CSU Looks At Ernie Kent For Coach Position

The Colorodoan, Kelly Lyell

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20120411/SPORTS/204110400

Ernie Kent, the coach who took Oregon to the NCAA Tournament five times in 13 seasons and twice reached the Elite Eight, appears to be the top candidate to become CSU’s next men’s basketball coach.

Two other finalists, New Mexico assistant Craig Neal and New Mexico State’s Marvin Menzies, confirmed Tuesday they were no longer in the mix.

Neal, who was waiting for a call from Colorado State University athletic director during his team’s annual postseason banquet, told the Albuquerque Journal afterward that he had just been told he would not get the job. Menzies withdrew his name earlier in the day, according to an Associated Press story out of Las Cruces, N.M.

Kent, who declined comment when contacted Monday by the Coloradoan, did not respond to voice-mail or text messages Tuesday night.

CSU athletic director Jack Graham has been on the road interviewing candidates for the past week and was not available for comment, a school spokesman said.

Graham interviewed both Neal and Menzies on Friday in New Mexico, the Albuquerque Journal and Albuquerque TV station KRQE reported. Graham also is be-lieved to have interviewed interim CSU coach Craig Smith, Southern Mississippi coach Larry Eustachy, Weber State coach Randy Rahe, Oral Roberts coach Scott Sutton and Kent. Long Beach State coach Dan Monson withdrew his name from consideration before CSU started the interview process, CBS Sports.com reported.

A Gulfstream jet owned by the same Broomfield-based charter company that provided a different plane for Graham and Schemmel to travel on while conducting interviews last week flew Tuesday night to the Fort Collins-Loveland airport from Rocky Mountain Airport and still was on the ground at 11:15 p.m., according to Federal Aviation Administration flight records.

Kent, out of coaching since being fired at Oregon after the 2009-10 season, has a career record of 325-254. In 13 seasons at Oregon he guided the Ducks to the NCAA Tournament five times, twice advancing to the Elite Eight. He also coached for six seasons at Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif., before taking the Oregon job, and guided the Gaels to a 90-80 record, winning a share of the West Coast Conference’s regular-season title and the conference tournament in his final season there in 1996-97.

CSU Looks At Ernie Kent For Coach Position

The Colorodoan, Kelly Lyell

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20120411/SPORTS/204110400

Ernie Kent, the coach who took Oregon to the NCAA Tournament five times in 13 seasons and twice reached the Elite Eight, appears to be the top candidate to become CSU’s next men’s basketball coach.

Two other finalists, New Mexico assistant Craig Neal and New Mexico State’s Marvin Menzies, confirmed Tuesday they were no longer in the mix.

Neal, who was waiting for a call from Colorado State University athletic director during his team’s annual postseason banquet, told the Albuquerque Journal afterward that he had just been told he would not get the job. Menzies withdrew his name earlier in the day, according to an Associated Press story out of Las Cruces, N.M.

Kent, who declined comment when contacted Monday by the Coloradoan, did not respond to voice-mail or text messages Tuesday night.

CSU athletic director Jack Graham has been on the road interviewing candidates for the past week and was not available for comment, a school spokesman said.

Graham interviewed both Neal and Menzies on Friday in New Mexico, the Albuquerque Journal and Albuquerque TV station KRQE reported. Graham also is be-lieved to have interviewed interim CSU coach Craig Smith, Southern Mississippi coach Larry Eustachy, Weber State coach Randy Rahe, Oral Roberts coach Scott Sutton and Kent. Long Beach State coach Dan Monson withdrew his name from consideration before CSU started the interview process, CBS Sports.com reported.

A Gulfstream jet owned by the same Broomfield-based charter company that provided a different plane for Graham and Schemmel to travel on while conducting interviews last week flew Tuesday night to the Fort Collins-Loveland airport from Rocky Mountain Airport and still was on the ground at 11:15 p.m., according to Federal Aviation Administration flight records.

Kent, out of coaching since being fired at Oregon after the 2009-10 season, has a career record of 325-254. In 13 seasons at Oregon he guided the Ducks to the NCAA Tournament five times, twice advancing to the Elite Eight. He also coached for six seasons at Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif., before taking the Oregon job, and guided the Gaels to a 90-80 record, winning a share of the West Coast Conference’s regular-season title and the conference tournament in his final season there in 1996-97.