Aug. 25, 2005
The post-Bob Huggins era already has led to a slew of questions. People have been asking me if Cincinnati is a big-time job. Can the Bearcats attract a marquee coach, the kind of guy who can compete in the upgraded Big East?

You'd better believe there are plenty of coaches updating their resumés and preparing to send them to Cincinnati once the school decides on its next athletics director. There will be lots of interest in this position. I believe that Bob Goin, the current athletics director who is scheduled to retire in the middle of next year, will move up his date to leave in early 2006. That will expedite matters to get in a new AD to hire the next full-time Bearcats head coach.

	Huggins

Over the years, schools have too often opted for hiring a coach before determining an athletic director. I know that won't happen here. That is an absolute joke, since the AD has to have the power to effectively make decisions.

Cincinnati will be an attractive job for a number of reasons. The fans in the Queen City care about basketball. It goes back to winning national championships, to the Big O, Oscar Robertson, to Jack Twyman, and to outstanding teams over the years.

Now the entry into the Big East makes it bigger than ever. The visibility, exposure and national television coverage makes this job a high-profile one. The dollars available to the next full-time coach will also make it enticing.

The list of potential candidates down the line will be a long one, but I feel Cincinnati has moved in the proper way. You will hear plenty of rumors, but for now the school is expected to keep it in the family, with Huggins' associate head coach, Andy Kennedy, as the likely interim guy, to ensure continuity and stability with the current players.

Word had it that a number of kids were crying in coach Huggins' office when the news of his resignation came down. This announcement has had an impact in recruiting already, as indications are that O.J. Mayo, one of the most sought-after high school stars, has pushed Cincinnati far down his list following Huggins' departure.

The emotions are still running high. For now, they should be set aside, as Cincinnati's first task is to find a new athletics director. Then comes the search for a coach -- the right guy to compete with the likes of Jim Calhoun, Jim Boeheim and Rick Pitino in the new Big East.

It will be interesting to see the soap opera continue to unfold, until the day when the new head coach sets his tempo for a new era in Cincinnati basketball.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question to Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.