves it’s different than it used to be. I don’t think it’s a steppingstone anymore.”

Neither Dixon, a Los Angeles native, nor Long said they were concerned about widespread reports last week that Dixon was seriously considering taking the Arizona State job. The Sun Devils are seeking a replacement for Rob Evans, who was fired March 10.

“It’s not beneficial to anybody to talk about that now,” Dixon said, flashing his trademark grin. “There is no place else I would rather be, and I made that fact clear, both to Chancellor (Mark) Nordenberg and our athletic director (Long),” Dixon said. “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.”

The Pitt players, somewhat forgotten during the week, are naturally happy that Coach Dixon will remain.

“Obviously, it was a big concern,” Gray said Saturday, shortly after coach Jamie Dixon signed a four-year contract extension through the 2012-13 season. “For the juniors, the people who only have one year left, it’s sometimes hard to get a new coach and have a new system.”

Dixon called Gray yesterday afternoon to inform him of the extension.

“He let me know we’re stuck with him,” Gray said, laughing. “It’s great, because he’s a guy who’s been here for everyone’s college career, and we’ve had a lot of success.”

Players appreciate Dixon’s coaching style. He’s a purveyor of positive reinforcement, rather than a screamer.

“Sometimes, he’s too nice,” Kendall said. “He could afford to get in guys’ faces a little more, but that’s really not his style. He does use positive reinforcement, and most guys respond to that.”

“He’s very laid-back,” added freshman guard Levance Fields, who was concerned with the rumors. “He points out certain things and feels you’re smart enough to get it done.”

The next goal is to try and get Tyler Smith to fill that final spot.

Joe Starkey, along with every other Pittsburgh columnist, was remarkably quiet in print about the whole thing all week. Now he takes aim at all those who got emotional during the week.

Good thing Pitt’s powerbrokers don’t listen to the message-board fanatics and reckless opinion-makers. Dixon’s contract extension, announced Saturday, proves, once again, this administration is willing to step up and reward a winner.

Remember, Pitt did everything it could to keep Ben Howland, but Howland had his mind set on UCLA and went there for less money.

His replacement and former lead assistant, Dixon, proceeded to extend the school’s streak of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from two to five. Dixon also has the highest in-conference winning percentage in Big East history, two appearances in the conference title game and a 3-3 record in the NCAA Tournament.

The latter figure doesn’t exactly put him in John Wooden territory, but it’s not all bad when you consider Pitt won just three NCAA Tournament games in 15 years before Howland/Dixon.

Hey, fans are supposed to be emotional. It’s not our job to separate our feelings from reality. I may not have been freaking out on this site, but I understood. In fact, the AD should want that to some degree. He should want the fans fired up about the situation. Agitating for news and resolution. The last thing AD Long wants is a return to the apathy that greeted the hirings of Walt Harris and Ben Howland.

Otherwise it isn’t a bad piece and points out the growth and progression of the basketball program and the talent it attracts.

Pitt’s new facilities have been in place for only four years. The program has been winning regularly for only five. Pitt is starting to beat the big dogs to recruits, even if the players don’t always live up to their billing.

North Carolina wanted Chris Taft. Maryland wanted Sam Young. Gonzaga and Oklahoma wanted John DeGroat. Duke and UConn were interested in Tyrell Biggs. Villanova had Keith Benjamin before he de-committed. Maryland and West Virginia made offers to 6-foot-6 forward Gilbert Brown, who committed to Pitt and will join the team next season.

Even as we speak, Pitt is in the hunt for its most talented recruit in years — 6-7 forward Tyler Smith, whose finalists reportedly are Memphis, Pitt, Kentucky and Iowa.

Personally, I think the best is yet to come for Pitt.

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.

Just nothing. Nothing from Arizona. Nothing from Pittsburgh. All there is, is speculation.

Right now, if you are judging based on rumors, conjecture and closest to reality. You have to start thinking that Jamie Dixon is heading for Tempe. Not that there aren’t reasons.

What I’m thinking is if you compare reports from the Pittsburgh papers of this morning. The P-G was more optimisitc seeming and said there would likely be a statement of some sort. The Trib. made no such claim but did say that Dixon was leaning towards going to ASU. Right now, the Trib has a slight edge in credibility in that the P-G’s rumor didn’t happen.

Doesn’t mean he will go to ASU. It just means there was no statement or press conference.

So is everyone getting frustrated with refreshing this site, checking the Pitt site, the Sun Devils, trawling the message boards for some, any verifiable shred of information?

It sure reads like it.

Now take a deep breath. Hold it. Release.

Okay, now think about this. It may be a no-brainer to us that Dixon should stay at Pitt. It may be maddening to us that he is even considering leaving and making all of us have to wait.

This is, however, a momentous decision for Jamie Dixon and his family. I wouldn’t want to rush the decision.

The fact is, he isn’t exactly harming the program by taking his time.

He isn’t leaving in the middle of recruiting or at an absolute vital stage. Pitt already has 2 of 3 available scholarship spots locked in because of early signing. The program is in excellent condition.

We also don’t know everything that has been happening with the negotiations. There are the leaks giving the rough info, but that doesn’t necessarily tell us everything to compare the two deals.

Remember when it came time to fill the job 3 years ago, and Prosser was agonizing over staying at Wake or coming to Pitt? At the 11th hour they finally offered the job to Dixon. Just about when he had given up hope of being hired. He had been ready to get on a plane to head for LA to join Howland after being forced to twist in the wind for a while.

I remember the criticism that Pitt took for that botched search job.

That’s a painful contrast to Pittsburgh, which spent most of the season in the top 10 and all of it in denial. Administrators expected the team’s deep roster, its beautiful new home court and a boatload of cash to disguise the absence of a productive talent base and enduring tradition.

Chancellor Mark Nordenberg failed to recognize the need to hire a full-time athletic director — be it interim A.D. Mark Boehm or someone else — when it became obvious during the winter that coach Ben Howland could leave for UCLA.

Without someone empowered to determine the athletic department’s course, there was no one to conduct a proper search. No one had the juice to guide Nordenberg through the vitriolic gossip that follows Memphis’ John Calipari and help determine if he would advance Pitt’s future. The Panthers overreached for Skip Prosser, counting on the allure of his hometown to convince him to accept a backward move. He wound up, instead, with a lucrative extension at Wake Forest.
Two weeks after Howland left, there was no indication that able and accessible candidates such as Xavier’s Thad Matta, Manhattan’s Bobby Gonzalez, former Bulls coach Tim Floyd and Creighton’s Dana Altman had been considered. Incoming recruits such as Brooklyn’s 6-10 Chris Taft grew anxious as the search persisted.

Speed in these situations is not as important as accuracy — making the right hire — but Dayton accomplished both by being realistic about its station and fully prepared.

We’ve been hearing all winter how Arizona State would take a run at Dixon.

Despite that, and the fact that this Pitt team overachieved this season, there wasn’t much sign from the Pitt athletic department that they would be proactive in extending Dixon and keeping him from even entertaining offers.

Additional consideration that you may or not want to take seriously. What Dixon saw happen with Walt Harris. He saw a coach that did a fine job rebuilding the program then get shown the door when the program didn’t continue advancing fast enough. Not only that, but once Harris was booted the talk was all about how they needed a “Pitt” guy. A guy with Pittsburgh connections.

Dixon knows Sean Miller is out there getting experience and was a Pitt guy. What would happen in a few years if Pitt basketball isn’t considered to be winning enough? Why shouldn’t he consider cashing in big, now. Is it better to leave a little soon or too late?

I just think this is not as easy a decision as we think it should be.