You know, most of the time in a coach search there is a contingent of loud and delusional fans that overrate their school’s position/status/potential. They can envision a certain A-list coach coming to their program because of something. Usually it is ties to the school or location that convince them it could happen (Buzz Williams-SMU delusions). They set insane expectations for the hire, are shocked by the outcome — and then blame the athletic director/program for being idiotic and/or too cheap.

In the case of TCU and Jamie Dixon, this is almost entirely a media creation. The first article was earlier in the week, then came the ESPNDallas homer piece insisting that TCU has to hire Jamie Dixon.

Before you roll your eyes and claim that TCU has no shot, know this: He’s at the top of their wish list. And I wonder if the timing isn’t right for him to leapfrog to Fort Worth.

There are some obstacles, obviously. He had a disappointing year in Pittsburgh (team didn’t make NCAA or NIT, but won the CBI title), but has a contract worth, according to reports, between $1.6 and $2 million through 2018. TCU was paying Christian around $600,000. That’s an awfully large gap.

But athletic director Chris Del Conte (with help from football coach Gary Patterson and others at TCU) helped get the financial backing for renovations to Amon G. Carter Stadium. Football, as it should, took priority. Now, the athletic department should focus on increasing resources for the basketball program. That has to start with renovations to Daniel-Meyer Coliseum and Del Conte has said that’s a major priority.

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That coach should be Dixon. But why would he do it? Because he was a star at TCU as a player and seems to have at least kept track of things in Horned Frog land since he left.

And sure there are TCU fans that can put this scenario together, but honestly this piece is almost like it peeled off of a message board.

You have the claimed inside dope (“He’s at the top of their wish list”), the acknowledgment that it seems unbelievable — while dismissing it (“Before you roll your eyes and claim that TCU has no shot”), concede the obvious problem (money and bad facilities) while essentially dismissing it, rationalize (Dixon played at TCU, he stays in touch with his alma mater, and a disappointing season at Pitt), ignore the reasons to stay (length of time at Pitt, recruiting class coming, having to rebuild a program, find a brand new recruiting network, etc), then talk about how TCU has to do this to create a buzz for basketball as it is heading to the Big 12.

Meanwhile, TCU fans from the get go seemed much more clear-eyed about the reality:

Jamie Dixon: Current PITT Head Coach and TCU Alumni, the dream candidate that would be very expensive and is likely not a realistic option unless a donor is willing to underwrite up to $1 Million /year, would be a huge get.

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If you rule out Dixon, and you should…

And one comment made the explanation as to why TCU can’t just up the ante with their soon to be seen Big 12 windfall:

The first set of Big 12 money won’t actually net us a bigger budget, it just fills in what the university has already been subsidizing. Not until years 3-4 will we be building up total revenue.

That doesn’t even take into account that TCU will only see partial revenue from the Big 12 for the first couple years. So, bravo, TCU fans for some clear thinking.

They also have a rather good AD, who is realistic and trying to manage expectations.

That means TCU would not only have to persuade Dixon to leave a Big East and soon-to-be ACC powerhouse for a weaker program, but also shell out the cash. Loads of it, giving Dixon a salary nearing $2 million range.

Giving a coach that amount of money — whether it’s Dixon or someone else — isn’t something TCU is ready to do, Del Conte said.

“There’s coaches that say, ‘Hey, I want to come in and make a crazy amount of money,’” Del Conte said. “We’re just not going to do that. We have to be mindful of who we are.”

Del Conte is also making sure the message gets out through backchannels that Jamie Dixon is not feasible, but he is working hard to find someone.

The long shot candidate to take over as TCU men’s basketball coach, current Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon, is out of TCU’s price range, according to several sources at the school.

“He is not a viable candidate at this time,” said one source about the former TCU player.

Dixon’s financial demands apparently would be too much for TCU. He makes over $1.7 million a year at Pittsburgh, where he has been the head coach for nine seasons. Additional substantial financial incentives with Pitt would not only make it hard for Dixon to leave, but also hard for TCU to match.

TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte has been “nonstop” making and taking calls on the vacancy all week, according to sources.

Of course he has.

I was assuming that given Pitt’s disappointing season, that we could get through one offseason without Jamie Dixon rumors. Should have known. At least this one is barely a blip.