As previously noted, and now everywhere else, Barry Rohrssen is slated to take over at Manhattan.
Neither Dixon nor Rohrssen, who were at Pitt on Saturday for the Pittsburgh JamFest AAU tournament, would comment on a published report that Rohrssen would succeed former longtime coach Bobby Gonzalez at Manhattan.
But a high-ranking athletic department official at the New York school confirmed that a news conference would be held Tuesday on campus, presumably to introduce Rohrssen as successor to Gonzalez, who resigned April 7 to take over as coach of Seton Hall.
Rohrssen interviewed Thursday with Manhattan officials and was weighing the school’s offer over the weekend. He previously interviewed at Seton Hall and Fairfield.
“Barry has been an integral part in the success of this program,” Dixon said prior to last season. “He has a great coaching background, is a good recruiter with outstanding contacts and has an understanding of how we run our program.”
Pat Sandle could be the next Pitt assistant to go, leaving Orlando Antigua, the director of basketball operations, as the only returning member of Dixon’s staff for next season.
Sandle’s name is being mentioned as a possible candidate for an assistant’s job at North Carolina State, where former UCLA coach Steve Lavin is a candidate. The two served together at UCLA from 2001-03.
Apparently Lavin has been offered the job.
Former UCLA coach Steve Lavin has been offered the opportunity to return to coaching by the N.C. State Wolfpack, according to multiple sources close to the search.
Lavin has been out of the business for three years and working as a broadcast analyst for ESPN since he was let go by the Bruins following the 2002-03 season, his only losing year as a head coach.
Lavin is working on contract details and has not yet decided whether to accept the job.
NC State was apparently considering WVU’s John Beilein as well, but much like Missouri, realized the total cost would be too high. Not sure what that means for NC State, except that Lavin better take the job or NC State fans are liable to start losing it. It’s one thing to be rejected by Barnes at Texas, then predictably used by Calipari at Memphis. Then to have sniffings around for Gillespie at Texas A&M, Brady at LSU and Ryan at Wisconsin all rebuffed stung. But to be rejected by Lavin would just be the final insult.
Man, you want to talk about a total revamping of a coaching staff. Scary but kind of funny. I have to believe Coach Dixon was already putting some list together of potential replacements after the season ended and rumors were immediately swirling around Rohrssen.
