USF Coach Quest 2007

Sure, you can speculate about the Michigan job or that Kentucky gig if you want the boring coach searches. I mean, those searches seem to actually have clear targets. The real excitement is in Tampa where they just can't find anyone to take the job at the University of South Florida.

Current ESPN College Basketball Analyst, Fran Fraschilla, has been the latest to take his name out of the hat. I think the list of people who have turned down the opportunity to even interview for the job is longer than the list of actual interviews.

The good news, is that former Arkansas Head Coach Stan Heath is not just willing to listen. He actually has met with the USF Athletic Director. The two met in Atlanta, sight of the largest basketball coaching job fair -- the Final Four. Heath has yet to visit USF's campus. Something that apparently killed interest in the job for Winthrop's Gregg Marshall and South Alabama's John Pelphrey.

If Heath goes to USF, or anywhere else, expect at least one of his former Arkansas players to follow him.

If Heath ends up at USF, there's a chance SEC freshman of the year Patrick Beverley could join him.
"I love it here at Arkansas, but it's going to be hard for me to play for somebody else," Beverley told the Chicago Tribune. "I want to finish up strong in my classes so there won't be any problems if I have to transfer.

"[Heath] is just a good dude who gave me a lot of leeway and allowed me to play my game. That's the kind of coach I like to play for. The new coach may not let me play my game."

He'd be happier if Heath somehow ended up in Ann Arbor since he chose Arkansas over Michigan, though. Plus there Heath had secured a late verbal from a 4-star small forward out of Mississippi. Jenirro Bush hasn't signed his NLI yet, and has reopened his recruitment.

Here's another stealth name in the USF coaching search: Matt Doherty. Yes, he only has put in one season at SMU -- after putting in only one season at FAU.

Apparently there are rumors.

That head basketball coach Matt Doherty will take a job at another school after spending just one year with SMU?

Not very. Doherty spent most of the year acclimating himself to the SMU campus, the students and the faculty, all of whom have welcomed him.

Doherty has brought in a top recruiting class that could make a difference in the years to come.

The main talk has been about the South Florida job that would bring Doherty back to a top conference, the Big East. But that would be in a worse conference situation than the Mustangs are in right now with C-USA.

While the Mustangs and Bulls have matching 3-13 conference records, the Mustangs looked better in non-conference games and have a better future in the conference.
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And if that isn't enough, Doherty, in his online blog, said he wanted to coach a Final Four team...at SMU. And since that didn't happen last season, don't expect Doherty to go anywhere.

God bless the student papers. It's almost refreshing to read that kind of naivete. Sure Doherty jumped to SMU after only a year at FAU, but that was FAU. SMU basketball is something special. Besides, he said, that he wants to win right on his blog.