| | By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
A source close to Philadelphia 76ers coach Larry Brown told ESPN.com
that he is extremely interested in coaching North Carolina and has become
the Tar Heels' No. 1 choice to replace Bill Guthridge.
UNC athletic director Dick Baddour talked Sunday with Brown.
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Status of other candidates
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Notre Dame coach Matt Doherty had a "productive" meeting with North Carolina about its vacancy, but he has not been offered the job. Doherty met with Baddour and former coach Dean Smith for six hours Saturday at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill.
ESPN's David Aldridge reported that, despite a face-to-face meeting between coach George Karl and Bucks owner Herb Kohl on Sunday, the Bucks have not given North Carolina permission to talk to Karl.
"I hope that Bucks fans understand ... this is a job I've had
dreams of. But I don't know if it's been offered, or the process or
what's going on," said Karl, who has two years left on his contract with Milwaukee.
Karl must have permission to discuss another job because his
contract doesn't have a buy-out clause. Smith called the Bucks last
week to seek permission to talk to Karl.
UNC will interview ex-Tar Heel Randy Wiel, coach at Middle
Tennessee State, on Tuesday.
"I'm very happy at MTSU, but when something like this comes
along you need to give it your attention," Wiel, in Spain at a
basketball clinic, said in The Tennessean on Monday.
Wiel has a 65-53 record in four years at Middle Tennessee. He
was to fly home to Nashville on Monday before departing for Chapel
Hill.
On Friday, Baddour tried unsuccessfully to get permission from
Tennessee Tech athletic director David Larimore to speak to Golden
Eagles coach Jeff Lebo.
Lebo, who has a 28-27 record in two seasons at Tech, is in
Indianapolis at a basketball camp. He graduated in 1989 from North
Carolina, where he was a star point guard.
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Steve Kirschner, a North Carolina athletic department spokesman,
said it appeared a new coach would not be hired for the next few
days.
The Sixers confirmed Friday that Baddour had asked for permission to speak
with Brown. Sixers president Pat Croce allowed it, but he sounded as if he didn't want to shop for a new coach himself.
"I'm expecting Larry not to leave. I have to think positively," Croce said.
It is believed Brown has an escape clause that allows him to accept a college coaching position. Since joining the 76ers, Brown has had an uneasy relationship
with Allen Iverson. The two have clashed several times and there have been unsubstantiated reports that Brown has had his
fill of the All-Star guard.
"It's something that he wants to look at. I wish the best for
him," Iverson said Friday in a television interview from his
hometown of Hampton, Va. "I've said for a long time that I
can play under coach Brown. I have no problem with that. If
he's not there, then I'll have to play for someone else. Until
then, I'll look at him as my coach. I wish him well and hope
he does what makes him happy."
The source close to Brown said his decision won't be about money -- his multimillion-dollar salary dwarfs the expected million-dollar deal the head coach at North Carolina could command. The source said Brown wants to win championships and is intrigued at returning to his alma mater.
Brown won the 1988 national title at Kansas and took the Jayhawks to the NCAA Tournament in each of the five seasons he coached in Lawrence (1983-88). He also coached UCLA from 1979-81, leading the Bruins to the national title game in 1980. Since leaving Kansas in '88, Brown has coached four different NBA teams.
Brown, who will turn 60 on Sept. 14, is expected to discuss the position with his family over the weekend to determine how interested they are in moving to Chapel Hill. If Brown were offered and accepted the job at North Carolina, it would likely be his last coaching stop.
Also Friday, South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler withdrew his name from consideration, saying the timing wasn't right. Baddour had contacted South Carolina athletics director Mike McGee for permission to speak with Fogler.
With Fogler out of the way, the Tar Heels' full attention can turn to Brown. The Tar Heels don't want to be embarrassed again, after Kansas coach Roy Williams took a week to tell them that he would stay in Lawrence.
North Carolina can't afford to have the process drag on any further than next week. Summer recruiting began on July 8 and ends July 31.
Baddour could go outside the Dean Smith family tree, but it's unlikely. Notre Dame coach Matt Doherty could face immense pressure to go back to his alma mater, but he'll be under a similar kind of heat from Notre Dame to honor commitments to his current players.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press and SportsTicker was used in this report. | |
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