It's really sad to learn that the Denny Crum era at Louisville has come to an end in such a controversial way. It would have been really nice to see a full-blown, yearlong farewell for Denny.

	Denny Crum has had Louisville on his mind for 30 years.

There was a big-time battle between AD Tom Jurich and Crum. Finally, at the end, the coach saw reality and made a decision to step aside. Crum accepted a major financial package from the university, reportedly in excess of $3 million.

Crum, who turned 64 on Friday, served Louisville for 30 years in a proud way. After coming from UCLA, where he was a player and assistant coach under the legendary John Wooden, he led Louisville to national prominence. The Cardinals reached the ultimate, winning the national championship in 1980 and 1986. His first title came with the Doctors of Dunk, led by Darrell Griffith; the second one included "Never Nervous" Pervis Ellison.

While the '80s were special, the late '90s were a big-time struggle. There have been dilemmas, including NCAA probes and losing seasons. They put a damper on a career that was filled with greatness.

Reality set in, and Crum and the school agreed to part amicably. While the coach leaves the sidelines, he'll still have a role in fund raising for the university he has spent 30 years working to make a better place.

Instead of dealing with the pressure on the sidelines, Crum will be fishing, golfing, working with horses and getting married in June. Rest assured, he will make the most of his free time.

Crum leaves coaching as one of the top 15 all-time winners, earning 649 victories. He reached the Final Four six times -- only Wooden, Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski have gone more often. He won 42 NCAA tournament games, trailing only the three coaches just mentioned.

There will be no shortage of candidates for Louisville to consider. Big names will be pursuing the position.

Just look at the names of the coaches who have won two or more championships: Wooden (10), Adolph Rupp (4), Bob Knight (3), Crum, Henry Iba, Ed Jucker, Coach K, Smith, Phil Woolpert and Branch McCracken.

That's pretty impressive company.

Crum represented his school in a positive way and style. He was a Hall of Fame coach, one of the best of his era. Still, there is a time when the curtain must be drawn. It's time to move on, and Louisville needs to find the coach who can bring the kind of success Crum enjoyed in the '80s.

Jurich said this was Crum's weekend and that he didn't want to discuss candidates for the vacancy. The AD said he wants to find someone who is the right fit, who will hopefully coach at Louisville for the next 30 years. Some of the names that will come up in speculation include Iowa State's Larry Eustachy, Chicago Bulls coach Tim Floyd and, yes, we will hear the name of former Kentucky superstar coach Rick Pitino.

There will be no shortage of candidates for Jurich to consider. Big names will be pursuing the position. But Crum will certainly be missed on the Louisville sidelines.