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Owls closing in on a new coach

By Ted Hutton
Staff Writer
Posted April 7 2005

BOCA RATON ? During his search for a new men's basketball coach, Florida Atlantic Athletic Director Craig Angelos said he has received calls from Roy Williams, Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Charles Barkley, Billy Donovan, Jim Calhoun and Jim Boeheim.

Unfortunately they weren't interested in the job, instead pitching people they know, but Angelos used the calls to help him sort out candidates and said Wednesday that the list had been narrowed to about five.

"I asked their advice and ran some of the candidates by them. They all have been very helpful. After a while, you get a sense of what they think of them," Angelos said.

Angelos said the interest in the job has created a strong pool of candidates. "I've been very impressed," said Angelos, who wanted to have a coach named by Friday, moved the timetable back and now hopes to have one signed by Tuesday, the day before national signing day.

Angelos said he will be meeting with FAU President Frank Brogan this morning to further trim down the list and decide how to proceed from there. Angelos said no candidate has been told he is a finalist, and it is possible a coach may be hired who will not be brought to campus, since several finalists are familiar with the area or have worked here in the past.

That would include Syracuse assistant Bernie Fine, whose mother and sister live in South Florida and visits the area regularly. Fine talked with Angelos in Boca before the Final Four and then met with him again in St. Louis over the weekend.

"I haven't heard anything yet," Fine said from his office in Syracuse.

Another candidate with local ties thought to be on the short list is Jeff Price, who is now the coach at Georgia Southern but coached at Lynn University in Boca Raton before taking the Georgia job.

FAU wants someone who will do more than coach and recruit.

"They need to be able to create a buzz in the community and develop a fan base and donor base," Angelos said.

FAU has had two winning seasons since moving to Division I in 1993 and averaged fewer than 600 fans this season, worst in the 11-team Atlantic Sun Conference.


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Getting Closer

FAU has basketball finalists
By Palm Beach Post Staff Reports


Thursday, April 07, 2005

BOCA RATON ? After talking to more than 25 candidates to fill its vacant basketball coaching vacancy, Florida Atlantic has narrowed its field to no more than five finalists.

"They may not know who they are because we haven't contacted all of them," Athletic Director Craig Angelos said. "We just want to see how to bring this to a close."


According to sources speaking on the condition of anonymity, two coaches who are expected to be finalists are former Tennessee coach Buzz Peterson and current Georgia Southern coach Jeff Price, who coached Lynn for six seasons. Peterson also is the front-runner for the vacancy at Coastal Carolina and is expected to interview there today.

A source said Peterson has been contacted and will be on campus Monday.

On Wednesday, Angelos interviewed FAU associate head coach Ken Huber and assistant Carlton Screen to end the first round of interviews.

? Marcus Nelson

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Getting Closer

Getting Closer

If he want community involvement the the community, then immediate choice may be Price. He's been here and already have connections. If they're willing to give it a little time then either guy looks good for us.
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Getting Closer

price would suck.

did anyone realize matt doherty recruits at UNC just won the national championship??? and of the 29 vacancies nobody has a serious interest? whats going on there?
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Getting Closer

Not sure at what your getting at. I dont follow college hoops that closley other than the playoffs. All I know is that sidney sucked. FAU has only had 2 winning seasons and this year green anounced at midnight madness that he guarenteed another trip to the playoffs with the best recruiting class yet, and well…. we all know what kind of season we had. Im just dissapointed that they have to keep him on the payroll in the athletic dept. paying him $120k a year when I dont see him doing that much worth of work. Know I kinda wish he got his NBA coaching job, that way he would be the one voiding the contract.
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Getting Closer

Interesting note on Doherty - he is willing to take an assistant coaching position, make you wonder if the money is not as important as the right situation. He may feel FAU is not that situation and has not shown any interest.
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Getting Closer

I have no idea if he's interested but he's been burnt by a lot of teams/ad's in the last few weeks. I would be so pissed if the signed price. I'm sure he's a good guy but he's not what we want. Either a big name like Buzz Peterson from Ut or a top assistant from the Big East. I would rather the Big East because the North East has such influence on south florida that you could get recruits to come play down here if a coach has ties up there.
Price has no ties, we don't need a small time head coach, he has no connections to top players.
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Getting Closer

FAU delays hiring basketball coach
By Marcus Nelson

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Saturday, April 09, 2005

BOCA RATON ? The next men's basketball coach at Florida Atlantic may not be named until Friday, Athletic Director Craig Angelos said.

"We want to be thorough on this and make sure we make the right choice," Angelos said.

FAU's original goal was to have a coach by today, then Angelos said a new coach could be hired by Tuesday, the day before the late signing period begins.

With FAU waiting until after signing day to name a coach, the program won't be able to sign players until days after the period begins.

FAU will have up to six scholarships available for next season.

Still being considered for the post are former Tennessee coach Buzz Peterson, who has been offered the coaching job at Coastal Carolina, and Georgia Southern coach Jeff Price, who coached at Lynn for six seasons.

FAU also is talking to former Auburn and Clemson coach Cliff Ellis and South Carolina assistant Barry Sanderson.


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