Flames’ coaching search intensifies

FIELD NARROWED DOWN TO 5 CANDIDATES

August 18, 2010

Photo: gophersports.com Vince Taylor has learned under Mike Krzyzewski and Tubby Smith.

UIC is down to the final five candidates for its head coaching opening, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune and noted college basketball analyst David Kaplan.

The Tribune reported Minnesota assistant Vince Taylor, Wisconsin assistant Howard Moore, Memphis assistant Willis Wilson, Michigan State assistant Mark Montgomery and New Orleans head coach Joe Pasternack remained in the hunt. Former Texas A&M coach and Chicago native Tony Barone, who is the Memphis Grizzlies director of player personnel, recently withdrew from consideration.

Athletic director Jim Schmidt, the search committee and basketball consultant Eddie Fogler interviewed several candidates recently in the quest to replace Jimmy Collins, who is retiring after 14 seasons at UIC.

Schmidt enlisted the help of Fogler, who was a former coach at Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Wichita State, in the Flames’ search. Fogler was credited with helping Indiana hire Tom Crean and Michigan hire John Beilein.

ESPN.com reported that UIC could make an announcement by Aug. 24.

Taylor could be viewed as the frontrunner after the Tribune’s “Around Town” column on Sunday reported that he was a “strong candidate.”

Taylor, a South Side native, played at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski and held jobs as an assistant at Louisville, Pittsburgh, Wyoming. He also played briefly in the NBA for the Knicks and Pacers in addition to an assistant coaching stint with the Timberwolves. Taylor is currently the top assistant with the Golden Gophers under Tubby Smith and coached new Flames forward Paul Carter for the last two seasons.

Moore has worked at Wisconsin for the last five seasons under coach Bo Ryan and has successfully recruited Chicago for even longer. He also has tasted the Horizon League through his one season as an assistant at Loyola in 2004-05 under Jim Whitesell. Moore, a graduate of Taft High School on the Northwest side, also played at Wisconsin (with Michael Finley) and also held assistant jobs at Ball State and Bradley.

Montgomery has been an assistant at Michigan State for the last nine seasons and was associate head coach for Tom Izzo over the last three years. He was a four-year letterwinner while playing for Jud Heathcote from 1988-92. He helped develop Chicago area Shannon Brown among other quality perimeter players with the Spartans.

Wilson is currently an assistant at Memphis under Josh Pastner, but he made his mark as the head coach at Rice. Wilson coached the Owls from 1992-2008 and is the program’s all-time winningest coach with a 219-246 record with three NIT appearances.

Pasternack has received high praise from his peers and may be looking to jump from a sinking ship at New Orleans. The institution has withdrawn from the Sun Belt Conference and is looking to drop to Division III, causing numerous players to leave the program. He is 38-54 in three seasons with the Privateers after cutting teeth as an assistant at Cal. Pasternack also interviewed for open jobs at Tulane and Columbia.

Illinois assistant Jerrance Howard and former DePaul interim coach Tracy Webster were reportedly in the running early in the process. However, Howard elected to stay with the Illini and Webster joined the Nebraska staff as an assistant.

ESPN.com reported that Schmidt has kept Collins’ remaining assistants Bryant Lowe and Mark Miller on the road to keep recruiting. Both could have the opportunity to stay with the new coach to help with the transition.

GREEN DAY: Center Louis Green has decided to leave the program after one season to play at Moraine Valley Community College.

The 6-foot-9 Green averaged 1.3 points and 1.8 rebounds and shot 46 percent from the field in 25 games (one start) for the Flames as a freshman.