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| | Friday, June 16 XX | |||||
| By Andy Katz ESPN.com Leonard Hamilton made Miami a great job in college basketball. But with Hamilton off to the Washington Wizards, the Hurricanes position doesn't look as much as a no-brainer for a coach on the move. Hamilton built his rep on being a fearless recruiter and tireless teacher. His players played hard. He didn't put up with garbage from players (remember the suspension of team's top player Johnny Hemsley during Big East season last February?). But the Hurricanes had their best season under Hamilton (Big East championship and Sweet 16) and they still averaged less than 5,000 fans per game at an arena the Heat abandoned. Traveling for Miami in the Big East was akin to Hawaii making road trips in the WAC. Every trip was a chore because the Hurricanes didn't charter. Hamilton's loyalty, commitment and fatherly role toward players earned him top recruiting classes. He got players from the Northeast, the South and the Midwest. "Leonard made this a great job but there are issues without a true recruiting base," said one coach who is debating whether or not to get involved in the job. Sources close to Hamilton said he called friends in the business to try and get them interested in succeeding him. He called Arizona State's Rob Evans, Colorado's Ricardo Patton, Saint Louis' Lorenzo Romar and Oregon's Ernie Kent. But none were interested. Hamilton also had conversations with Detroit's Perry Watson and Tulane's Perry Clark. Both would likely consider the job if Miami athletics director Paul Dee approached them. But both understand this isn't an easy sell. Miami has one of the top recruiting classes in the nation in 6-8 Darius Rice, 6-2 Joe Gordon, 6-2 Marcus Barnes, 6-9 Reo Logan and 6-3 Rashid Dunbar. Small forward John Salmons (9.3 ppg) and power forward Elton Tyler (9.8 ppg) return with reserve forwards Dwayne Wimbley (3.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Leroy Hurd (4.7 ppg) and James Jones (3.9 ppg). But the transition period won't be easy for the new coach. The Hurricanes were 23-11 last season and reached the Sweet 16 (the farthest they have been in the NCAA Tournament). The Big East should be one of the top three conferences next season. But to stay at the same level, the 'Canes have to bring in some one with the same type of intensity, patience and determination as Hamilton to stay in the race in the Big East for the long haul. Hamilton stayed at Miami for 10 years, got the 'Canes through a transition from no conference to the Big East and made them a top 25 team. There is interest from Clark, Watson, Kent's Gary Waters, South Florida's Seth Greenberg, Delaware's Mike Brey, Old Dominion's Jeff Capel, South Carolina State's Cy Alexander and Massachusetts' Bruiser Flint. Dee seems intent on hiring a head coach, although Miami assistants Stan Jones and Dwight Freeman can't be eliminated yet. If he does, the head coach will have a tougher job than he imagined. But, if he sticks it out, an on-campus arena gets built and talents like Rice and Gordon stay, he'll find it more rewarding than his present gig. Meanwhile, Tulsa faces just as crucial decision in its search to replace Bill Self. Self left for Illinois and the Big Ten. Self's decision was a given. Tulsa's next move isn't as much a lock. The Golden Hurricane are under pressure to continue their successful run of hiring coaches. Tulsa has been a feeder for higher profile schools but has benefited from younger coaches working hard and keeping the Golden Hurricane at the elite level. Nolan Richardson, J.D. Barnett, Tubby Smith, Steve Robinson and Bill Self all kept Tulsa on the national radar screen by getting the Hurricane to the tournament. Self's top assistant, Norm Roberts, is in line to do the same but Tulsa AD Judy MacLeod is hoping to listen to Texas-San Antonio's Tim Carter and Appalachian State's Buzz Peterson make a pitch before making her next move. Roberts has been credited with helping Self get the players and the team to the Elite Eight. He has Self's endorsement and that might be enough to land this coveted job. The Golden Hurricane need to make the right hire here, especially after Tulsa's run to the Elite Eight. The Golden Hurricane can continue their run of the past two years with the talent in place. Tulsa will still be one of the quickest teams in the nation with the return of guards Marcus Hill (11.1 ppg), Greg Harrington (11.4 ppg) and Dante Swanson (4.7 ppg). The frontcourt should be fine with leading scorer David Shelton (13.3 ppg) joining newcomer Ermal Kuqo and returnees Kevin Johnson and DeAngelo McDaniel. Tulsa still has the niche of being a basketball job in a football state. The WAC can be had on a yearly basis and the support for Golden Hurricane basketball ranks among the best in the nation. With July recruiting looming a few weeks away, neither Dee nor MacLeod can waste time making the most important hires in their respective tenures. Tragedy in El Paso Thoughts and prayers go out to Bobby Dibler and his family after the Mountain West Conference director of officials goes through a horrendous tragedy. Dibler's wife Carroll Dibler, 53, and his daughter, Kristin, 20, were murdered Sunday at their East Side El Paso, Texas, home. William Edward Henschel, 23, Kristin Dibler's former boyfriend, has been charged with capital murder and attempted capital murder. He is in an El Paso jail. Matt Kennedy, 21, Dibler's boyfriend, was allegedly shot by Henschel as well, according to a report in the El Paso Times. Bobby Dibler was a former UTEP player under Don Haskins and has served as a WAC official and director of WAC officiating before his present job with the Mountain West. Dibler has always been one of the foremost authorities on rules interpretations and a wealth of information for anyone calling on him to clarify a rule. Leach: Remembering a true student-athlete Rufus Leach had planned on opening up a rec center in his hometown of Maxton, N.C. He wasn't interested in pining away his time trying to land an NBA gig. He was a realist. But tragically he died last week, drowning while trying to swim to a dock at a lake near Appalachian State's campus. Leach left a lasting impression on the Mountaineers in just two years. He came to Appalachian State after playing at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Fla. But he wasn't eligible his first season. So what did he do? He worked at Bojangles, getting up before the sun did to pay his tuition, room and board. Leach was at practice every day, making sure he knew what was going on with the team. When he was eligible last season, the 22-year old Leach averaged 16 points and set the single-season record with 100 3s. Leach deserves as much credit as anyone on the Mountaineers for getting them over the hurdle of beating College of Charleston and earning an NCAA berth. The school is expected to set up a memorial fund to help Leach's dream become a reality and build a rec center in Maxton. Calipari not backing down John Calipari is back in college basketball and he wants all his nemesis to face him in his first year. He's got at least one. Calipari sought out Temple coach John Chaney at the Final Four in Indianapolis. He jokingly went for his neck in a choking fashion (the two were in a near scuffle when Calipari was at Massachusetts in the mid-'90s). Calipari sent Chaney a note saying the two should play now that he was the head coach at Memphis. Chaney agreed and they set up a date with ESPN. Mark it down: Nov. 17. Temple will travel to Memphis. Memphis will return the game in 2001. "As long as John's the coach at Temple I want to keep it going," Calipari said. "Temple and Umass was as good a rivalry as Michigan-Michigan State, Kentucky-Louisville or Duke-Carolina." Calipari hasn't stopped with Temple. He wants Connecticut. He has made contact with the Huskies but hasn't been able to secure a game. Massachusetts and Connecticut were rivals in recruiting and battled for New England's interest in the mid-'90s. "I'm looking to make us more national," Calipari said of Memphis' schedule. Calipari said he's called Duke, UCLA, Syracuse but hasn't been able to lock up interest in a game. He said Kansas and Seton Hall were considering future dates. But next season he's got Arkansas, Tennessee and Miami (Fla.) on the road, Kansas State, Mississippi and Temple at home. Memphis is scheduled to host Miami (Ohio) in the first round of the Puerto Rico Shootout if organizer Chris Spencer gets NCAA approval for a fourth exempted game in his holiday tournament. If he doesn't, Memphis will play Miami in the first round in San Juan. The Tigers could play Utah, Stanford and/or Georgia in the tournament. Weekly chatter | ALSO SEE Self will be named Illinois coach today  Vitale: Self inherits loaded teamThe Word's Answer Man Missed the Word? Ready Kruger? Hawks say Illini coach perfect fit | |||||