Nolan Richardson, contacted by UTEP on Tuesday about filling its vacant head coaching position, said Wednesday the timing isn't right for his return to coaching.

Richardson told ESPN.com that when he talks to UTEP athletic director Bob Stull he will tell him that he can't take the job at this time.

"At this point I will tell him no," said Richardson, who was his way to Tulsa, Okla., where he will tape a pilot for a syndicated television show on issues relating to college athletics. "I have not talked to anyone yet. But right now, my priorities are a TV talk show. I've had a lot of calls on my cell on this, but the timing this year just isn't right for me. I'm not saying that I won't coach again, it's just the timing right now."

University officials confirmed Wednesday that Richardson was not interested in taking the job.

UTEP former head basketball coach Jason Rabedeaux resigned Monday.

	“	At this point I will tell (UTEP) no. ... the timing this year just isn't right for me. I'm not saying that I won't coach again, it's just the timing right now. ”
		— Nolan Richardson

Richardson said if UTEP decided to name current assistant coach Junsie Cotten as its interim head coach, and Stull offered Richardson the job following the 2002-03 season, Richardson might have a different answer.

"I might think about it at that point," Richardson said.

Richardson played at UTEP in the early 1960s under Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins when the school was called Texas Western. Richardson has vowed to coach again, but only in the right situation. He has always had a soft spot in his heart for UTEP. Throughout the summer, there was chatter about Richardson ultimately becoming the next UTEP coach. Richardson moved his summer golf tournament to his native El Paso after he was pushed out at Arkansas last season.

"If it weren't for coach Haskins I wouldn't be where I'm at," Richardson said. "I've had a lot of success because of him. I have fond memories of the city of El Paso. I still go back there all the time."

Richardson served as Arkansas head coach for 17 years before his contract was bought out in early March. At the time, Richardson criticized reporters and fans for treating him differently because he is African-American. After days of meetings with university officials that included talks of buyouts, retirement and his resignation, Arkansas ultimately bought out the last six years of Richardson's seven-year, $1.03 million-per-year contract -- using a clause in Richardson's deal that allowed the university to pay Richardson $500,000 a year. If UTEP or any school hires Richardson, Arkansas will get off the hook for the amount the new school pays him.

"I'm too much of a fighter to go out like that," said Richardson, who won the 1994 NCAA title and lost the championship game to UCLA in 1995. In 22 years as a head coach, including five years at Tulsa, Richardson has a 508-206 record. "I've got too much pride. I should have left with a standing ovation, not a high-tech lynching."

Richardson has been spending time consulting with his son, Nolan Richardson III, who is the head coach of Tennessee State and with former teammate Andy Stoglin, who coaches at Jackson State. Since practices started Oct. 12, Richardson has already visited UNLV and Oklahoma to watch practices.

Former UTEP assistant Tim Floyd was also contacted by the university, but he told ESPN.com on Tuesday that he wasn't interested in the job. Floyd, who was fired by the Chicago Bulls last season, has told close friends in college basketball that he would like another shot in the NBA.

As for Rabedeaux, 37, he said Monday that he had lost the motivation to coach and resigned Monday. Rabedeaux succeeded Haskins in 1999 and led the Miners to a 46-46 record in three seasons.

"I have things in my life that I need to prioritize," Rabedeaux said at a hastily called news conference Monday evening. "What defense we're in and how many points we score and when the next booster function is are not at the top of my list."

UTEP went 23-9 in 2000-01, their best record in nine years, but slipped to 10-22 last season.

The decision comes just more than a month before the start of the season, but Rabedeaux said it was in the best interest of UTEP, himself and his family. He declined to elaborate on specific reasons.

"I wanted to see where my heart was, what my drive was, what my focus was, and it wasn't what it needs to be," he said.

"This is not a decision that was forced on me," he added. "This is not a fired kind of thing."

		Wed., Oct. 23 Tim Floyd and Nolan Richardson are the latest big-time coaches sitting idle this offseason, much like Leonard Hamilton, Rick Pitino and John Calipari the past two. But don't expect Floyd to court any jobs. While Richardson mulled over the UTEP offer, Floyd was quick to say no Tuesday and he's not even considering another coaching opportunity for the immediate future. "I want to enjoy this year," Floyd said. "People forget that I coached a college season last year (the equivalent of a college season, practically 25 games with the Bulls). I want to stay away for a full year. When I'm approaching that year, maybe in February, then I'll start thinking about what I want to do. But it's way too early right now." Floyd is back in New Orleans and is already looking forward to the Final Four when his friends in the biz will breeze through town for the weekend. But he's not anticipating being hitched to another job by then. He wouldn't comment on whether or not he wants to coach in college or the NBA again, but he doesn't want to be linked to every job that pops between now and April.

Rabedeaux's decision to resign Monday didn't come as a shock to his close friends and former colleagues. They had been in contact with him throughout the past month, helping him get through the deep personal issues that he was wrestling with before he made the decision to resign.

"We saw this coming for a while," Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said of his former assistant. "He had to make a decision that was best for him. There are a lot more important things than college basketball and the most important is family. UTEP was a great opportunity for him but he had to make a decision and not look back. He had other issues. This is not a basketball thing. It's not about this season."

Rabedeaux would have been under intense heat, though, if he hadn't made a run at the top of the WAC this season. This was year four in his contract and the Miners' fans were getting impatient. Last November, Rabedeaux received a two-year contract extension running through 2007.

UTEP athletics director Bob Stull said Rabedeaux informed him of his decision Monday morning. Stull said he gave Rabedeaux a chance to reconsider. He added that he hadn't had time to choose an interim coach but would not rule out asking Haskins to come back temporarily.

"All three would probably be somewhat of a long shot," Stull said.

Bringing back Haskins would be tough considering that he has battled a number of health issues since Rabedeaux replaced him. Taking over for Haskins was a no-win situation for Rabedeaux considering that he was replacing a legend.

The interim job, at least overnight, goes to relatively inexperienced assistants Junsie Cotten and Bobby Champagne. Former assistant and longtime coach Silvey Dominguez would have been the likely replacement but he bolted to Utah in the offseason.

UTEP opens its regular season Nov. 23 against New Mexico Highlands, with the first exhibition is Nov. 9.

The UTEP job is considered one of the toughest in the WAC because there is no recruiting base. Haskins was successful keeping the program atop the league in the 1980s with a pipeline to Chicago that included Tim Hardaway. But that eventually dried up and the Miners struggled to recruit similar type of athletes or for that matter talent.

Rabedeaux was hired over Saia and then former Oklahoma assistant Ray Lopes, who is now the head coach at Fresno State.

Stull and Rabedeaux said the team has a solid crew of assistants and they don't believe any players will leave because of the change.

Stull said he informed Haskins of the coaching change Monday afternoon. Neither Haskins nor Richardson immediately returned telephone messages left at their homes by The Associated Press.

Rabedeaux was an aide to Sampson for 10 years. He worked on Sampson's staff at Washington State from 1989-94, then followed Sampson to Norman, Okla.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.