UPDATE (7:56 PM): Usually I put this at the bottom, but since people are a little freaked out.
As other noted in the comments, Andy Katz at ESPN has repeated — now several times on the air that while “Oregon has made a strong push for Jamie Dixon, but he is not going to go there.” (that was the quote from Katz at the halftime of the Dayton-Ole Miss NIT Semifinal)
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Well, suddenly the day is getting weirder. Plus it is Passover, so no beer for me tonight.
Apparently Coach Dixon had a bad day on the radio.
Jamie Dixon went on a radio show earlier today and when asked about Oregon’s situation stated that he doesn’t ever comment on other jobs. Then one of the hosts, Ron Cook, asked him flat out: “You gonna be the Pitt coach next year?” Dixon laughed nervously and said ‘same thing I’m not going to talk even about the Pitt job search.” Dixon then canceled two other radio interviews he had scheduled the rest of the day. Now, within the last hour, another Pittsburgh radio voice — the controversial but well-connected Mark Madden — said on his show that a source has told him Dixon has accepted the Oregon job and it will be announced after the Final Four.
Mark Madden’s “source?” I’m guessing the Big Lead.
Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh is still the top target and the guess here is that after the Final Four (shortly, you’ll see why that date is important), he’ll take the job. He privately met with an Oregon official over the weekend in New York City. Dixon’s difficult decision: Oregon’s roster is blah. Pittsburgh’s is real nice. Pittsburgh has two incoming Top 150 recruits next year. Oregon has none. Next season will be a lost cause at Oregon, with hopes that maybe in 2012 they can contend in the Pac-10. Will the extra $1 or $1.5 mil a year make up for the one or two years of struggles?
Of course, TBL also says that Mark Turgeon isn’t a big enough name, even though, everyone else reported that he already rebuffed interest. TBL also says Tubby Smith does not have an offer. So, take all of this for what it is worth
The Pitt Athletic Department reports that it has not been asked by Oregon to speak with Coach Dixon — which is worth even less these days.
Oh, and Holy Cross fired Pat Kearney after one season. Pitt assistant Tom Herrion was one of the finalists for that job last season.
Um, stay tuned?
Dixon is a great coach, and is in demand. Nordenburg and Peterson won’t let us down.
However, it is troubling that he canceled those radio interviews.
LOL
Kurt,
Dixon is a very good coach but he hasn’t reached that “great” category just yet. If he stays at Pitt he might have a chance to get there one day.
WBB, don’t worry about the canceled interviews, Andy Katz is pretty reliable!
Mike Rice? would the Butler coach consider leaving there after a Final 4 appearance?
I believe Jamie will stay but I’m concerned
I just searched the AP site and see nothing regarding Tubby Smith and Oregon. Can you provide a link?
Will try to get a link up….
HTscriptP
For what it’s worth, ESPN is still running the crawl. Not sure what it means, if anything.
Under the watchful eye of Nike, would he have the same luxury?
Sure, his interview leads to speculation, but I believe in the sense of fairness, that the local media should mention that it has been Dixon’s stance over the past few years to refuse any comment whatsoever on anything pertaining to coaching jobs. And this was true eve after he spurned an offer from ASU a few years ago … he quite simply doesn’t go there.
This certainly doesn’t mean that it is a 100% certain that he is staying, I’m just saying that the media should mention that his reaction to yesterday’s is consistent to what he has done in the past 3 or 4 years.
This is a case, I believe, of Dixon being too darn nice and just not coming out and saying, “I don’t comment on this stuff, so drop it.” Based on the interviews I’ve seen/heard, that’s just not something he does or would do, and in this case it’s kicked up a s@#$-storm. It’s unfortunate, but in the end I suspect it’s much ado about nada.
No boubt 93.7–and kdka-tv–is pushing this as hard as possible to make a splash as a new station.
